Overview
Unico Connect is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to architect and deliver production backends for enterprise client products. The role spans system design, data-layer ownership, performance engineering, and the mentorship that scales the backend practice. The position is well suited to senior engineers with multi-database production experience, strong distributed systems instincts, and a track record of mentoring junior engineers through complex change.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead backend architecture for 1-2 enterprise client products
- Design event-driven and microservice systems where the trade-offs pay off; keep simpler architectures where they do not
- Own the data layer: schema design, query optimisation, indexing strategy, and caching architecture
- Implement complex business logic, workflows, and integrations spanning multiple services
- Mentor 2-3 junior backend engineers through code reviews, design reviews, and 1:1s
- Drive backend standards covering testing, observability, security, and performance
- Partner with DevOps on deployment, scaling, and on-call practices
- Lead production incident response for backend systems including post-mortems and remediation
- Govern security posture across owned services including OWASP, SAST, and DAST practices
- Author internal backend playbooks and onboarding documentation
- Calibrate the backend interview bar and conduct senior interview loops
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of backend engineering with at least 2 in a senior or lead role
- Deep expertise in Node.js with TypeScript or Python (FastAPI or Django) at production scale
- Production experience across multiple databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB)
- Strong fundamentals in distributed systems, caching, queues, and async patterns
- Hands-on with Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD on GCP or AWS
- Excellent code review and mentorship skills
- Experience leading architecture decisions in regulated industries (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR)
- Track record of owning at least 1 system at production scale (high QPS, multi-tenant, or compliance-heavy)
- Capacity to read product requirements and translate to technical scope
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
Preferred Qualifications
- GraphQL federation experience (Apollo, Hive)
- Performance engineering including profiling and query optimisation
- Security hardening track record
- Open-source contributions to backend libraries or frameworks
- Conference talks or technical writing
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:
- Claude Code or Cursor as the default integrated development environment
- ChatGPT or Claude for system design review and architecture decisions
- AI-assisted SQL and query optimisation tooling
- Perplexity for technical research during architecture work
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.