Staff Software Engineer - Backend

The Staff Software Engineer - Backend at Nium is responsible for leading and managing projects, mentoring junior developers, and addressing complex technical questions within the team. This role involves developing scalable solutions, collaborating with product teams, and ensuring operational excellence. Also, you'll help recruit and interview new talent, contributing to Nium's success as a leading payment solutions provider.

To qualify for the Staff Software Engineer - Backend position at Nium, candidates should possess 6-7 years of experience in backend engineering, with proficiency in Java/J2EE. Strong knowledge of computer science fundamentals, experience in developing scalable APIs, and excellent design skills are crucial. Additionally, strong communication skills and the ability to thrive in a dynamic environment are key to succeeding in this role.

Nium fosters a vibrant work culture where innovation and employee well-being are prioritized. As a Staff Software Engineer - Backend, you will work in a hybrid environment that includes regular team bonding activities and company-wide events. Recognized as a Great Place to Work, Nium values diversity and promotes a supportive atmosphere where everyone can thrive.

Nium offers a comprehensive benefits package for Staff Software Engineers - Backend, including competitive salaries, performance bonuses, medical coverage, and generous vacation policies. Additionally, the company provides opportunities for continuous learning through role-specific training and a learning stipend, ensuring that employees can enhance their skills and advance their careers.

As a Staff Software Engineer - Backend at Nium, you will directly influence the company's mission to revolutionize global payments. By designing and implementing robust backend systems, you will help ensure our infrastructure supports seamless transactions across borders in real-time. Your work will help establish Nium as a trusted partner for businesses and financial institutions globally.

In my experience, designing for scalability and fault tolerance involves using microservices architecture, load balancing, and implementing redundancy across systems. I prioritize automated testing and monitoring to catch issues early and ensure that the system maintains high availability under heavy loads.

I have extensive experience using Java/J2EE for backend application development. This includes working with frameworks like Spring and Hibernate to build robust applications, and I've applied design patterns to improve code maintainability and understanding. I stay updated with the latest advancements in the Java ecosystem, which helps deliver efficient solutions.

I believe in a hands-on mentoring approach that involves pair programming, regular feedback sessions, and encouraging independent problem-solving. I focus on nurturing their problem-solving skills and helping them understand best practices in coding, which boosts their confidence and accelerates their learning.

I prioritize open communication and utilize agile methodologies to enhance team collaboration. Tools like JIRA for project management and Slack for communication help keep everyone aligned. Regular stand-ups and retrospective meetings ensure that team members feel involved and can share their thoughts for continuous improvement.

Ensuring code quality is paramount, and I enforce practices such as code reviews and automated testing through continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. I encourage writing unit tests and engaging in pair programming sessions, which contribute to code reliability and catch potential issues early in the development cycle.

I regularly attend tech meetups, webinars, and conferences related to backend development. Following industry leaders on platforms like LinkedIn and actively participating in online coding forums helps me stay informed about new trends, tools, and best practices that can enhance my work.

In a previous role, I led a project that required integrating multiple third-party APIs. Initial challenges arose with data inconsistencies and performance issues. By adopting robust error handling and optimizing query performance, we successfully streamlined the integration process and delivered a reliable solution ahead of schedule.

APIs serve as the backbone of modern backend development, allowing different systems to communicate effectively. They enable scalability, facilitate the integration of external services, and promote modular architecture, which is essential for evolving and maintaining large systems.

I believe in addressing conflicts promptly and diplomatically. I encourage open discussions where each party can express their viewpoints. I try to facilitate a collaborative environment where the team can reach a consensus or work towards a compromise, ensuring that the project's goals are maintained.

Testing is integral to my development process. I advocate for a test-driven development (TDD) approach, which involves writing tests before code. This not only ensures that features work as expected but also provides a safety net for future changes. I also implement integration and system tests to ensure overall application stability.