Software Engineer, Backend

About the Role

• As a Software Engineer, Backend at Nexleaf you’ll help us achieve scale and impact by serving on a team that designs and develops the core backend code of our cloud-based service. This service collects and analyzes data gathered from the hardest to reach places on Earth and connects to tens of thousands of IoT/M2M devices across the globe. These data and services are accessed by users spanning Ministries of Health, global agencies, partner NGOs, and those working in remote, low connectivity environments.
• To do this you’ll learn the architecture of our system, understand our business and product strategy, and work to improve existing services (and implement new ones), develop APIs, improve our backend architecture, test procedures, and documentation, all with a shared goal of helping the organization achieve its vision! You will also be a key partner alongside our frontend developers, designers and product managers in shaping the user centric product we are continuing to expand and create.
• We are a small, dedicated team at Nexleaf and we all work together to define priorities and plan implementations from discovery through delivery. We care deeply about helping the organization achieve its mission, and recognize our role in bringing that impact to the world!

In this role you will:

• Work in a highly collaborative and cross functional capacity with product managers, designers, and other engineers to ensure we are building the right solutions to solve users’ problems.
• Support technical decision making and provide input on design and architecture decisions.
• Make well-reasoned design decisions within your area, identify potential issues, trade-offs, risks, and the appropriate level of abstraction with the support of senior engineers and managers.
• Scope problems with the support of senior engineers and managers, as well as troubleshoot technical and operational problems. Debug expertly within your focus area.
• Build and improve our APIs, data pipelines, and backend systems to follow best practices and align with system goals.
• Work in partnership with our frontend engineers to build out end to end products that provide the results users need.
• Follow and seek to improve engineering standards, tooling, and processes.
• Write maintainable code, develop appropriate tests, and write documentation for your key areas of focus.
• Participate in regular production deployments and write meaningful code reviews for team members.
• We have a robust and professionalized development team, with extensive documentation, well defined processes and a modern stack that includes the latest versions of Python, Django, TypeScript, Angular, and all deployed to AWS. We use code reviews, containerized development environments (Docker), continuous integration, testing, and individual dev / staging environments. We also provide a choice of Linux, Mac or Windows development environments.

Requirements

• BS/MS in Computer Science (or another technical field) or equivalent work experience
• Python: 2+ years of backend software engineering on larger web projects with proficiency with Python or equivalent languages. Candidates with front end development experience in Angular/React/TypeScript will be given extra consideration.
• Django experience is preferred, though experience with similar frameworks such as Flask, Laravel, Ruby on Rails will also be considered.
• Able to participate in technical architecture discussions and provide input to technical decisions alongside other members of your team.
• Self-starter who brings experience, enthusiasm, and can hit the ground running.
• Is excited to work as a participant on a cross functional team and in a highly collaborative and user focused manner.
• Adaptable and handles open-ended problems & ambiguity well. Many of the problems we take on are in challenging environments, so being flexible and open minded about how we tackle them is a key element to our success.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. We are a remote company and rely heavily on our ability to effectively communicate on a very regular basis to stay in sync.
• Strong ability to explain complex technical concepts to product managers, designers, support, and other engineers.
• Relevant experience deploying features of the backend and frontend into production on Linux based systems.
• Experience using AWS, as well as basic data processing and analysis experience

Benefits

• Amazing start-up culture that's purpose-driven and highly collaborative
• Fast-paced, high performing team focused on learning and getting better every day
• Benefits including health and generous PTO ( vacation time, 4 day holiday weekends, 1 week summer break and 1 week winter break)
• Flexible work hours