Backend Engineer
Hi there! AgileEngine is an Inc. 5000 company that creates award-winning software for Fortune 500 brands and trailblazing startups across 17+ industries. We rank among the leaders in areas like application development and AI/ML, and our people-first culture has earned us multiple Best Place to Work awards.
Why join us
If you’re looking for a place to grow, make an impact, and work with people who care, we’d love to meet you! :)
About the role
We are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to build and scale the backend of a high-traffic gaming companion site.
The mandatory requirements are 5+ years of backend development with TypeScript on Node.js, PostgreSQL or MySQL, Redis caching, REST and GraphQL APIs, daily use of AI coding tools, and an upper-intermediate English level.
Must haves
● 5+ years of backend development with TypeScript on Node.js.
● Strong command of TypeScript’s type system (generics, inference, discriminated unions, narrowing).
● Schema validation experience with Zod or similar.
● Strong SQL skills in PostgreSQL and/or MySQL: schema design, indexing, query plans, migrations on live data, transactions and locking.
● Experience running an analytical database at production volume (ClickHouse preferred; BigQuery, Druid or similar also count).
● Experience designing caching: Redis or a compatible store, invalidation strategies, HTTP cache headers, CDN behavior.
● Experience designing and consuming REST and GraphQL APIs, including authentication and rate limiting.
● Experience with background jobs and message queues, including handling jobs that run twice or don’t run at all.
● Experience with high-volume, user-facing production applications.
● Experience taking a product from idea to production.
● Proficiency with agentic AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor or similar): daily, hands-on use in a real codebase, and good judgment about when their output needs checking.
● Comfortable reading and changing React code when a feature reaches the frontend.
● Able to work well in a startup-style, fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
● Flexible about working hours: some game launches happen in the evening or on weekends and need coverage outside the standard 9-to-5.
● Passion for gaming.
● Upper-intermediate English level.
Nice to haves
● Experience with Bun.
● Experience with any of the current stack: Remix, Next.js, Fastify, Hono, Prisma, Drizzle, Apollo GraphQL, Meilisearch, NATS, Ory, Stripe, Nx.
● shadcn/ui and Tailwind CSS.
● Strict lint setups (typescript-eslint strictTypeChecked, custom lint rules, architecture boundaries).
● Docker, Kubernetes, GitOps (ArgoCD), GitHub Actions, External Secrets.
● Payments and subscriptions (Stripe checkout, webhooks, promotion codes).
● Writing agent instructions, skills or custom tooling for AI coding agents.
● Experience building game tools, such as databases, interactive maps, calculators or planners.
What you will do
● Build and maintain REST and GraphQL APIs in TypeScript (Fastify, Hono) for user profiles, subscriptions and game data, including authentication, rate limits and typed contracts.
● Design schemas and write queries for PostgreSQL and MySQL (Prisma, Drizzle), including versioned game data, player builds and migrations on tables in live use.
● Run ClickHouse analytics pipelines: request logs, materialized views, article and revenue metrics, and the queries behind dashboards.
● Own the cache layers end to end: Redis-compatible stores, query caching, tag-invalidated cache, HTTP headers and CDN purges.
● Build and run scheduled jobs and queue consumers (NATS) for game data sync, leaderboards, Meilisearch indexing, sitemaps, Stripe webhooks, payouts and data-deletion requests.
● Integrate third-party APIs (Stripe, Discord, Blizzard, IGDB, Steam, YouTube), handling retries, backoff and rate limits.
● Process game images into map tiles, sprite sheets and responsive image sizes.
● Keep responses lean for Remix and Next.js pages to improve time to first byte, PageSpeed and SEO.
● Work with AI coding agents every day: direct them, review their output, and maintain the guardrails that make their changes safe to merge (tests, lint rules, build checks, agent instructions).
● Deploy through Docker, GitHub Actions and Kubernetes.
● Support high-traffic game launches, including outside regular hours when needed.
Perks and benefits
● Professional growth: Accelerate your professional journey with mentorship, TechTalks, and personalized growth roadmaps
● Competitive compensation: We match your ever-growing skills, talent, and contributions with competitive USD-based compensation and budgets for education, fitness, and team activities
● A selection of exciting projects: Join projects with modern solutions development and top-tier clients that include Fortune 500 enterprises and leading product brands
● Flextime: Tailor your schedule for an optimal work-life balance, by having the options of working from home and going to the office — whatever makes you the happiest and most productive.
Meet Our Recruitment Process
Asynchronous stage — An automated, self-paced track that helps us move faster and give you quicker feedback:
● Short online form to confirm basic requirements
● 30–60 minute skills assessment
● 5-minute introduction video
Synchronous stage — Live interviews
● Technical interview with our engineering team (scheduled at your convenience)
● Final interview with your future teammates
If it’s a match—you’ll get an offer!