Backend Engineer

Treeswift Inc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 160,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance

Unlimited vacation policy

Life insurance

Disability leave

Company paid parental leave

Retirement savings plans

Job summary

A technology company in New York is seeking an experienced Backend Engineer to build and own backend services for their web platform. This role requires strong Python and PostgreSQL skills, as well as experience in containerization with Docker and deployment using Kubernetes. Candidates should have over 7 years of backend engineering experience and excellent communication skills, engaging directly with customers to enhance product understanding. Benefits include equity, comprehensive insurance, and an unlimited vacation policy.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of backend engineering experience building and operating production web services.
• Proficient in Python and comfortable with Django’s ORM.
• Experience with PostgreSQL schema design and query optimization.
• Hands-on experience with Docker and CI/CD pipelines.
• Understanding of authentication and authorization patterns.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain the REST APIs for the web platform.
• Develop the PostgreSQL data layer including schema migrations.
• Own deployment and infrastructure for backend services using Docker.
• Collaborate with data and ML teams on data pipeline integration.

Skills

Backend engineering

Python

Django

PostgreSQL

Docker

API design

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Terraform/OpenTofu

Tools

PostGIS

GeoJSON

FastAPI

Job description

The Position

• Build and own the backend services and infrastructure behind our web platform, the system our utility customers rely on to act on the analytics we derive from field data. Our backend is primarily Python (Django) backed by PostgreSQL with geospatial capabilities, running on Kubernetes in AWS. You'll work across the full lifecycle: data modeling, API design, authentication, deployment, and operations. This is a role for someone who wants to own systems end-to-end and help scale a platform that is growing rapidly alongside our customer base.

• Be comfortable engaging directly with our customers to help build product understanding. Thanks to our close partnerships with some of the largest and most complex utilities in the United Stated, you will have the opportunity to see the impact of your work in the real-world by observing users use our product on a daily basis.

• Stay curious, collaborative, and cross-functional while also taking ownership of problems. We translate complex, real-world requirements from a critical industry into high-quality data products, so understanding the business holistically is key. We take pride in managing complexity and providing high-fidelity data that our customers can use to make better-informed decisions.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and maintain the REST APIs that serve our React frontend and integrate with internal services, owning API design decisions and ensuring our OpenAPI specs stay accurate for frontend type generation

• Develop and evolve our PostgreSQL data layer, including geospatial queries via PostGIS, schema migrations, and data modeling for complex domain objects like patrols, work orders, tree inspections, and geospatial boundaries

• Own deployment and infrastructure for our backend services, including Docker containerization, Kubernetes deployments on AWS EKS, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code with Terraform/OpenTofu

• Collaborate closely with the data platform and ML teams whose pipelines produce the data your APIs serve, and with frontend engineers who consume them daily.

Who You Are

• You have 7+ years of backend engineering experience building and operating production web services

• You are proficient in Python and comfortable with Django’s ORM, migrations, and middleware model (or a comparable framework like FastAPI)

• You have experience with PostgreSQL or a solid understanding of database fundamentals: schema design, query optimization, migrations, and operational basics

• You have hands‑on experience with writing your code to run in Docker: containerized deployments, resource configuration, debugging pod issues, and working with CI/CD pipelines

• You understand authentication and authorization patterns: OAuth2, OIDC, JWT validation, and session management

• You communicate clearly across technical and non‑technical teams and thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving environment

Bonus Points For

• Experience with Kubernetes and Terraform/OpenTofu

• Experience with geospatial data (PostGIS, GeoJSON, GeoDjango) or domains involving sensor data

• Experience with Keycloak or identity provider administration

• Prior experience at an early‑stage startup where you’ve had to build and iterate quickly with limited resources

• Interest in utilities, infrastructure, and/or field operations and how software supports those domains.

What We Offer

• Equity

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance

• Unlimited vacation policy and company holidays

• Life insurance - basic life, supplemental life, and dependent life

• Disability leave - short‑term disability and long‑term disability

• Company paid parental leave

• Retirement savings - Traditional and Roth 401K plans

The estimated base salary range for this role is $160,000 to $215,000. Final compensation is determined by skills, experience, qualifications, and location, and does not include the value of any bonuses, benefits, or long‑term incentives. This range is disclosed in compliance with the New York City Human Rights Law and applies to NYC‑based roles. Compensation may vary for candidates located outside of New York City.

Treeswift is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.