Backend Engineer - Merchant Risk Intelligence

SumUp; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hack Days

Global Hack Weeks

25 days of paid leave

30 Days Sabbatical

Health insurance

Gym allowance

ETF/ESOP programs

Referral bonus

Job summary

SumUp is seeking a backend engineer to advance our merchant risk and compliance platforms. You will contribute to the Sentinel framework and related services, primarily in Go, while collaborating with data scientists, ML engineers and product teams.

You will help design and operate scalable backend systems, participate in code reviews, and leverage AI-assisted tools to ship robust features in a fintech risk context.

Qualifications

• Professional experience developing backend software in Go or another language; motivated to learn Go.
• Experience building and operating distributed systems and backend services.
• Strong system design skills and an understanding of reliable, maintainable software architecture.
• Experience working with Kubernetes and Kafka.
• Working knowledge of Python and/or interest in contributing to Python-based products or AI/agentic development.
• Experience using AI-assisted tools as part of your software development workflow.
• Experience working in agile, cross-functional teams and collaborating with stakeholders beyond engineering.
• A pragmatic, outcome-focused approach: define an MVP, trade-offs and iterate.

Responsibilities

• Develop new functionality and support existing services across the codebase, primarily using Go.
• Contribute to the continued development of the risk decision framework for fraud prevention and compliance use cases.
• Design, build and maintain reliable distributed systems and backend services.
• Collaborate with product managers, data scientists, ML engineers and stakeholders to translate complex problems into practical solutions.
• Shape technical direction, service boundaries and system design decisions across the team.
• Participate in code reviews, testing, monitoring and production improvements.
• Use AI-assisted development tools to deliver meaningful features while maintaining quality, security and maintainability.
• Be open to on-call responsibilities as production needs evolve.

Skills

Go backend

Distributed systems

Kubernetes

Kafka

Python

AI-assisted tools

Tools

Go

Job description

About the team:

We are the Merchant Risk Intelligence team within SumUp’s Risk & Compliance tribe. We build systems that help protect SumUp and its merchants from fraud while supporting reliable, compliant business growth.

Our team combines software engineering, machine learning, data science, product management and risk expertise. You will join a multidisciplinary group currently working across backend services, data products and AI-powered solutions. The team is growing its software engineering capabilities to develop Sentinel, our entity-level investigation and actioning framework, and to support broader risk and compliance use cases.

You will bring dedicated backend expertise to the team. We value pragmatic engineering, thoughtful collaboration and the ability to balance delivery speed with security, reliability and long-term maintainability. Most of our codebase is written in Go, but we are open to candidates who have solid backend experience with other language(s) and are willing to pick up Go on the job. You will collaborate with great Go engineers in the tribe and you will be able to learn from them.

What you’ll do:

• Develop new functionality and support existing services across the tribe’s codebase, primarily using Go.
• Contribute to the continued development of our in-house merchant risk decision framework, taking it beyond its MVP and enabling new fraud prevention, risk and compliance use cases.
• Design, build and maintain reliable distributed systems and backend services.
• Work closely with product managers, data scientists, machine learning engineers, fraud strategy teams and operational stakeholders to turn complex problems into practical solutions.
• Help shape technical direction, service boundaries and system design decisions across the team.
• Contribute to Python projects, including AI-agent initiatives, as you build a broader understanding of the team’s systems.
• Participate in code reviews, testing, monitoring and continuous improvement of production services.
• Use AI-assisted development tools thoughtfully to deliver meaningful features faster without compromising code quality, security or maintainability.
• Be open to participating in an on-call rotation as the team’s production responsibilities and support model evolve.

You’ll be great for this role if you have:

• Professional experience developing backend software in Go or another language such as Java, C or C++; you’re motivated to learn and work with Go.
• Experience building and operating distributed systems and backend services
• Strong system design skills and an understanding of reliable, maintainable software architecture.
• Experience working with Kubernetes and Kafka
• Working knowledge of Python and/or an interest in contributing to Python-based products or AI/agentic development
• Experience using AI-assisted tools as part of your software development workflow
• Experience working in agile, cross-functional teams and collaborating with stakeholders beyond engineering
• A pragmatic, outcome-focused approach: you know how to define a valuable MVP, make sensible trade-offs and improve solutions iteratively
• A collaborative mindset and the confidence to challenge ideas constructively while remaining open to feedback
• Motivation to learn about fintech, fraud prevention, risk and compliance domains

Why you should join SumUp:

Opportunity to work with SumUppers globally on large-scale fintech products used by millions of businesses worldwide, from our Sofia office. This involves an office-first setup

We take learning and experimentation seriously with Hack Days every second Friday, and entire global Hack Weeks.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Be part of a workplace that values and promotes diversity, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone's perspectives are respected and embraced

A dedicated annual L&D budget of €2,000 for attending conferences and/or advancing your career through further education

Enrollment onto our VSOP program: You will own a stake in SumUp’s future success

Generous time off: 25 days of paid leave.

30 Days Sabbatical: Enjoy the unique opportunity to take a well-deserved break with our 30 days sabbatical benefit after completing 3 years of employment with SumUp

Peace of mind: additional health insurance and life insurance

Stay active: gym allowance

Referral Bonus: Earn additional rewards by referring talented individuals to join the SumUp team

SumUp is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that proudly pursues and hires a diverse workforce. SumUp does not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, colour, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other basis protected by applicable laws or prohibited by Company policy. SumUp also strives for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibits harassment of any kind.

About us:

Be empowered to do more that matters.

At SumUp, we're on a mission to empower small businesses across the globe by providing simple and affordable tools that allow them to thrive. Today, over 4 million businesses in 36 markets rely on SumUp as their financial partner to manage payments, finance and customer relationships.

Our commitment to small businesses is reflected in our diverse team of over 3,000 SumUppers from over 90 nationalities, united by global collaboration and an innovative mindset. Our core values lay the foundation for who we are and what we stand for, shaping our work culture and driving our success. We foster inclusivity and a continuous learning culture, providing a safe space for personal and professional growth. Our differences make us unique and strong as we strive to create an environment where everyone belongs and feels supported, no matter how they identify.

SumUp is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, actively seeking and embracing diversity in our workforce. We don't make hiring or employment decisions based on race, colour, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other basis protected by applicable laws or prohibited by company policy. Our commitment extends beyond recruitment to creating a safe and respectful workplace where harassment of any form is strictly prohibited.

Explore career opportunities with us and join a team driven by collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision of creating a world where everyone can build a thriving business. Discover more about our vibrant and inclusive work culture and how we work on careers website, and follow our journey on LinkedIn and Instagram.