Sr. Backend Engineer for Funded Startup (India)

What: Funded Silicon Valley startup team led by Harvard'10 looking for Full-time Backend EngineerProject: AI based food discovery & ordering through video and livestream Funding: $600K Angel (01/01/2024); $1-million Pre-seed (09/01/2024)Team: 8 engineers (including iOS, bakcend and Android), CTO, COO and CEO Looking for: Full-time Backend Engineer Compensation: $2000/mo after full time hire. $1000/mo for one months probation. Hiring process: 1) coding test 2) zoom interview 3) non-tech background interview witth co-founders 4) probation for one months on $1000/mo compensation 5) full time hire. Bonus: Exceptional engineers will be invited to work in US location after 6 montos to 1 year exceptional performance (depending on applicant's visa process) Company: LIVEr, IncLIVEr (short for live-streamer) is a Silicon Valley-based startup reinventing food discovery with AI, video, and live streaming. Our platform leverages AI-driven content discovery and short videos to let users explore and order food from restaurants, home-kitchens and stores. Having raised $1.6M in pre-seed funding, we're rapidly building our mobile app to launch within the next one month. Our platform is hosted on Google Cloud, requiring scalable and reliable backend services. We are looking for a Senior Backend Developer who can also provide technical leadership, contribute to architectural decisions, and solve complex problems in a fast-paced environment.Please apply only if you're willing to take risks and thrive in a small startup environment. Requirements:5+ years of hands-on experience in backend development with a strong focus on Node.js and JavaScript/TypeScript.Extensive knowledge of Firebase services including Authentication, Firestore, Realtime Database, Cloud Functions, and Storage.Strong experience in designing and building scalable APIs, including the ability to optimize for performance and security.Expertise in database management, including working with both relational (SQL) and NoSQL databases, as well as managing database migrations.Experience with Stripe payment integration and delivery services.In-depth knowledge of Google Cloud infrastructure, including auto-scaling, load balancing, and fault-tolerant architectures.Experience with content recommendation algorithms.Strong understanding of security principles in backend development and experience with JWT, OAuth, and role-based access control (RBAC).Ability to work independently and demonstrate leadership in a fast-moving startup context.Preferred Qualifications:Experience with vector search implementations.Experience with Docker, containerization, and microservices architecture.Experience in building and optimizing systems for media or streaming platforms.Experience in building secure chat platforms.Experience with live video streaming and live audience interactions.Experience with graph databases and social architecture.Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.Experience with other cloud platforms like AWS or Azure.Key Responsibilities:Technical Leadership: Help complete remaining work on the backend to make it ready for the launch, ensuring best practices are followed in code quality, documentation, performance optimization, and security. Mentor junior developers and provide architectural guidance for the backend.API Design & Implementation: Design and implement robust, scalable, and secure RESTful APIs using Express.js and TypeScript or JavaScript. Apply best practices for performance, security, and maintainability.System Architecture: Contribute to and improve the architecture of the backend systems, ensuring scalability for high-traffic streaming applications.Database Management: Manage database connections efficiently using ORMs like Sequelize or TypeORM.Security & Compliance: Implement secure coding practices to mitigate risks such as SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF. Ensure proper authentication and authorization using JWT and OAuth, applying role-based access control (RBAC) where appropriate.Firebase Integration: Leverage Firebase technologies such as Firebase Authentication, Firestore, Realtime Database, Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, and Cloud Storage to support real-time data synchronization and user management. Ensure Firebase services are optimally integrated with the backend.Performance Optimization: Proactively identify and resolve performance bottlenecks in the backend system by implementing strategies such as caching (Redis), connection pooling, and pagination for large datasets.Payment & Delivery Integration: Lead the integration of Stripe payment services and delivery functionalities, ensuring seamless interaction with the rest of the platform.Scalability: Architect and build systems that can scale efficiently on Google Cloud, using best practices in load balancing, autoscaling, and fault tolerance. Ensure the system can handle the demands of a high-traffic, data-intensive streaming application.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with frontend developers, designers, and product managers to align technical goals with business needs. Ensure features are delivered on time and meet both technical and business requirements.Agile Methodology: Actively participate in Agile ceremonies (stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives) and contribute to refining the product roadmap.Core Competencies:Problem Solving: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose complex issues in production and non-production environments. Capable of proposing effective solutions to overcome technical challenges.Architectural Vision: Ability to make strategic decisions regarding backend architecture, ensuring it is scalable, secure, and maintainable.Mentorship: Provide technical mentorship to the team, helping junior engineers grow and ensuring the team is following best practices in code design, review, and testing.Ownership & Accountability: Demonstrates full ownership over features from conceptualization to delivery. Takes accountability for the backend's performance, security, and scalability. PRB