Senior Backend Engineer

Inclusively Remote; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Coworking membership

Stock options

Remote work setup support

Unlimited time off

Job summary

Zerion is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to design and operate scalable distributed backend systems powering our core platform. You will own backend services end-to-end, work with Web3 infrastructure, and collaborate with product, support, and client teams to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.

Join a fast-paced startup that emphasizes ownership, high code quality, and AI-driven workflows. You will contribute to architectural decisions, mentor teammates, and drive meaningful product

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience designing and building distributed backend systems.
• Strong knowledge of algorithms, data structures, and software design patterns.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Strong desire to actively contribute to product evolution, not just implementation.
• Hands-on, daily use of AI in engineering work.
• High standards for code quality, system reliability, and user experience.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable distributed backend systems powering platform and product capabilities.
• Own backend services end-to-end: architecture, implementation, monitoring and reliability.
• Collaborate with product and engineering peers to shape product decisions, not just execute specs.
• Translate client requirements into concrete proposals and actionable plans for the team.
• Build and evolve Web3 platform backend components, including protocol integrations and blockchain network support.
• Maintain high standards of code quality, performance, security, and observability.

Skills

Distributed backend design

Algorithms & data structures

Customer-focused product thinking

AI in engineering workflows

Ownership & accountability

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

MongoDB

Cassandra

AWS

Python 3

Golang

Job description

We’re looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join our backend team at Zerion.This team builds and evolves the backend systems at the core of our products and customer-facing solutions.In this role, you’ll design and operate distributed systems, work with Web3 infrastructure, and collaborate closely with product, support, and the clients building on our API to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.We value strong ownership, thoughtful system design, and a high bar for code quality.If you enjoy building solid systems, moving fast without cutting corners, and using AI as a core part of how you work, you’ll feel right at home with us.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and maintain scalable distributed backend systems powering platform and product capabilities.
• Own backend services end-to-end: from architecture and implementation to monitoring and long-term reliability.
• Work closely with product and engineering peers to actively shape product decisions — not just execute specs.
• Scope solutions with the clients building on our API: turn a vague request into a concrete proposal, and the proposal into a plan the team can build.
• Build and evolve Web3 platform backend components, including protocol integrations, support for newly emerging blockchain networks, and reliable interactions with smart contracts.
• Ensure high standards of code quality, performance, security, and observability.
• Operate comfortably in a fast-paced startup environment, balancing speed and correctness.
• Use AI as a core part of your engineering workflow — designing, reviewing, debugging and shipping with it. This is how the team works day to day, not an experiment we’re running.
• Contribute to technical discussions, reviews, and mentorship within the engineering team.

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of experience designing and building distributed backend systems.
• Strong knowledge of algorithms, data structures, and software design patterns.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Strong desire to actively contribute to product evolution, not just implementation.
• Comfortable working directly with customers — hearing a vague problem and coming back with a concrete proposal.
• Hands-on, daily use of AI in your engineering work. You should be able to talk concretely about where it has changed how you build, and where you’ve learned not to trust it.
• High standards for code quality, system reliability, and user experience — you care about getting it right, not just getting it done.
• Strong ownership mindset — you take responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks.
• Clear and proactive communication in a distributed team.
• Pragmatic decision-making: knowing when to move fast vs. go deep.
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt.

Technical Skill Set

• Excellent knowledge of Golang is a plus, not a blocker.
• Experience with containerized systems: Docker & Kubernetes.
• Experience with databases:
  • SQL: Postgres
  • NoSQL: MongoDB, Cassandra
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools: Sentry, Prometheus, Grafana.
• Hands-on experience with AWS (Amazon Web Services).
• Experience with Python 3.
• Comfort experimenting with and integrating AI-assisted workflows into daily engineering work.

Bonus Points

• Hands-on Web3 experience: Blockchain systems, dApps, Smart contracts.
• Prior experience in a startup environment that emphasizes trust and autonomy.
• Located in time zones close to Europe for smoother collaboration.
• Collaborative mindset and respect for different perspectives.
• Curiosity and willingness to challenge existing solutions when better ones exist.

Interview Process

• Screening Call – 30 minutes
• Hiring Manager Interview – 45 minutes
• Technical Interview – 90 minutes (includes a real-world challenge where you’ll work with AI tools directly)
• System Design Interview – 90 minutes
• Team Interview – 60 minutes
• Founders Call – up to 60 minutes

Reference Check

Why You Should Join

• Company Overview
• Zerion API
• Trusted by 50+ top crypto and fintech brands
• Powering 2k+ active clients monthly
• Over 10B total requests processed
• A lean, senior AI-native team shipping at outsized scale
• Zerion Wallet
• 1.7M+ active funded wallets
• 27.6M+ transactions
• 2.5B+ transaction volume
• 416K+ unique holders of Zerion DNA NFT
• Culture: Our culture shines through in our strong team engagement and impressive retention, showing just how much we value creating a workplace where people truly want to stay and thrive.
• People: Collaborate with some of the most driven and intelligent individuals in the crypto space.
• Salary & Benefits: Receive a competitive salary, medical insurance, coworking membership, and additional benefits.
• Unlimited Days Off and Flexible Work Schedule: Recharge and explore life outside the office with our flexible time-off policy and work schedule.
• Remote Work Essentials: We provide all the necessary software and equipment to ensure you’re fully equipped to work from home comfortably and efficiently.
• Stock Options: Contribute to Zerion’s success and watch your stock options become valuable.
• Travel: Connect with your teammates around the world at industry events and our annual team offsite.
• Distributed Team: Zerion is a fully remote team with members worldwide. Embrace asynchronous collaboration, find your own work rhythm, and enjoy a healthy work-life balance.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.