Backend Engineer

Portra; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Portra, a New York-basedInsurTech startup, is seeking a Backend Engineer for their on-site team at the corporate headquarters in NYC. You will design and build scalable backend services and REST APIs, owning incidents end-to-end and driving deployment automation.

The role requires 2+ years of production backend experience, a Master’s degree, and strong Python, Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud skills. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver robust, high-performance systems that

Qualifications

• 2+ years building production backend systems.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Experience building microservices with Python.
• Experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Demonstrated expertise deploying and scaling applications on AWS or GCP.
• Hands-on experience containerizing applications with Docker and orchestrating with Kubernetes.
• Track record of designing, shipping, and supporting API-driven architectures.
• Proficiency building automated deployment pipelines and continuous integration workflows.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop scalable backend services and service-oriented architectures.
• Own the full lifecycle of REST APIs serving both internal teams and external partners.
• Own production incidents end-to-end — from detection through root cause analysis, remediation, and prevention.
• Build and evolve deployment automation, including pipeline design and release strategies.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks in application code and data layer.
• Author clear technical specifications and maintain up-to-date system documentation.

Skills

Backend development

API design

Distributed systems

CI/CD

Troubleshooting

Education

Master's degree in CS/Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Python

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

GCP

SQL

NoSQL

Job description

About Portra:

Portra is an InsurTech startup aiming to revolutionize the enterprise insurance market. Our technology simplifies the process for insurance brokers to identify optimal coverage for their clients continuously, and this is just the beginning. Our mission is to revolutionize underwriting for better, faster, and smarter processes. As we pursue this goal, we are implementing a data-driven business model that fundamentally reshapes how insurance products are sold. Established in 2018, Portra is venture-backed and based in New York.

We're looking for a Backend Engineer to join our team to design and build scalable systems and APIs. You'll work closely with cross-functional teams to develop robust backend solutions while ensuring high performance and reliability.

This role is 100% on-site at our Corporate Headquarters in New York City.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years building production backend systems


• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience


• Experience building microservices with Python


• Experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases


• Demonstrated expertise deploying and scaling applications on AWS or GCP


• Hands-on experience containerizing applications with Docker and orchestrating with Kubernetes


• Track record of designing, shipping, and supporting API-driven architectures


• Proficiency building automated deployment pipelines and continuous integration workflows

Preferred Qualifications

• Background architecting multi-service systems and distributed architectures


• Familiarity with serverless computing patterns and event-driven design


• Experience working with large-scale data pipelines or high-throughput systems

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop scalable backend services and service-oriented architectures


• Own the full lifecycle of REST APIs serving both internal teams and external partners


• Own production incidents end-to-end — from detection through root cause analysis, remediation, and prevention


• Build and evolve deployment automation, including pipeline design and release strategies


• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks in application code and data layer


• Author clear technical specifications and maintain up-to-date system documentation

Please note that any emails from recruiters will be printed, then ceremoniously disposed of.

Note to All Applicants:

Portra is committed to providing reasonable support (called accommodations) in our recruiting processes for candidates with disabilities, long term conditions, mental health conditions, or sincerely held religious beliefs, or who are neurodivergent or require pregnancy-related support. If you need support, please reach out to [e-mail].

Individual pay is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable; bonuses are not guaranteed.

Portra is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We may use your information to maintain the safety and security of Portra, its employees, and others as required or permitted by law. Additionally, Portra in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.

Portra is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].