Backend Engineer

genius group; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Genius in Los Angeles is seeking an experienced software engineer to join our on-site team. You will design and develop features for high-traffic web applications, collaborating with product managers, designers, and other engineers to deliver impact at scale.

You will own deployments, contribute to architectural decisions, and mentor junior engineers while upholding engineering excellence and robust testing practices.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building production-grade web applications.
• Expertise in backend frameworks such as Ruby (preferred), or Python, Node.js, or Django.
• Strong frontend development skills with React or Rails; modern JavaScript practices.
• Proven track record of scaling full-stack applications in high-traffic environments.
• Strong understanding of API design, database architecture, data modeling, and system performance tuning.
• Familiarity with agile methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, and comprehensive testing strategies.
• Experience with unit testing, integration testing, and monitoring tools (e.g., New Relic, Datadog).
• Excellent communication skills and ownership mindset.
• Passion for continuous learning; familiarity with emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop features with product managers, designers, and engineers.
• Write clean, scalable, production-ready code.
• Mentor and participate in technical design discussions and code reviews.
• Own deployments to staging and production; participate in on-call rotation as needed.
• Drive long-term architectural improvements and internal documentation standards.
• Promote engineering excellence, performance optimization, and stack improvements.
• Collaborate with DevOps and Infrastructure for reliability and uptime.
• Onboard and mentor junior engineers; provide technical guidance.
• Contribute to evaluation and adoption of new technologies and frameworks.
• Translate business requirements into robust technical solutions.

Skills

Full-stack development

APIs design

Performance tuning

CI/CD

Testing strategies

Communication

Education

B.S. in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Ruby

Python

Node.js

Django

React

Rails

Job description

About Genius

Genius is the leading destination for music, lyrics, and the stories behind the songs. At the intersection of music, technology, and culture, Genius connects fans with deeper meaning behind the world’s most influential music.Join an exceptionally talented team of engineers, designers, product leaders, and business builders who are shaping the future of music and media. Genius continues to grow its presence across the U.S., with teams in Los Angeles, New York, and beyond.

Your Role at Genius

Please Note: This role is based in Los Angeles, and candidates will be required to work onsite 3–4 days per week, or as needed, at our Beverly Hills office, located at 131 S. Rodeo Dr., Suite 375, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Candidates must be located in the Los Angeles area.

What You’ll Do

• Partner closely with product managers, designers, and engineers to design and develop new features that deliver real impact to millions of users
• Write clean, scalable, and testable code that’s production-ready and built to last
• Mentor and contribute to technical design discussions, architecture planning, and in-depth code reviews across multiple teams
• Take ownership of deployments to Staging and Production environments, ensuring quality and stability, and participate in the on-call rotation as needed
• Drive long-term architectural improvements and help establish internal best practices and documentation standards
• Champion a culture of engineering excellence, performance optimization, and continuous improvement across the stack
• Collaborate with DevOps and Infrastructure teams to ensure reliable system performance, monitoring, and uptime
• Help onboard and mentor junior engineers, providing regular feedback and technical guidance
• Contribute to the evaluation and adoption of new technologies and frameworks that improve team efficiency and product quality
• Translate business and product requirements into robust, scalable technical solutions

What We’re Searching For

• 5+ years of experience building and maintaining production-grade web applications
• Expertise in backend frameworks such as Ruby (preferred), or similar experience in Python, Node.js, or Django
• Solid frontend development skills with React or Rails, and a strong grasp of modern JavaScript practices
• A proven track record of scaling full-stack applications in high-traffic, user-facing environments
• Strong understanding of API design, database architecture, data modeling, and system performance tuning
• Familiarity with agile methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, and comprehensive testing strategies
• Experience with unit testing, integration testing, and monitoring tools such as New Relic, Datadog, or similar
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A proactive, ownership-driven mindset—you don't wait to be told what to do
• Passion for continuous learning, keeping up with emerging technologies, tools, and frameworks
• B.S. in Computer Science or a related field is a plus—but not required with equivalent hands-on experience

The base salary range for this position is $175,000–$190,000 and is determined based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, relevant skills, and industry knowledge.