Lead Backend Engineer, Ruby On Rails

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Serbia.

📋 Description

• Lead and guide a team of mid to senior backend engineers (4–5), including conducting 1:1 meetings, providing feedback, and managing performance.

• Convert product and business objectives into well-defined technical roadmaps, sprint plans, and backend priorities.

• Take ownership of the backend architecture and technical vision for mobile-first, consumer-oriented applications utilized by tens of thousands of active users daily.

• Direct and oversee the implementation of new features for our mobile applications, collaborating closely with iOS/Android, Product, Data, DevOps, and Trust & Safety teams.

• Make critical architectural decisions regarding scalability, performance, reliability, data flows, and AWS infrastructure.

• Modernize and enhance a substantial Ruby on Rails codebase (including version upgrades and refactoring legacy components) while ensuring system stability in production.

• Identify and address performance bottlenecks, enhance API speed and reliability, and design effective caching and database strategies.

• Establish and perpetually refine engineering processes, coding standards, code review practices, and deployment/CI pipelines.

• Develop and maintain clear technical documentation and design specifications for backend systems and significant initiatives.

• Manage prioritization and trade-offs in a dynamic environment with shifting quarterly priorities.

• Engage in hands-on coding and code reviews, particularly for complex or high-impact areas, and intervene during critical production incidents.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 8 years of professional backend development experience in production environments, with recent experience in leading backend teams.

• Demonstrated experience owning backend architecture for a mobile-first, consumer-centric application.

• Strong practical expertise with Ruby On Rails.

• Experience in building and scaling high-traffic systems (over 10k+ daily active users) with an emphasis on performance and reliability.

• Comprehensive understanding of distributed systems, relational databases, caching mechanisms, and performance optimization.

• Hands-on experience working in the cloud (preferably AWS) and collaborating closely with DevOps/infrastructure engineers.

• Exceptional communication skills capable of articulating complex technical concepts and trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders (e.g., CEO, Product).

• Background in a startup or fast-paced product environment, comfortable with shifting priorities and making pragmatic trade-offs.

• Strong product-oriented mindset, user-focused, impact-driven, and able to align technical decisions with business outcomes.

• Comfortable taking ownership, making decisions, and leading in a fully remote, distributed team setting.

🏝️ Benefits

• Fully remote position with flexible working hours (core collaboration typically during European daytime).

• Bonuses of 30k USD (seasonal + end-of-year, depending on individual and company performance).

• 27 days of paid vacation (15 personal leave days + 12 public holidays according to your local country calendar).

• Company-sponsored team trips, 1–2 times per year to attractive destinations (e.g., Thailand, Bali), including flights and accommodation.

• Access to company-provided AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor company accounts) to enhance your productivity.