Backend Engineer II

HackerRank; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity (stock options)

Cash and non-cash benefits

Job summary

HackerRank is seeking a Backend Software Development Engineer who thrives on solving complex architectural problems and delivering high-impact features. You will own server-side logic, database architecture, and integration with front-end elements, ensuring fast, reliable, and scalable operations as our user base grows.

Responsibilities include building robust backend code, designing RESTful or GraphQL APIs, and optimizing databases.

Qualifications

• Backend engineer with 2+ years of server-side development experience.
• Proficient in at least one modern backend language (Python, Ruby, Go, Java, Node.js).
• Knowledge of REST and GraphQL API design principles and web standards.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain backend code for new product features.
• Develop and integrate RESTful or GraphQL APIs for front-end and external clients.
• Design and optimize SQL/NoSQL database schemas for data integrity and performance.
• Collaborate with frontend, product, and design teams to translate requirements into solutions.
• Troubleshoot production issues and drive performance improvements.
• Write unit and integration tests to ensure code quality and stability.

Skills

Backend development

API design

Relational DBs

Distributed systems

Caching

CI/CD

Docker

Messaging systems

Tools

PostgreSQL

MySQL

Redis

Memcached

Kafka/RabbitMQ

REST/GraphQL

Job description

HackerRank helps companies like NVIDIA, Amazon, and Microsoft hire and upskill the next generation of developers based on skills, not pedigree. Our platform is trusted by over 2,500 of the world’s most innovative companies to build strong engineering teams ready for what’s next.

Software has entered an era where humans and AI build side by side. As this shift accelerates, the definition of strong technical talent is changing. We give companies better ways to identify and invest in next-generation skills.

People at HackerRank care deeply about the impact of their work and sweat the small details so our customers can be wildly successful with products they genuinely love to use. We move with urgency and believe great outcomes come from high standards.

About the role

Every day, millions of developers use HackerRank to prove their skills. We’re looking for a Backend Software Development Engineer who thrives on solving complex architectural problems and delivering high-impact product features. You will be responsible for the server-side logic, database architecture, and the integration of front-end elements. Your work will ensure that our core application remains fast, reliable, and scalable as we continue to grow our global user base.

What you’ll do

• Design, build, and maintain efficient, reusable, and reliable backend code to support new product features and enhancements.
• Develop and integrate RESTful or GraphQL APIs to serve front-end applications and external clients.
• Design and optimize database schemas (SQL and NoSQL) to ensure data integrity and query performance at scale.
• Collaborate with frontend developers, product managers, and designers to translate requirements into robust technical solutions.
• Troubleshoot production issues, identify bottlenecks, and drive performance optimizations across the application stack.
• Write comprehensive unit and integration tests to ensure high code quality and system stability.

Who you are

• Backend engineer with 2+ years of experience in server-side software development.
• Proficient in at least one modern backend programming language (e.g., Python, Ruby, Go, Java, or Node.js).
• Deep understanding of API design principles (REST, GraphQL) and web standards.
• Strong experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and familiarity with NoSQL stores.
• Knowledge of distributed systems, caching mechanisms (Redis/Memcached), and asynchronous messaging (Kafka/RabbitMQ).
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and basic CI/CD workflows.

AI fluency

• Comfortable using AI-powered coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) as a daily part of your development workflow.
• Working familiarity with large language models — you understand what they can and can't do, and can write effective prompts to get useful outputs.
• Experience using AI tools beyond code generation — for planning, writing documentation, drafting test cases, debugging, and code review.
• Basic understanding of AI/ML fundamentals: how LLMs work at a high level (tokens, context windows, inference), common model architectures, and the difference between fine-tuning, RAG, and prompt engineering.
• You stay current with the rapidly evolving AI tooling landscape and are eager to adopt tools that meaningfully improve your productivity.

Even better if you have

• Experience working on high-traffic, customer-facing web applications.
• A strong grasp of system design concepts and architectural patterns (e.g., Microservices, DDD).
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and serverless technologies.
• Experience optimizing legacy codebases for performance and maintainability.

You will thrive in this role if

• You are passionate about shipping high-quality code that directly solves user problems.
• You take ownership of your work, from initial design through to deployment and monitoring.
• You enjoy breaking down complex requirements into clean, logical, and scalable technical implementations.
• You value collaboration and actively contribute to code reviews and architectural discussions.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $150,000 - $172,000, plus a target 10% annual bonus tied to individual and company performance. You will also receive equity (stock options) and a comprehensive package of cash and non-cash benefits.

HackerRank is a proud equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. We provide equal opportunity to everyone for employment based on individual performance and qualification. We never discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital, veteran, or disability status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Notice to prospective HackerRank job applicants:

• Our Recruiters use @hackerrank.com email addresses.
• We never ask for payment or credit check information to apply, interview, or work here.