Senior Backend Engineer (Elixir)
WFA Digital Insight
As the demand for skilled remote workers continues to soar, companies like Remote are leading the charge in innovating HR and payroll solutions. With a growing need for experts in Elixir and backend engineering, professionals with these skills are in high demand. According to recent trends, the requirement for proficient backend engineers has seen a significant uptick, with companies seeking individuals who can build scalable and secure systems. Remote stands out for its commitment to innovation and asynchronous work culture, making it an attractive choice for those seeking a dynamic and remote work environment. Before applying, candidates should be prepared to showcase their technical expertise, particularly in Elixir, Phoenix, and Postgres, as well as their ability to work independently and contribute to a global team.
Job Description
About the Role
The Senior Backend Engineer role at Remote is an exciting opportunity for experienced engineers to join a team of innovators working on cutting-edge HR and payroll solutions. As a key member of the backend team, you will be responsible for building tools, APIs, and integrations that enable Remote's products to operate smoothly and efficiently. You will work closely with cross-functional development teams, including frontend, SRE, and QA engineers, to ensure seamless integration and high-quality delivery.The role entails working on complex and meaningful challenges that require strong engineering fundamentals, practical experience with agentic/automation workflows, and the ability to think in systems. You will be part of a team that values innovation, asynchronous work, and autonomy, allowing you to organize your work and life with flexibility.
Remote's backend is built with Elixir and Phoenix, and the company uses Postgres as its database. The team relies heavily on Gitlab for version control, issue tracking, and CI/CD solutions. With a strong emphasis on automation and AI capabilities, you will be working in an environment that encourages experimentation and learning.
What You Will Do
- Lead the development of major team-scoped projects and participate in cross-team initiatives for Remote's HR and Payroll products.
- Actively participate in product work, providing feedback and suggesting solutions to problems.
- Use technical insights and expertise to suggest product improvements and maintain a good understanding of the team's domain.
- Provide feedback on code reviews and contribute to the shared codebase.
- Debug and solve technical and business issues, and participate in non-team activities such as support rotations and hiring processes.
- Mentor and provide guidance to other engineers, and participate in RFC discussions to drive technical decisions.
- Collaborate with the team to define specs clearly, break down plans, instrument verification, and close the loop on quality.
- Work on building tools, APIs, and integrations for one of Remote's products, using Elixir, Phoenix, and Postgres.
- Utilize CI/CD pipelines for deployments and ensure the quality of the codebase.
What We Are Looking For
- Strong engineering fundamentals and a track record of shipping production systems that are secure, reliable, and scalable.
- Practical experience designing or adopting agentic/automation workflows and improving them through iteration.
- Ability to think in systems: define specs clearly, break down plans, instrument verification, and close the loop on quality.
- Experience with Postgres or similar databases, and CI/CD tools such as Gitlab, Github, or Jenkins.
- Demonstrated strong automation and AI capabilities, and AI fluency.
- Ability to work independently and autonomously, with a strong sense of ownership and responsibility.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a distributed team.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex issues and develop creative solutions.
Nice to Have
- Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, or AWS.
- Familiarity with Nextjs, React, or Vue/Angular.
- Knowledge of domain-driven design and microservices architecture.
- Experience with machine learning or artificial intelligence.
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and stock options, with a flexible paid time-off policy.
- A supportive and kind work environment that encourages innovation and experimentation.
- Opportunities for professional growth and development, with mentorship and guidance from experienced engineers.
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools, with a strong emphasis on automation and AI capabilities.
- Remote work environment with flexibility and autonomy, and a stipend for remote work setup.
- Health and wellness benefits, including mental health support and employee assistance programs.
- Access to a global network of professionals, with opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
How to Stand Out
- Be prepared to showcase your technical expertise in Elixir, Phoenix, and Postgres, and highlight your experience with automation and AI capabilities.
- Emphasize your ability to work independently and autonomously, with a strong sense of ownership and responsibility.
- Demonstrate your understanding of domain-driven design and microservices architecture, and highlight your experience with CI/CD pipelines and deployment strategies.
- Showcase your problem-solving skills, with examples of complex issues you've analyzed and creative solutions you've developed.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with machine learning or artificial intelligence, and highlight any relevant projects or certifications.
- Research Remote's products and services, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's goals and vision.
- Prepare examples of your code reviews and contributions to open-source projects, and be prepared to discuss your experience with collaborative development and version control.
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