Lead Backend Engineer
Location: Remote (U.S.)Job Type: Contract-to-HireJob SummaryWe are seeking an experienced Lead Backend Engineer to lead the design, development, and delivery of scalable cloud-native applications. This is a hands-on technical leadership role responsible for architecting modern backend solutions, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering best practices while building highly available applications on AWS.The ideal candidate has deep expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, AWS Serverless, React, Generative AI, and cloud-native architectures, along with experience leading Agile development teams.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign, develop, and maintain scalable, secure, and high-performance backend applications. Architect cloud-native solutions using AWS services and serverless technologies. Collaborate with Product Owners, Architects, Designers, and Engineering teams to deliver business solutions. Lead technical design discussions and establish development standards and best practices. Develop REST APIs and backend services using Node.js and TypeScript. Build proof of concepts and rapidly prototype new features. Write clean, maintainable, and reusable code. Create technical documentation and architectural designs. Participate in code reviews and mentor junior engineers. Lead Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, grooming, stand-ups, and retrospectives. Troubleshoot and resolve production issues. Implement CI/CD and DevOps best practices. Design and implement observability solutions using CloudWatch and monitoring tools. Develop and implement Generative AI solutions including LLM-powered applications and RAG architectures. Collaborate on AI implementation strategies and reusable engineering frameworks. Required Qualifications 7+ years of experience designing and developing scalable web applications. 3+ years of backend development using Node.js with TypeScript. Strong experience with AWS Cloud Services, including:Lambda DynamoDB S3 SNS SQS Step Functions API Gateway IAM KMS CloudWatch Experience with Amazon Redshift and Amazon DynamoDB. Strong JavaScript (ES6+) and TypeScript development experience. Experience with React.js and modern front-end development. Hands-on experience with Next.js. Experience building RESTful APIs and event-driven applications. Strong knowledge of asynchronous programming. Experience with relational and NoSQL databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redshift, and DynamoDB. Experience implementing observability using CloudWatch, logging, metrics, and monitoring. Hands-on experience developing Generative AI applications, including:Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) LLM integrations AI-powered applications Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments. Strong system design, architecture, and problem-solving skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives. Preferred QualificationsExperience with OpenSearch or Elasticsearch. Experience building AI-powered enterprise applications. Experience designing highly scalable distributed systems. Strong knowledge of serverless architectures. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field. Technical SkillsNode.js TypeScript JavaScript (ES6) React.js Next.js AWS Lambda DynamoDB Amazon Redshift Amazon S3 Amazon SNS Amazon SQS Step Functions API Gateway IAM KMS CloudWatch OpenSearch Elasticsearch PostgreSQL MySQL REST APIs Serverless Architecture Generative AI LLM RAG CI/CD Agile/Scrum Git What We're Looking ForStrong technical leadership with hands-on development expertise. Passion for designing scalable, cloud-native applications. Ability to mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Collaborative mindset with experience working across cross-functional teams. Interest in emerging technologies, especially Generative AI and cloud innovation.