Senior Backend Engineer, Ethyca

• 8+ years building production-grade web applications, distributed systems, or backend services with proven track record of delivering complex technical projects
• Expert-level proficiency with Python 3 and web frameworks (Django, Flask, FastAPI); deep understanding of async programming, performance optimization, and Python ecosystem best practices
• Strong experience designing RESTful APIs, third-party integrations, and building systems that other developers love to use
• Proficient with relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and/or NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Redis); experience with data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery) is a plus
• Passionate about automated testing (unit, integration, E2E); experienced with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI) and maintaining high test coverage
• Comfortable with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), containerization (Docker), and infrastructure-as-code
• Built and operated systems handling millions of requests per day with stringent performance and reliability requirements
• Understanding of enterprise security practices, data encryption, and compliance requirements (GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2)
• Experience designing systems that serve multiple large enterprise customers with data isolation and tenant-specific configurations
• Proven ability to design systems for scale, maintainability, and evolution; make sound technical tradeoffs between complexity, time, and quality
• Tackle ambiguous, complex problems with innovative solutions; comfortable diving deep into unfamiliar codebases or technologies
• Track record of helping other engineers grow through code reviews, pairing, documentation, and technical guidance
• Drive initiatives from concept to completion without waiting to be told what to do; comfortable with autonomy and accountability
• Strong technical writing skills; produce clear documentation, technical specs, and design proposals that bring clarity to complex topics
• Thrive in distributed team environments; experienced working across time zones with async communication as default
• Self-directed and productive in remote settings; proactive about over-communicating and keeping stakeholders informed
• Comfortable with fast-paced environments where priorities shift; embrace rapid iteration and continuous delivery
• Demonstrate your technical skills through open source contributions, side projects, or technical writing

Desirable

• As a Senior II Backend Engineer at Ethyca, you will be a technical leader and force multiplier on the engineering team
• You'll architect and build the core systems that power Fides enabling enterprises to manage data governance, consent, and privacy rights at massive scale
• This role demands deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor others while shipping high-impact features that directly affect how the world's largest organizations deploy AI responsibly
• Technical Leadership & Architecture:
• Lead the design and implementation of major system components, from DSR orchestration to API integrations to high-performance data processing pipelines
• Make critical decisions about system design, data models, and technology choices that will scale to support Fortune 500 customers processing billions of privacy requests
• Identify architectural risks and scaling bottlenecks before they become issues; propose solutions that keep us ahead of customer needs
• Champion best practices in code quality, testing, observability, and documentation; raise the bar for the entire team
• Build & Ship High-Impact Features:
• Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code that serves millions of users and meets enterprise-grade reliability standards
• Take projects from concept through design, implementation, testing, deployment, and iteration; driving outcomes, not just completing tasks
• Balance speed and excellence; ship rapidly while maintaining high standards for code quality, testing, and documentation
• Leverage AI-assisted tools to accelerate development, improve code quality, and enhance productivity across the development lifecycle
• Collaboration & Mentorship:
• Provide technical guidance, code reviews, and architectural mentorship to help other engineers level up their skills
• Lead project planning sessions, write detailed technical specifications, and ensure alignment across engineering, product, and design
• Support the open source community through thoughtful PR reviews, issue triage, and helping users troubleshoot complex problems
• Work closely with Product, Design, and Customer Success to ensure technical solutions align with business goals and customer needs
• Operational Excellence:
• Design systems that handle enterprise workloads with demanding SLAs, security requirements, and compliance needs
• Use metrics, monitoring, and data analysis to inform architectural choices and operational improvements
• Take ownership of production systems; respond to incidents quickly and drive post-mortems that prevent future issues
• Identify inefficiencies in development workflows, tooling, and processes; propose and implement solutions