Backend Engineer - Ruby (Multiple Openings)

As a Backend Engineer - Ruby at Salsify, you'll be responsible for building and shipping production-grade software while developing new features that drive customer engagement. You'll work collaboratively with product managers and UX designers to implement innovative solutions, all while contributing to best practices in engineering. This role places a strong emphasis on solving complex business challenges and scaling performance, making it pivotal in our mission to enable brand manufacturers to win on the digital shelf.

To excel as a Backend Engineer - Ruby at Salsify, you'll need at least 3 years of commercial software development experience, particularly in back-end systems. Familiarity with Ruby and experience building consumer-facing applications in a SaaS environment are essential. Comfort with tools like PostgreSQL and AWS will also serve you well in this role as you work to enhance our platform's capabilities.

At Salsify, a Backend Engineer - Ruby will engage with several advanced technologies such as Ruby for server-side programming, PostgreSQL for database management, Redis for caching, and AWS for cloud services. Knowledge of Kubernetes for deploying applications is a plus, as you'll be creating scalable backend solutions that support our growing customer base.

Salsify offers a flexible and inclusive remote work environment in Portugal for a Backend Engineer - Ruby. Our culture emphasizes clarity, competence, and autonomy, ensuring that you'll have the freedom to innovate while being part of a supportive team. We believe in a balanced approach to work and personal well-being, and we prioritize building a diverse workforce where every voice is valued.

At Salsify, career growth is a priority for our team members, including Backend Engineers - Ruby. You will have the opportunity to share your expertise through tech talks and contribute to engineering best practices. We encourage constant learning and collaboration with experienced engineers, which allows you to advance your skills and influence the direction of our technology while actively participating in your career development.

When discussing your Ruby experience in an interview for the Backend Engineer - Ruby position at Salsify, provide specific examples of projects where you've used Ruby. Highlight any frameworks you're familiar with, such as Ruby on Rails, and discuss how you've leveraged them to build efficient applications. Mention challenges you've overcome and how they contributed to your growth as a developer.

For this question, outline your strategic approach to scaling applications. Discuss techniques you've implemented previously, such as optimizing database queries or refactoring code for efficiency. Explain how you assess application performance and the tools you use to monitor scalability, along with your experience in AWS or similar cloud platforms.

When answering this question, choose a specific instance where you tackled a significant technical challenge. Clearly outline the problem, your thought process for arriving at a solution, and the outcome. Share any lessons learned and how this experience has shaped your approach to problem-solving as a Backend Engineer - Ruby.

Share your strategies for keeping abreast of industry trends. This could include attending conferences, participating in online courses, reading tech blogs, or being active in developer communities. Emphasize how adapting to new technologies and methodologies has helped you improve your work and remain relevant in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Highlight your experience interfacing with APIs in previous roles, whether as a developer creating RESTful services or consuming third-party APIs. Discuss specific examples where you built integrations and how you ensured data accuracy and efficiency, which is crucial for a Backend Engineer - Ruby at Salsify.

During the interview, express the importance of collaboration and open communication. Explain how you would facilitate discussions among team members to reach a consensus. Providing examples from past experiences can illustrate your approach to resolving conflicts while ensuring project goals are met.

When discussing your process for code reviews, mention key elements like thorough examinations of code quality, performance implications, and style guidelines. Highlight how you provide constructive feedback and how you value receiving feedback on your code as a way to foster team learning and improvement.

Security is paramount for a Backend Engineer. Discuss best practices you follow, such as input validation, using secure coding techniques, and regularly updating dependencies. Mention any tools or assessments you use to identify vulnerabilities and your commitment to continuous learning regarding security issues in software development.

Explain which collaboration tools you've utilized and how they benefitted your workflow. Whether it's JIRA for project management or Slack for team communication, emphasize how effective collaboration leads to project success and your strategies for maintaining strong connections with remote teammates.

Your answer should reflect a solid understanding of Salsify’s mission and culture. Discuss what aspects of the company stand out to you, whether it's their innovative approach to product experience management or their commitment to inclusivity and team empowerment. Make it personal and genuine, showcasing why you want to contribute to Salsify's success.