As a Backend Engineer at PermitFlow, your main responsibilities include developing our innovative construction permit application and management platform. You will collaborate closely with the CTO, working on features from inception to implementation. Your role involves mentoring other engineers, defining the product and engineering roadmap, and building user experiences that simplify the permitting process for our users. Additionally, you will work on developing flexible workflow tooling, ensuring a polished product that meets customer needs.

To apply for the Backend Engineer position at PermitFlow, you should have strong full-stack development experience, ideally gained within a startup environment. Familiarity with our tech stack—Typescript, Node.js, and Postgres—is essential. You'll need to demonstrate a customer-first mindset, an ability to own complex cross-functional projects, and a commitment to technical excellence. Introspection about past successes and a willingness to engage directly with users are also important qualities we look for.

PermitFlow fosters a dynamic work culture that emphasizes collaboration, technical excellence, and the growth of our team members. As a Backend Engineer, you'll be part of a lean, supportive team where innovative ideas are welcomed. We prioritize a customer-centric approach and maintain an open dialogue about project developments. With a hybrid work model, in-person team interactions are encouraged three days a week, allowing you to build strong connections with colleagues while enjoying the flexibility many modern workers desire.

At PermitFlow, we believe in the importance of continuous learning and professional development for our Backend Engineers. Our mentoring culture encourages knowledge sharing and skill enhancement, allowing team members to learn from each other and grow. You will also have opportunities to work on challenging projects that expand your technical capabilities. We provide team-building events and supportive management that values your growth and input, ensuring that you can evolve in your role.

Backend Engineers at PermitFlow enjoy an impressive benefits package that includes a competitive salary, equity options, and 100% paid health, dental, and vision coverage. We go beyond that by providing a company-issued laptop, daily meals via UberEats, fully stocked kitchens, and commuter benefits. The work-life balance is also a priority, with unlimited PTO to recharge when you need it. We aim to create an environment that nurtures both personal and professional well-being.

In an interview, it's crucial to highlight a project where you faced significant hurdles. Start by explaining the project's objectives, your specific role, and the challenges encountered, such as tight deadlines or complex requirements. Discuss how you approached the problem, the technologies involved, and the eventual outcome. Emphasizing teamwork and the skills you used to navigate obstacles shows your capability and resilience, key traits for a Backend Engineer at PermitFlow.

When discussing code maintainability, refer to practices like writing clean, readable code, and following industry standards and best practices. Mention the importance of documentation and comments, as well as using design patterns that promote code reusability. You can also touch on conducting regular code reviews, and adopting automated tests to maintain code quality over time. This will showcase your proactive approach to engineering challenges.

Highlight your familiarity with relevant technologies, particularly those in PermitFlow's tech stack like Typescript, Node.js, and Postgres. Discuss specific projects where you utilized these technologies, your learning experiences, and how they contributed to successful outcomes. Being able to articulate your experience and comfort level with these tools demonstrates your preparedness for the Backend Engineer position.

Explain your approach to prioritizing tasks by focusing on impact and urgency. You might discuss using techniques such as the Eisenhower matrix or Agile methodologies to help visualize priorities. Emphasizing how you break down larger projects into manageable tasks and how you communicate progress with your team will show you are organized and effective in a fast-paced startup environment.

When asked about system architecture design, provide examples from your past roles where you took a lead on architecture choices. Discuss the principles you followed, like scalability, reliability, and performance. It’s effective to illustrate this with a particular system you've designed and the technology stack involved, showcasing your ability to create robust systems that will ultimately benefit users.

Discuss your coding practices regarding testing and debugging, including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end testing. Mention any specific tools you've used, such as Jest for testing or logging tools for debugging. Sharing a real-life example where these strategies helped you catch a critical bug or improve code reliability will illustrate your hands-on experience and your commitment to delivering quality code.

In your response, talk about the importance of incorporating user feedback into the development process. You might mention methods like user interviews, surveys, or usability testing to understand user needs. Explain how you translate this feedback into actionable insights to prioritize features, which not only enriches the user experience but also aligns the product closer to customer expectations.

Reflect on a positive mentoring experience where you helped another engineer improve their skills or navigate a challenge. Discuss your approach, any resources or strategies you employed, and the outcomes of your mentoring. This highlights your ability to contribute to a culture of technical excellence at PermitFlow, showcasing your leadership qualities essential for a Backend Engineer.

Describe how you actively promote collaboration within your teams. Elaborate on how discussing ideas, pair programming sessions, and regular check-ins contribute to successful project outcomes. By illustrating your collaborative approach, you demonstrate your alignment with PermitFlow's team-oriented values and your ability to work within a dynamic engineering environment.

In answering this question, discuss your commitment to keeping up with the tech landscape. Mention following relevant blogs, participating in online communities, attending conferences, or taking courses. By showcasing your dedication to continuous learning and your drive to apply emerging technologies in your work, you position yourself as a proactive candidate ready to contribute significantly to PermitFlow.