Staff Software Engineer

Zest for Tech; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 252,000 - 308,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully covered healthcare

Unlimited PTO

Learning & development allowance

Hybrid in NYC (3 days/week)

Job summary

Zest for Tech in New York is seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to lead design, build and scale complex distributed systems and core backend infrastructure. This is a hands-on, highly technical role with autonomy and ownership within a small team of senior engineers.

You will drive architectural decisions, mentor peers, and craft high-throughput APIs and data models while tackling scalability and reliability challenges.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience.
• Experience architecting large-scale backend systems.
• Distributed systems and high-throughput data processing expertise.
• Proficiency in at least two of TypeScript, Python, Go.
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Independent architectural decision-making capability.
• Hands-on engineering focus with shipping velocity.
• Familiar with AI coding tools in development workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and development of complex distributed systems.
• Design high-volume data ingestion and processing pipelines.
• Build scalable asynchronous systems and event-driven workflows.
• Architect high-throughput APIs, databases and data models.
• Design reliable messaging and external integration infra.
• Set technical direction and mentor senior engineers.
• Address scalability, reliability and performance challenges.

Skills

Distributed systems

High-throughput data

Architectural decisions

Hands-on engineering

AI coding tools

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

TypeScript

Python

Go

SQL databases

NoSQL databases

Job description

Staff Backend Engineer | NYC | Up to $280k + Equity

We're working with a well-funded Series B scale-up that's raised over $60m and grown to more than 100 employees. They're hiring a Staff Backend Engineer to take a leading role in designing, building and scaling complex distributed systems and core backend infrastructure.

This is a highly technical, hands‑on position for an engineer with a strong track record of designing and scaling complex production systems, who can drive architectural decisions and influence engineering direction across the organisation.

You'll join a small team of 3 senior engineers within a wider engineering organisation of 50, responsible for building and scaling the core backend systems that support the business, with significant autonomy and ownership.

What you'll be working on

• Leading the architecture and development of complex, large-scale distributed systems.
• Designing high-volume data ingestion pipelines and processing architectures.
• Building scalable asynchronous systems, including event-driven workflows, queues and background processing.
• Architecting high-throughput APIs, database systems and data models.
• Designing reliable messaging, notification and external integration infrastructure.
• Setting technical direction, making key architectural decisions and mentoring senior engineers.
• Identifying and addressing scalability, reliability and performance challenges across core backend systems.

What they're looking for

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with a proven track record operating at Staff Engineer level or equivalent.
• Extensive experience architecting and delivering complex, large-scale backend systems in production.
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, asynchronous architectures and high-throughput data processing.
• Strong proficiency in at least two of TypeScript, Python and Go.
• Experience designing systems across SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Demonstrated ability to make high-impact architectural decisions and drive technical direction independently.
• Strong hands‑on engineering skills, with a preference for building and shipping rather than purely overseeing architecture.
• Regular use of AI coding tools as part of your development workflow.

What's on offer

• Up to $280k base + equity.
• Lower Manhattan, NYC (hybrid – 3 days/week).
• Fully covered healthcare option.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Annual learning and development allowance.