Overview
Unico Connect is seeking a Backend Engineer to build and ship production backends for client web and mobile products. The role spans API design, database modelling, third-party integrations, and the discipline of writing tested, observable code. The position is well suited to early-career backend engineers with shipped production work in Node.js or Python and a willingness to deepen across the full backend stack.
Key Responsibilities
- Build REST and GraphQL APIs using Node.js (NestJS or Fastify) or Python (FastAPI or Django)
- Design and maintain PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB schemas with appropriate indexing
- Integrate third-party APIs such as Stripe, Twilio, SendGrid, and Razorpay
- Write unit and integration tests; target 80%+ coverage on critical paths
- Implement authentication, authorisation, and rate limiting using established patterns
- Deploy services to GCP or AWS through CI/CD pipelines
- Pair with Senior Backend Engineers on architecture decisions and code reviews
- Participate in incident response rotations for owned services
- Maintain technical documentation for owned services and integrations
- Contribute to internal backend templates, generators, and shared libraries
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
- 1-3 years of backend engineering with shipped production work
- Strong Node.js with TypeScript or Python (FastAPI or Django)
- Production experience with PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB
- Working knowledge of Redis and at least 1 message queue (BullMQ, RabbitMQ, or SQS)
- Familiarity with Docker and at least 1 cloud (GCP or AWS)
- Solid testing fundamentals including unit, integration, and contract tests
- Comfort with Git, GitHub Actions, and CI/CD pipelines
- Working understanding of HTTP, REST, and basic distributed systems concepts
- Excellent written communication for pull request descriptions and design docs
Preferred Qualifications
- GraphQL exposure (Apollo, Pothos, gqlgen)
- Microservices with gRPC
- Hands-on with Kubernetes basics
- Experience with serverless platforms (Cloud Run, Lambda)
- Open-source contributions to backend libraries
AI Tools Proficiency
Production engineering at Unico Connect assumes AI tools form part of the daily workflow rather than an experimental augmentation. For this role specifically:
- Cursor or Claude Code as a daily coding driver
- ChatGPT or Claude for API design review and refactoring
- AI-assisted test generation for unit and integration coverage
- Perplexity for technical research on integrations
What we look for at Unico Connect
Every Unico role expects the same underlying traits — regardless of department or seniority. If these resonate, apply.
Fluent with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Figma AI, or whatever is relevant to your craft. We expect AI tools in the loop, not as a novelty.
Fast cycles, real ownership, low ceremony. You will not be a cog.
Output and outcomes matter more than process. You ship work that moves a metric.
You treat the codebase, the deliverable, and the client relationship as your own.
You joined because you want to ship amazing tech products, not warm a seat.