Design, build, and operate scalable distributed backend systems and services end to end. Integrate Web3 protocols, blockchain networks, and smart contracts while ensuring reliability, security, performance, observability, and code quality. Collaborate with product teams and API clients to shape solutions, contribute to technical discussions, mentor engineers, and use AI throughout the development workflow.
We're looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join our backend team at Zerion.
This team builds and evolves the backend systems at the core of our products and customer-facing solutions.
In this role, you'll design and operate distributed systems, work with Web3 infrastructure, and collaborate closely with product, support, and the clients building on our API to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.
We value strong ownership, thoughtful system design, and a high bar for code quality.
If you enjoy building solid systems, moving fast without cutting corners, and using AI as a core part of how you work, you'll feel right at home with us.
This team builds and evolves the backend systems at the core of our products and customer-facing solutions.
In this role, you'll design and operate distributed systems, work with Web3 infrastructure, and collaborate closely with product, support, and the clients building on our API to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.
We value strong ownership, thoughtful system design, and a high bar for code quality.
If you enjoy building solid systems, moving fast without cutting corners, and using AI as a core part of how you work, you'll feel right at home with us.
What You’ll Do
- Design, build, and maintain scalable distributed backend systems powering platform and product capabilities.
- Own backend services end-to-end: from architecture and implementation to monitoring and long-term reliability.
- Work closely with product and engineering peers to actively shape product decisions — not just execute specs.
- Scope solutions with the clients building on our API: turn a vague request into a concrete proposal, and the proposal into a plan the team can build.
- Build and evolve Web3 platform backend components, including protocol integrations, support for newly emerging blockchain networks, and reliable interactions with smart contracts.
- Ensure high standards of code quality, performance, security, and observability.
- Operate comfortably in a fast-paced startup environment, balancing speed and correctness.
- Use AI as a core part of your engineering workflow — designing, reviewing, debugging and shipping with it. This is how the team works day to day, not an experiment we're running.
- Contribute to technical discussions, reviews, and mentorship within the engineering team.
What We’re Looking For
- 5+ years of experience designing and building distributed backend systems.
- Strong knowledge of algorithms, data structures, and software design patterns.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment.
- Strong desire to actively contribute to product evolution, not just implementation.
- Comfortable working directly with customers — hearing a vague problem and coming back with a concrete proposal.
- Hands-on, daily use of AI in your engineering work. You should be able to talk concretely about where it has changed how you build, and where you've learned not to trust it.
- High standards for code quality, system reliability, and user experience — you care about getting it right, not just getting it done.
- Strong ownership mindset — you take responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks.
- Clear and proactive communication in a distributed team.
- Pragmatic decision-making: knowing when to move fast vs. go deep.
- Ability to learn quickly and adapt.
Technical Skill Set
- Excellent knowledge of Golang is a plus, not a blocker.
- Experience with containerized systems: Docker & Kubernetes.
- Experience with databases:
- SQL: Postgres
- NoSQL: MongoDB, Cassandra
- Experience with monitoring and observability tools: Sentry, Prometheus, Grafana.
- Hands-on experience with AWS (Amazon Web Services).
- Experience with Python 3.
- Comfort experimenting with and integrating AI-assisted workflows into daily engineering work.
Bonus Points
- Hands-on Web3 experience: Blockchain systems, dApps, Smart contracts.
- Prior experience in a startup environment that emphasizes trust and autonomy.
- Located in time zones close to Europe for smoother collaboration.
- Collaborative mindset and respect for different perspectives.
- Curiosity and willingness to challenge existing solutions when better ones exist.
Interview Process
- Screening Call – 30 minutes
- Hiring Manager Interview – 45 minutes
- Technical Interview – 90 minutes (includes a real-world challenge where you'll work with AI tools directly)
- System Design Interview – 90 minutes
- Team Interview – 60 minutes
- Founders Call – up to 60 minutes
- Reference Check
Why You Should Join
Company Overview
Zerion API
Trusted by 50+ top crypto and fintech brands
Powering 2k+ active clients monthly
Over 10B total requests processed
A lean, senior AI-native team shipping at outsized scale
Zerion Wallet
1.7M+ active funded wallets
27.6M+ transactions
2.5B+ transaction volume
416K+ unique holders of Zerion DNA NFT
Culture: Our culture shines through in our strong team engagement and impressive retention, showing just how much we value creating a workplace where people truly want to stay and thrive.
