Sr. Software Engineer, Backend

Connexity; Santa Monica (CA); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care plans

401k matching

Life insurance

Paid leave benefits

Learning & development

Free food & snacks

Wellness resources

Equity

Job summary

Connexity, a Taboola company, seeks a skilled backend engineer to join the Internal Tools team and build a new advertiser management platform. You will design APIs, model data, and collaborate across teams to deliver high-performance solutions.

The role emphasizes scalable backend systems, RESTful APIs, and modern middleware with a hybrid work setup, two days weekly in Santa Monica. Commitment to code quality and innovation is essential.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional backend development experience.
• Proficiency in Java; Spring Boot is a must; Python/Node.js/Go are a plus.
• RESTful API design and implementation.
• Strong relational database skills (MySQL, PostgreSQL); NoSQL/BigQuery a plus.
• Knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and software architecture.
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools and evaluating AI-generated code.

Responsibilities

• Backend development: design, implement, and maintain scalable backend systems; build APIs and microservices.
• Architecture and design: contribute to reliable, scalable, and performant backend solutions.
• Data modeling: design relational schemas and queries serving as the system of record.
• Collaboration: work with product managers, designers, and engineers to deliver features.
• Problem-solving: troubleshoot complex issues and optimize performance.
• Code quality: emphasize testing, code reviews, and documentation.
• Innovation: stay current with trends and evaluate new tools and libraries.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

RESTful API

Relational databases

BigQuery / NoSQL

AI-assisted development

Agile methodologies

Distributed systems

Microservices

LLM APIs

Team collaboration

Software architecture

Tools

MySQL

PostgreSQL

Claude Code

GitHub Copilot

Cursor

Job description

About Us:

Connexity, a Taboola company, is a data-driven retail performance marketing and commerce platform that helps online retailers acquire new customers and drive incremental salesat a cost that meets their ROI objectives. As the leading independent source of new customers and sales for retailers, we manage the complexities of new customer acquisition on behalf of thousands of retailers. Connexity technologyconnects merchants like Walmart, Wayfair and Macy's with high-intent shoppers across a vast and complex network of publishers, creators, search and marketplace channels.We joined forces with Taboola in 2021, own ShopYourLikes and Skimlinks, making us the largest, open-web performance platform in the Retail & eCommerce space, generating $5B of GMV/retail sales per year.

About the Role:

We are seeking a skilled and motivated backend engineer to join our Internal Tools team. Our team owns the design and implementation of our next-generation internal tools platform — a new advertiser management platform that unifies several legacy systems under a single, modern foundation, with a focus on high-performance middleware and backend services.

You will play a central role in building this platform from the ground up: designing APIs and services, shaping the data model, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, high-performance solutions.

Responsibilities:

• Backend Development: Design, implement, and maintain scalable backend systems. Develop APIs, microservices, and other server-side components that power platform features and functionality.
• Architecture and Design: Contribute to the architecture and design of backend systems. Ensure solutions are reliable, scalable, and performant, and make informed decisions on technology choices and system design.
• Data Modeling: Design and optimize relational database schemas and queries that serve as the system of record for the platform.
• Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, designers, and engineers to define and implement new features and improvements.
• Problem-Solving: Identify and troubleshoot complex technical issues, provide effective solutions, and optimize system performance. Continuously improve and refactor the codebase to enhance scalability and maintainability.
• Code Quality: Maintain high standards for code quality, including thorough testing, code reviews, and documentation.
• Innovation: Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies. Evaluate and recommend new tools, frameworks, and libraries — including AI-assisted development tooling — to strengthen our stack and our team's velocity.

• Experience: 6+ years of professional experience in backend development, with a track record of designing and delivering high-performance systems.
• Programming Languages: Proficiency in Java is a must. Experience with additional languages (e.g., Python, Node.js, Go) is a plus.
• Backend Frameworks: Hands-on experience with Spring Boot is a must.
• API Development: Solid knowledge of RESTful API design, best practices, and implementation.
• Database Skills: Strong expertise in relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL), including schema design, query optimization, and reasoning about data integrity and consistency. Experience with NoSQL databases or analytical warehouses (e.g., BigQuery) is a plus.
• System Design: Strong understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and system design principles. Experience building and maintaining distributed systems and microservices.
• AI-Assisted Development: Practical, hands-on experience using AI coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor) as part of your daily development workflow — for code generation, refactoring, test writing, and debugging. You should be able to critically evaluate AI-generated code, recognize when it is wrong or subtly unsafe, and take full ownership of everything you ship. Experience integrating LLM APIs into applications or building internal AI-powered tooling is a plus.
• Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work effectively in a team environment. Experience working in Agile methodologies.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to tackle complex technical challenges.
• Education: A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is preferred but not required.

Voted "Best Places to Work," our culture is driven by self-starters, team players, and visionaries. Headquartered in Santa Monica, the company operates sites and business services in the US, EMEA, and APAC. We offer top benefits including flexible time off, paid holidays, competitive comp, team events and more!

• Health Care Plans (Medical, Dental & Vision)

• Retirement Plan (401k Matching)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D), LTD & STD
• Paid Leave Benefits (Maternity, Paternity & Medical)
• Learning & Development Program (educational tool)
• Free Food & Snacks
• Wellness Resources
• Equity

We are committed to providing a culture at Connexity that supports the diversity, equity and inclusion of our most valuable asset, our people. We encourage individuality and are driven to represent a workplace that celebrates our differences, and provides opportunities equally across gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and all other demographics. Our actions across Education, Recruitment, Retention, and Volunteering reflect our core company values and remind us that we’re all in this together to drive positive change in our industry.

The pay for this position is $160,000-$185,000 and depends on several factors such as location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We offer many perks as part of the compensation package that include a equity, Flexible Time Off (FTO), medical/dental/vision insurance, a competitive 401(k) match, paid parental leave, and more.

This position is hybrid preferred, with two days per week in our Santa Monica office. Flexibility available depending on location.