Backend Engineer

PaperpilePaperpile·Remote·Work From Anywhere·$70,000 -
10,000
Software Development

WFA Digital Insight

The demand for skilled backend engineers in the remote job market continues to soar, with a 25% increase in job openings in the last year alone. As companies like Paperpile handle vast amounts of data, the need for professionals with expertise in data ingestion, processing, and optimization grows. With the rise of remote work, digital skills are more valuable than ever. Paperpile stands out for its innovative approach to data management and its commitment to nurturing a talented team. Before applying, candidates should be prepared to showcase their experience with AWS, Node.js, and TypeScript, as well as their ability to work with complex data systems.

Job Description

About the Role

Paperpile is seeking a highly skilled Backend Engineer to join its team, focusing on the development and maintenance of its data-heavy systems. As a key member of the engineering team, you will be responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of the company's literature database, which comprises over 250 million academic papers. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include building and optimizing data pipelines, handling large volumes of user data, and designing clean APIs to serve this data.

The role requires a deep understanding of data ingestion, processing, and optimization, as well as experience with AWS and Node.js. You will be working closely with a talented team of engineers to design and implement scalable solutions to meet the company's growing needs. Your expertise in data quality, full-text search systems, and REST APIs will be essential in driving the company's success.

As a remote worker, you will have the flexibility to work from anywhere, but you will be expected to maintain high standards of communication and collaboration with the team. You will report to the Engineering Manager and will be responsible for contributing to the company's technical roadmap.

What You Will Do

  • Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines to handle large volumes of data
  • Optimize search functionality to improve data retrieval efficiency
  • Develop and maintain clean REST APIs to serve data to internal and external stakeholders
  • Collaborate with the engineering team to design and implement new features and systems
  • Work with third-party data sources and APIs to integrate external data into the system
  • Participate in code reviews to ensure high-quality code and adherence to best practices
  • Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues as they arise
  • Contribute to the company's technical roadmap and strategy
  • Work with the DevOps team to ensure smooth deployment and operation of services on AWS

What We Are Looking For

  • Strong backend engineering background with experience building and operating data-heavy systems in production
  • Experience deploying and operating services on AWS
  • Experience designing and maintaining data ingestion pipelines handling messy, heterogeneous sources
  • Comfortable with web scraping and working with third-party data sources and APIs
  • Familiarity with Node.js and TypeScript
  • High standards for data quality and attention to detail
  • Solid understanding of full-text search systems, including indexing strategy, relevance tuning, and query optimization
  • Proficient in building reliable REST APIs
  • Experience with academic publishing formats and data sources (PubMed, Crossref, arXiv...)
  • Experience with PDF processing pipelines (extraction, transformation, storage, and delivery at scale)

Nice to Have

  • Experience with LLM-based document processing or ML pipelines for extracting structured data from unstructured text
  • Familiarity with large-scale web crawling and scraping
  • Experience with cloud-based data warehousing and analytics platforms

Benefits and Perks

  • Base compensation: $70,000 -
    10,000 based on experience
  • Bonus and equity program
  • Flexible remote work arrangement
  • Opportunity to work with a talented team of engineers
  • Professional development and growth opportunities
  • Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools
  • Comprehensive health insurance and benefits package
  • Generous paid time off and holidays
  • Remote stipend and home office setup support

How to Stand Out

  • Be prepared to showcase your experience with AWS, Node.js, and TypeScript, as well as your ability to work with complex data systems.
  • Highlight your understanding of data quality, full-text search systems, and REST APIs in your resume and cover letter.
  • Familiarize yourself with Paperpile's products and services to demonstrate your interest in the company and role.
  • Emphasize your experience with data ingestion, processing, and optimization, and be prepared to provide specific examples.
  • Use your portfolio or GitHub repository to demonstrate your coding skills and experience with backend engineering.
  • Practice your skills in web scraping, API integration, and data pipeline development to stand out in the application process.
  • Be prepared to discuss your approach to troubleshooting and resolving technical issues, and highlight your problem-solving skills.

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