People: Collaborate with some of the most driven and intelligent individuals in the crypto space.
Salary & Benefits: Receive a competitive salary, medical insurance, coworking membership, and additional benefits.
Unlimited Days Off and Flexible Work Schedule: Recharge and explore life outside the office with our flexible time-off policy and work schedule.
Remote Work Essentials: We provide all the necessary software and equipment to ensure you're fully equipped to work from home comfortably and efficiently.
Stock Options: Contribute to Zerion's success and watch your stock options become valuable.
Travel: Connect with your teammates around the world at industry events and our annual team offsite.
Distributed Team: Zerion is a fully remote team with members worldwide. Embrace asynchronous collaboration, find your own work rhythm, and enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
To ALL recruitment agencies and individual recruiters: Zerion only accepts resumes from its partners, with whom Zerion has contractual relations. Zerion is not responsible for any fees or charges associated with unsolicited resumes.
We read every application in full before moving forward - as part of that, please include the word WATERMELON somewhere in your answer to the application question below
Similar Jobs
Cloud • Digital Media • News + Entertainment • On-Demand
Design, deploy, and optimize Philo’s distributed video streaming infrastructure, including ingest, transcoding, packaging, delivery, RESTful services, analytics pipelines, DRM, and ad insertion. Improve platform reliability, performance, latency, security, video quality, and cost efficiency. Collaborate with content partners and internal video, advertising, client, and data teams while supporting streaming quality across new platforms. The role also involves architectural ownership, cloud operations, and mentoring.
Top Skills:
AacAgileAv1Aws ElementalAzure Media ServicesC++Cloud ComputingCmafContinuous DeploymentData WarehousingDockerDrmFfmpegFmp4GoH.264/AvcH.265/HevcHlsJavaKubernetesMicroservicesMpeg TsMpeg-DashNode.jsNon-Relational DatabasesOtt Video PackagingPythonRelational DatabasesRestful Web ServicesRubyScrumServer-Side Ad Insertion (Ssai)SrtSsimVmafZixi
Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Lead development of scalable Java backend applications and high-availability cloud services. Design architectures, REST APIs, databases, caching systems, and distributed session infrastructure. Mentor engineers, drive technical initiatives, address performance and scalability challenges, and uphold quality and automation practices for endpoint management products.
Top Skills:
AWSC++Caching SystemsData WarehousesGoJavaKotlinPostgresRelational DatabasesRestSpring
Cloud • Software
Designs and delivers complex backend services and shared platform components for identity, authentication, and access control. Owns projects from design through production, breaks initiatives into milestones, resolves technical challenges, identifies risks, mentors engineers, documents technical decisions, and collaborates across teams to align engineering work with product priorities.
Top Skills:
Ai-Enhanced ToolingContainer OrchestrationDistributed SystemsGoKubernetesLinuxOauthPythonRole-Based Access ControlSso
What you need to know about the Seattle Tech Scene
Home to tech titans like Microsoft and Amazon, Seattle punches far above its weight in innovation. But its surrounding mountains, sprinkled with world-famous hiking trails and climbing routes, make the city a destination for outdoorsy types as well. Established as a logging town before shifting to shipbuilding and logistics, the Emerald City is now known for its contributions to aerospace, software, biotech and cloud computing. And its status as a thriving tech ecosystem is attracting out-of-town companies looking to establish new tech and engineering hubs.
Key Facts About Seattle Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 287,000; 13% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, software, biotechnology, game development
- Funding Landscape: $3.1 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Madrona, Fuse, Tola, Maveron
- Research Centers and Universities: University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle Children’s Research Institute
