Senior Backend Developer/Architect

IBM Computing; Markham; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Software is seeking experienced backend engineers to grow our Traffic team, building scalable cloud-native services powering Confluent Cloud networking. You will design, implement, and operate secure, high-availability systems with strong API contracts and end-to-end ownership.

Join a collaborative culture that values curiosity, learning, and impact. We welcome engineers who thrive on distributed systems, performance tuning, and cross-team collaboration, using Go, Java, or C++ across public

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of experience building distributed backend systems in production.
• Experience designing and operating large-scale services with clear API contracts and lifecycle ownership.
• Strong systems-level understanding of networking, OS, and storage tradeoffs for backend infra.
• Expert-level proficiency in at least one language (Go, Java, or C++).
• Experience with public cloud and Kubernetes/containerized environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate backend services that are secure, reliable, and scalable in a cloud-native environment.
• Own features end-to-end: requirements, design, implementation, testing, rollout, and ongoing improvements.
• Work with distributed systems and microservices focusing on performance and resiliency.
• Contribute to service reliability and operations, including monitoring and on-call participation where applicable.
• Collaborate with partner teams on architecture, data modeling, and integration points across the platform.
• Write clean, well-tested, well-documented code and participate in code reviews to raise the bar.
• Help improve engineering practices, tools, and automation to ship code safely.
• Contribute to a healthy team culture through clear communication and collaboration.

Skills

Distributed systems

Backend engineering

Cloud infrastructure

API design

Go/Java/C++

Public cloud

Kubernetes

Team collaboration

Education

BS/MS in computer science or related field

Tools

Kubernetes

Job description

Introduction

At IBM Software, we transform client challenges into solutions. Building the world’s leading AI-powered, cloud-native products that shape the future of business and society. Our legacy of innovation creates endless opportunities for IBMers to learn, grow, and make an impact on a global scale. Working in Software means joining a team fueled by curiosity and collaboration. You’ll work with diverse technologies, partners, and industries to design, develop, and deliver solutions that power digital transformation. With a culture that values innovation, growth, and continuous learning, IBM Software places you at the heart of IBM’s product and technology landscape. Here, you’ll have the tools and opportunities to advance your career while creating software that changes the world.

Your role and responsibilities

About the Role:

We are looking for software engineers, at various levels, to grow our Traffic team which is responsible for building and managing the networking fabric of Confluent Cloud. Cloud networking is a strategic investment area for Confluent with the potential to impact the company’s top and bottom line. The control plane area in the Traffic team builds and operates Confluent Cloud’s networking foundation, providing APIs and workflows to create and manage networking resources while improving platform velocity, resiliency, and efficiency We are looking for someone with an interest in building large-scale distributed systems, with a focus on building and managing core platform services that power Confluent Cloud Networking

What you will do:

• Design, build, and operate backend services that are secure, reliable, and scalable in a cloud-native environment.

• Own features and projects end to end: requirements, design, implementation, testing, rollout, and ongoing improvements.

• Work with distributed systems and microservices, with a focus on performance, resiliency, and clear API contracts.

• Contribute to service reliability and operations, including monitoring, alerting, and on-call participation where applicable.

• Collaborate with partner teams on architecture, data modeling, and integration points across Confluent’s platform.

• Write clean, well-tested, and well-documented code, and participate in code reviews that raise the bar for the team.

• Help improve engineering practices, tools, and automation to make it easier and safer to ship code.

• Contribute to a healthy team culture through clear communication, inclusive collaboration, and a willingness to learn and teach.

Required technical and professional expertise

• 5-10 years of experience building distributed, highly available backend systems in production; experience with cloud infrastructure is a strong plus.

• Hands-on experience designing and operating large-scale services with clear API contracts and end-to-end lifecycle ownership.

• Solid systems-level understanding of networking, OS, and storage tradeoffs relevant to backend infrastructure.

• Expert-level proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Go, Java, or C++, with the ability to work effectively in others as needed

• Experience with public cloud and Kubernetes/containerized environments.

• A self-starter with the ability to work effectively in teams

• BS, MS in computer science or a related field, or equivalent work experience

Preferred technical and professional experience

• A Strong networking background combined with your software engineering experience

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.