As a Back-end Engineer at Macroscope, your primary responsibilities will include developing and maintaining the API layer that supports our product features, contributing to the infrastructure that ensures seamless interactions between our back-end services and customer needs, and working closely with AI systems to enhance our offerings. You'll collaborate with other engineers and designers to bring innovative solutions to life, all while ensuring high standards of code quality and performance.

To qualify for the Back-end Engineer position at Macroscope, you should have extensive experience in developing distributed back-end services, ideally with proficiency in Go. Experience in working with B2B SaaS products or consumer applications, as well as familiarity with AI systems and LLMs, is highly beneficial. Additionally, a background in a startup environment where you can thrive with little oversight is an advantage, as we value high agency and self-motivation in our team members.

At Macroscope, our technology stack for back-end development primarily includes Golang as the main programming language, along with Google Cloud (GCP) for cloud services and PostgreSQL for database management. We also employ Terraform for infrastructure as code practices. This stack allows our engineering team to build scalable and robust back-end services that are crucial for our application's success.

Collaboration is at the heart of the engineering process at Macroscope. As a Back-end Engineer, you'll work closely with product designers and other team members to ensure that our software features are not only functional but also intuitive and delightful to use. Regular team meetings, feedback loops, and open lines of communication help foster a strong collaborative environment where everyone's insights are valued.

The work culture for a Back-end Engineer at Macroscope is dynamic, fast-paced, and rooted in high agency. We're a small startup dedicated to making a meaningful impact, and we encourage our team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their ideas. You can expect a flat organizational structure that fosters direct communication with founders and a close-knit team experience that prioritizes craftsmanship and passion for building innovative solutions.

When discussing your experience with distributed back-end services, focus on specific projects you've worked on that highlight your skills in scalability and reliability. Explain your approach to building robust systems, your familiarity with cloud services, and how you've ensured seamless communication between various services. Use examples that demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and impact on product performance.

When asked about programming languages, emphasize your proficiency in Go and detail how you've applied it in past projects. Share your experiences with Go’s concurrency model, any frameworks or libraries you prefer, and how you’ve used Go to solve complex problems. Be prepared to provide examples of code you've written or systems you've built using Go.

To ensure the quality of your back-end code, discuss practices such as code reviews, testing strategies (unit tests, integration tests), and the use of CI/CD pipelines for automated deployment. Mention any tools or frameworks you use to maintain code quality and how you incorporate feedback into your development process to continually improve your codebase.

In your response, outline a specific scenario where you worked with front-end developers, detailing the communication strategies you employed. Discuss how you ensured that APIs were properly documented and how you addressed any discrepancies in feature requirements to facilitate smooth collaboration. Highlight your understanding of the need for both back-end and front-end teams to work in harmony.

Share your familiarity with AI systems and how you've integrated them into your projects. Talk about any experience you have with AI models, optimizing interactions, or using AI to enhance user experience. If applicable, mention how you've collaborated with data science teams or used libraries specifically designed for AI within the context of back-end development.

Discuss your approach to prioritizing tasks, such as using project management tools, assessing project impact and deadlines, and regularly updating your priorities based on developer sprints or team goals. Highlight how you adapt to changing project scopes and align your work with team objectives to ensure efficient completion of all your responsibilities.

When addressing how you keep up with the latest technologies, mention resources like attending conferences, participating in online courses, and following industry publications. Share personal projects or contributions to open-source as ways you apply new knowledge and emphasize your dedication to continuous learning as a Back-end Engineer.

Detail your experience with Google Cloud by discussing specific services you've utilized, such as Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, or Cloud Functions. Highlight any projects where you deployed applications on GCP and discuss your proficiency with infrastructure as code practices like Terraform, showcasing how you leverage cloud solutions for scalability and efficiency in development.

Show your enthusiasm for Macroscope's mission by discussing your understanding of the challenges in software development and how clarity can lead to better organizational success. Mention how your skills as a Back-end Engineer uniquely position you to contribute to the team’s goals, and express your passion for creating meaningful software that enhances productivity.

Reflect on your experiences in startup environments, emphasizing the skills you've gained in adaptability, problem-solving, and self-motivation. Discuss specific situations where you've navigated challenges with minimal guidance and how these experiences shape your readiness for the dynamic culture at Macroscope, where initiative and ownership are essential.