Staff Engineer, Backend

As a Staff Engineer, Backend at Calm, your responsibilities include designing, developing, and maintaining highly reliable backend systems for our mobile and web applications. You'll collaborate with diverse teams, gather technical specifications, ensure high test coverage, implement monitoring tools, and mentor other engineers, all aimed at creating seamless experiences for Calm's users.

To become a Staff Engineer, Backend at Calm, you typically need about 12 years of related experience, along with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field. Experience in languages like Javascript/Typescript and GoLang, as well as knowledge of Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, and microservices design is essential.

Staff Engineers, Backend at Calm primarily work with Javascript/Typescript, GoLang, and various cloud technologies like AWS and GCP. Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, relational databases, and REST API design is also highly beneficial in this role.

Yes, the Staff Engineer, Backend role at Calm is available for remote workers located in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, or Minneapolis areas. This allows for flexibility while contributing to our mission of supporting mental health.

The anticipated salary range for the Staff Engineer, Backend position at Calm is between $176,000 and $275,000, depending on your skills, experience, and qualifications. This position also offers equity, comprehensive benefits, a 401k plan, and flexible time off.

When designing a backend system, start by gathering requirements from stakeholders, ensuring you understand their needs. Next, outline the architecture that supports scalability, reliability, and security, considering the tech stack and best practices for API endpoints. Document everything and be prepared to explain your reasoning and any trade-offs.

In interviews, talk about specific projects where you've designed RESTful services, highlighting the principles you followed such as using proper HTTP methods, status codes, and resource naming conventions. Discuss how these design choices improved the user experience or system performance.

To ensure high test coverage, I incorporate testing into the development process from the start. I use unit tests and integration tests to validate both individual units of code and their interactions. I also advocate for peer code reviews, which can surface potential issues and improve code quality.

For monitoring systems, I implement logging and alerting solutions, ensuring metrics are collected to analyze performance trends. In response to failures, I follow a systematic troubleshoot approach while maintaining clear communication with stakeholders. Documenting incidents for future reference is also key.

When collaborating with non-technical stakeholders, I focus on understanding their perspectives and simplifying technical concepts into relatable terms. Utilizing visual aids, analogies, and clear examples can help bridge the understanding gap, ensuring everyone's on the same page.

Share an experience where you faced a significant technical challenge, explaining your analytical approach. Describe how you broke down the problem, outlined potential solutions, and the outcome, emphasizing teamwork and feedback in your solution process.

Discuss your familiarity with AWS, GCP, or other cloud platforms. Provide examples of how you've utilized services like EC2, Lambda, or GKE in past projects, emphasizing the benefits you achieved in scalability, cost efficiency, and deployment speed.

I regularly follow tech blogs, participate in webinars, and engage in online forums. Networking with peers and attending meetups also keeps me informed of the latest trends. Always being open to learning new frameworks and methodologies is crucial for continuous professional growth.

In a fast-paced environment, I prioritize tasks based on their impact on user experience and project goals. Regularly collaborating with product managers helps keep priorities aligned with business objectives, while using productivity tools to manage deadlines effectively.

Mentoring junior developers involves not just sharing knowledge but fostering an inclusive learning environment. I encourage them to ask questions and provide constructive feedback on their code while helping them set professional development goals tailored to their interests.