Senior Software Engineer, Backend

As a Senior Software Engineer, Backend at Scribe, you will be responsible for writing and scaling application code while optimizing performance for business-critical endpoints. You will deploy, manage, and scale distributed systems, especially focusing on background jobs and queueing systems. You'll also play a pivotal role in developing innovative services for AI inference and voice transcription, leveraging your expertise in our tech stack including Typescript, Python, and AWS.

To be a great fit for the Senior Software Engineer, Backend role at Scribe, candidates should have at least 4 years of experience in backend application development with Typescript. A strong understanding of message queues and task systems is essential, particularly with Celery Tasks & Schedules or similar frameworks like AWS SQS or Rabbit MQ. Proficiency in Python, along with experience in building and deploying micro-services, will also be vital for success in this position.

At Scribe, a Senior Software Engineer, Backend could find themselves working on projects that involve creating cutting-edge services for AI inference and integrating them into our platform. You may also optimize existing systems to improve performance and efficiency, develop scalable micro-services, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance user experience. The projects are fast-paced and will keep you engaged with new challenges regularly.

The working environment for a Senior Software Engineer, Backend at Scribe is collaborative and supportive. We prioritize a culture of transparency and respect, enabling team members to learn from one another and share insights freely. You'll work alongside some of the smartest and nicest colleagues in the industry, all while being encouraged to take ownership of your projects and contribute to our overall mission.

Being a Senior Software Engineer, Backend at Scribe comes with several benefits including competitive salaries, comprehensive healthcare, equity options, flexible PTO, a 401k plan, and parental leave. Additionally, employees have access to a WFH stipend to support remote work. Our commitment to diversity ensures that all team members feel valued and supported in doing their best work.

To optimize backend application performance, focus on analyzing your current architecture for bottlenecks, such as slow database queries or inefficient code paths. Implement caching strategies, like Redis or Memcached, and consider optimizing your API endpoints by reducing payload sizes and utilizing pagination effectively.

When discussing your experience with microservices, emphasize your familiarity with the principles of microservices architecture, such as independence of services, fault tolerance, and scalability. Share specific projects where you designed, built, and deployed microservices, highlighting any tools or frameworks you used in the process.

Celery is an asynchronous task queue/job queue based on distributed message passing. It's designed to handle complex workflows and background tasks. Discuss specific instances from your experience where you implemented Celery for background processing, detailing how you set up task queues and any challenges you overcame.

My approach to writing clean and maintainable code involves adhering to coding standards, avoiding unnecessary complexity, and incorporating comments for clarity. I use meaningful variable names, apply design patterns where applicable, and always prioritize writing tests to ensure code reliability.

I once faced a challenge where an API was experiencing performance issues under load. I tackled this by profiling the code, identifying a slow database query, and optimizing it through indexing. After implementing a caching mechanism for frequently requested data, I successfully reduced the response time.

I approach testing in backend development by writing unit tests and integration tests to ensure code correctness. I also practice Test-Driven Development (TDD) to enforce writing tests before the actual code. I utilize testing frameworks relevant to the languages involved, ensuring high code coverage.

Some best practices for using message queues include ensuring that your messages are stateless, implementing retries for failed messages, and monitoring your queue’s performance. It’s also essential to manage message ordering and deduplication to prevent processing issues.

I stay updated with the latest backend technologies by following industry news, participating in webinars, and engaging in online communities and forums. Additionally, I often experiment with new tools and frameworks through personal projects or contribute to open-source projects to deepen my understanding.

The key components of my tech stack primarily include Typescript for the application layer, Python (Django) for backend processes, and AWS for cloud services. They interact through RESTful APIs for communication, leveraging message queues for asynchronous task processing, and using databases to manage persistent data effectively.

I want to work for Scribe as a Senior Software Engineer, Backend because I admire the company's mission to empower knowledge sharing and streamline processes. I appreciate the emphasis on continuous learning and ownership within your team culture. I believe this aligns perfectly with my values and career goals as a developer.