Backend Engineer Lead

Ascendion Engineering; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is seeking a Backend Engineer to enhance its core infrastructure. This role involves developing scalable backend solutions using Java and Spring Boot, while collaborating with AI engineers and cloud architects. You will design robust APIs and optimize cloud deployments on Azure, ensuring seamless integration with AI models. If you have a passion for backend development and a knack for performance tuning, this opportunity will allow you to make a significant impact in a forward-thinking environment that values collaboration and cutting-edge technology.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of backend development experience focusing on Java and cloud architectures.
• Strong proficiency in microservices architecture and API development.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain scalable backend systems using Java and Spring Boot.
• Build RESTful and GraphQL APIs for AI-driven content workflows.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Microservices Architecture

Azure Cloud Services

RESTful APIs

GraphQL APIs

SQL Databases

NoSQL Databases

OAuth2

CI/CD Pipelines

Education

Bachelor in Computer Science

Master in Software Engineering

Tools

Azure Kubernetes Service

Azure Functions

Azure DevOps

Docker

Terraform

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

Role Overview

As a Backend Engineer, you will play a key role in building and maintaining the core infrastructure of Lenovo Studio AI. You will work closely with AI engineers, frontend developers, and cloud architects to develop scalable backend solutions using Java, Spring Boot, and Azure cloud services. This role requires expertise in API development, microservices architecture, and cloud-based deployments.

You will be responsible for designing robust and scalable backend services, ensuring seamless integration with AI models, and optimizing system performance for enterprise-scale workloads.

Key Responsibilities

• Backend Architecture & Development: Design, develop, and maintain scalable, high-performance backend systems using Java, Spring Boot, and microservices architecture.
• API & Microservices Development: Build RESTful and GraphQL APIs to support AI-driven content creation, retrieval, and automation workflows.
• Cloud Infrastructure & Deployment: Deploy and optimize backend services on Azure Cloud, leveraging Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Functions, and Azure DevOps pipelines.
• Database & Storage Optimization: Design and maintain efficient SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, CosmosDB) for AI-powered data processing.
• Security & Compliance: Implement enterprise-grade authentication, authorization, and data protection mechanisms using OAuth, JWT, and Azure Active Directory.
• Scalability & Performance Tuning: Optimize API response times, database queries, and caching strategies to support large-scale AI applications.
• AI Model Integration: Work with AI engineers to integrate LLMs, vector search, and machine learning models into the backend pipeline.
• Monitoring & Troubleshooting: Implement observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and Azure Monitor to track system health, performance, and error rates.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with frontend developers, AI engineers, and cloud architects to ensure seamless integration between backend services and AI workflows.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors or Masters in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in backend development with a focus on Java and cloud-based architectures.
• Technical Proficiency:
• Strong proficiency in Java, Kotlin, Spring Boot, and microservices architecture.
• Experience with RESTful and GraphQL API development.
• Expertise in Azure cloud services, including Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Functions, and Azure DevOps.
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases such as PostgreSQL, CosmosDB, or MongoDB.
• Familiarity with event-driven architectures and message queues (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ).
• Strong knowledge of authentication and security frameworks (OAuth2, JWT, SAML).
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Bicep).
• Problem-Solving & Optimization: Strong ability to debug, optimize, and enhance backend services for scalability and efficiency.
• Collaboration & Communication: Ability to work in a cross-functional team and effectively communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• AI-Driven Backend Development: Experience integrating backend services with AI and machine learning models.
• Vector Databases & Search Optimization: Knowledge of Milvus, Pinecone, or Elasticsearch for AI-powered knowledge retrieval.
• GraphQL & Event-Driven APIs: Experience with GraphQL, gRPC, and asynchronous event processing.
• Azure Cognitive Services & AI Integration: Understanding of Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Services, and LLM deployment.
• Performance Monitoring & Observability: Hands-on experience with Prometheus, Grafana, Azure Monitor, and distributed tracing tools.