Senior Backend Engineer
Node.js, System Design & Production Platforms
📍 Mumbai (On-site) | Full-time | 5+ years
About the Role:
Unico Connect is an AI-first technology partner that builds custom mobile, web, and AI products for clients across multiple geographies.
We are hiring a Senior Backend Engineer to own the backend architecture of a complex production AI platform on a dedicated client engagement: API design and data modelling, multi-tenancy, orchestration of long-running agent workloads, and the services that manage user projects and generated output.
We are open to full stack engineers whose primary strength and interest is backend. If you have shipped full stack work but the backend is where you do your deepest engineering, you are a fit for this role.
The mandatory requirement for this role is hands-on production experience as a senior backend engineer building complex, scalable systems in Node.js, with end-to-end ownership of architecture, data, and operations on at least one live platform.
The role is hands-on and architectural.
Expect to design system architecture, lead a small group of backend engineers, build the hardest parts yourself, set engineering standards, and partner closely with frontend, AI, and DevOps engineers.
A typical week includes an architecture decision on a new service, hands-on implementation of a critical path, a code review with mid-level engineers, and a working session with the AI engineer on an integration contract.
Responsibilities:
System Architecture
Own the backend architecture across engagements.
Make and document decisions on service boundaries, data models, API contracts, deployment topology, and trade-offs.
Hands-on Backend Delivery
Lead by example on complex modules, performance-critical paths, and high-risk areas using Node.js (Express, NestJS, Fastify) with TypeScript.
Pick up Python (FastAPI) where engagements require it.
Database Design and Performance
Drive PostgreSQL schema design, indexing, query optimisation, migrations, and capacity planning.
Set the data-modelling standard across the pod.
Caching, Queues, and Workflows
Design caching (Redis), event-driven patterns (Kafka, RabbitMQ, SQS, NATS), and long-running workflow orchestration (Temporal, BullMQ, Celery, or equivalent).
Handle retries, idempotency, and failure recovery.
Multi-Tenancy and Platform Patterns
Design and implement multi-tenant data isolation, RBAC, audit logging, and resource quotas appropriate to enterprise-grade products.
API and Integration Design
Set the standard for REST, GraphQL, and gRPC contracts.
Drive versioning, authentication (OAuth, JWT, SSO), security by default, and developer ergonomics.
Observability and Operations
Instrument services with OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, and Grafana.
Define SLOs, lead incident response, and write postmortems.
Code Quality and Mentorship
Run code reviews, define conventions, mentor mid-level engineers, and raise the engineering bar.
AI-Assisted Engineering Discipline
Use Claude, Cursor, and similar tools day to day.
Set the team standard for prompts, patterns, AI-assisted review, and validation of AI-generated backend code.
Client Engagement
Represent Unico Connect in technical conversations with customers.
Defend architectural decisions, communicate trade-offs, and manage scope.
Requirements:
Hands-on Production Experience as a Senior or Lead Backend Engineer in Node.js (Mandatory)
Must have personally built and shipped complex production systems in Node.js, owning architecture, data, and operations on at least one live engagement.
Full stack engineers whose deepest work is on the backend qualify.
POCs and internal tools alone do not qualify.
5+ Years of Professional Backend Engineering Experience
With at least 1 to 2 years in a senior or lead role with direct responsibility for technical decisions and team output.
Deep Node.js and TypeScript Proficiency
Strong with Express, NestJS, or Fastify.
Comfort with async patterns, streams, worker threads, and performance profiling.
Python as a Strong Plus
Hands-on production experience with FastAPI, Django, or Flask is a meaningful advantage.
Willingness and demonstrated ability to pick up Python as engagements demand is required.
PostgreSQL Depth
Schema design, normalisation, indexing, query performance, migrations, and at least one production system where you owned the data model end to end.
Caching and Event-Driven Architecture
Hands-on with Redis (or equivalent) and message queues or event-driven patterns (RabbitMQ, SQS, Kafka, NATS).
AWS Depth
Hands-on production experience with EC2, S3, RDS, IAM, VPC, ECR, and at least one of EKS, ECS, or Lambda.
Comfort owning deployment, monitoring, and cost.
System Design and End-to-End Ownership
Able to take an ambiguous problem, break it into components, evaluate alternatives, produce an architecture that holds up under review and load, plan execution, and ship with limited supervision.
AI-Assisted Engineering Experience
Daily use of Claude, Cursor, Copilot, or equivalent.
Strong discipline for reviewing and validating AI-generated backend code.
Excellent Written and Spoken English
Experience working directly with international clients.
Confident defending architectural choices in writing and in review.
Nice to Have:
- Workflow orchestration (Temporal, Airflow)
- GraphQL (Apollo, gRPC)
- Sandboxed execution environments
- Multi-tenant SaaS experience
- OpenTelemetry instrumentation
- Prior agency or consulting experience
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