Builds AI-powered features and integrates LLM APIs; explicitly calls for AI-first development approaches that go beyond "vibe coding."
About the Role
Senior Backend Engineer to design and build scalable, event-driven microservices and APIs that power Ovation's customer experience platform for restaurant brands. The role leads architecture decisions, mentors engineers, and implements AI-integrated backend features and integrations to support high-volume customer interactions.
Job Description
Role
Senior Backend Engineer responsible for designing and implementing scalable, event-driven backend systems and APIs that support Ovation’s customer experience platform for restaurants. The role includes architectural decision-making, mentoring other engineers, and shaping the technical direction of the platform.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and implement scalable, event-driven microservices and service boundaries
- Build robust RESTful or GraphQL APIs consumed by web, mobile, and third-party integrations
- Design database schemas and optimize queries for performance at scale
- Develop features across backend services: survey orchestration, messaging systems, campaign execution, analytics processing, and integration webhooks
- Build and maintain integrations with external platforms (POS systems, loyalty programs, review platforms)
- Implement business logic spanning multiple services and data sources
- Ensure observability: logging, metrics, tracing, and alerting
- Integrate and build AI-driven features by working with LLM APIs
- Mentor junior and mid-level engineers; lead technical discussions and establish engineering best practices
Requirements
Core Competencies (Required)
- 5+ years building backend systems, APIs, or distributed services
- Strong understanding of microservices architecture, service-to-service communication, and eventual consistency
- Experience with event-driven architectures (message queues, pub/sub, event buses)
- Deep experience designing and building RESTful or GraphQL APIs, including versioning and auth
- Strong database design skills (SQL or NoSQL), query optimization, indexing, and performance tuning
- Test-driven development mindset and experience with unit, integration, and end-to-end testing
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, deployment automation, version control, and code review processes
Valued Experience
- Experience with Node.js/TypeScript (or Python, Ruby, Go, Java, C#, etc.)
- Experience on AWS and serverless architectures (Lambda, EventBridge, SQS, API Gateway)
- Familiarity with MongoDB and Mongoose or other document databases
- Background in SaaS/B2B platforms, multi-tenant architectures, real-time communications, and integration platforms
- Experience integrating LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere) and production prompt engineering
Tech Stack (examples mentioned)
- Languages & Runtimes: Node.js, TypeScript (also mentions Python, Ruby, Go, Java, C#)
- Cloud & Platform: AWS (Lambda, EventBridge, SQS, S3, API Gateway, DynamoDB)
- Database: MongoDB Atlas, Mongoose
- Frameworks & Tools: Serverless Framework, GitHub Actions CI/CD
- Monitoring & Observability: New Relic APM, DataDog, Sentry, CloudWatch (Logs)
- API tools: Swagger/OpenAPI, Postman
- Background job systems referenced: Celery, Sidekiq, Bull
- Infrastructure as Code: CloudFormation, Terraform, CDK, Pulumi
- AI providers: OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere
Benefits & Work Model
- Competitive compensation
- Remote-first culture with occasional in-person gatherings
- Health & wellness benefits with 401k matching
- Flexible hours, generous PTO, company holidays, Focus Fridays, and a life-balance messaging policy
- Learning budget and clear career progression
Logistics
- Employment type: Full-time
- Work location: Remote
- Pay range (stated): $140,000 - $200,000 per year