Lead Backend engineer

About us

Astra is a cyber security SaaS company that makes otherwise chaotic pentests a breeze with its one of a kind Pentest Platform. Astra's continuous vulnerability scanner emulates hacker behavior to scan applications for 8300+ security tests. CTOs & CISOs love Astra because it helps them fix vulnerabilities in record time and move from DevOps to DevSecOps with Astra's CI/CD integrations.

Astra is loved by 650+ companies across the globe. In 2023 Astra uncovered 2 million+ vulnerabilities for its customers, saving customers $69M+ in potential losses due to security vulnerabilities. 

We've been awarded by the President of France Mr. François Hollande at the La French Tech program and Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi at the Global Conference on Cyber Security. Loom, MamaEarth, Muthoot Finance, Canara Robeco, ScripBox etc. are a few of Astra’s customers.

Role Overview

As an SDE 2 Back-end Engineer at Astra, you will play a crucial role in the development of a new vulnerability scanner from scratch. You will be architecting & engineering a scalable technical solution from the ground-up.

You will have the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals, collaborating to deliver innovative solutions and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in vulnerability scanning. The role requires deep collaboration with the founders, product, engineering & security teams.

Join our team and contribute to the development of a cutting-edge SaaS security platform, where high-quality engineering and continuous learning are at the core of everything we do.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• You will be joining our Vulnerability Scanner team which builds a security engine to identify vulnerabilities in technical infrastructure.
• You will be the technical product owner of the scanner, which would involve managing a lean team of backend engineers to ensure smooth implementation of the technical product roadmap.
• Research about security vulnerabilities, CVEs, and zero-days affecting cloud/web/API infrastructure.
• Work in an agile environment of engineers to architect, design, develop and build our microservice infrastructure.
• You will research, design, code, troubleshoot and support (on-call). What you create is also what you own.
• Writing secure, high quality, modular, testable & well documented code for features outlined in every sprint.
• Design and implement APIs in support of other services with a highly scalable, flexible, and secure backend using GoLang
• Hands-on experience with creating production-ready code & optimizing it by identifying and correcting bottlenecks.
• Driving strict code review standards among the team.
• Ensuring timely delivery of the features/products
• Working with product managers to ensure product delivery status is transparent & the end product always looks like how it was imagined
• Work closely with Security & Product teams in writing vulnerability detection rules, APIs etc.

Required Qualifications & Skills: 

• Strong 2-4 years relevant development experience in GoLang
• Experience in building a technical product from idea to production.
• Design and build highly scalable and maintainable systems in Golang
• Expertise in Goroutines and Channels to write efficient code utilizing multi-core CPU optimally
• Must have hands-on experience with managing AWS/Google Cloud infrastructure
• Hands on experience in creating low latency high throughput REST APIs
• Write test suites and maintain code coverage above 80%
• Working knowledge of PostgreSQL, Redis, Kafka
• Good to have experience in Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka
• Good understanding of Data Structures, Algorithms and Operating Systems.
• Understanding of cloud/web security concepts would be an added advantage

What We Offer:

• Adrenalin rush of being a part of a fast-growing company
• Fully remote & agile working environment
• A wholesome opportunity in a fast-paced environment where you get to build things from scratch, improve and influence product design decisions
• Holistic understanding of SaaS and enterprise security business
• Opportunity to engage and collaborate with developers globally
• Experience with security side of things
• Annual trips to beaches or mountains (last one was Chikmangaluru)
• Open and supportive culture 

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering with specialization in Computer science or related field
• 4-10 years of experience as a software engineer in a product development setting
• Deep experience in Python with demonstrated ability to build modern products
• Experience in designing APIs and integration patterns, implementing secure and sustainable products with a focus on quality and scalability
• Experience in FastAPI, Django, or equivalent
• Experience in data modeling and efficient usage of PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, or equivalent
• Experience with modern components like async python, pedantic, sqlalchemy, alembic, celery, google products API integration, etc. is a plus
• Understanding of CI/CD practices including code check-in policies, automated unit tests, automated code deployments, etc.
• Experience in other programming languages is a plus, especially Javascript and/or Typescript
• Experience building feature-rich and scalable web apps is a plus
• Ability to grasp new technologies and use them effectively to create industrial-strength software

We are looking for an experienced Senior API Developer with expertise in Python to join our talented development team. The candidate should have over 8 years of hands-on experience in designing and developing APIs, with a strong emphasis on performance and scalability. Proficiency with Swagger/OpenAPI specifications is required. This role is pivotal to our mission of delivering top-tier solutions that power our core business functions.

Key Responsibilities:

• API Development: Design, develop, and maintain high-quality APIs using Python frameworks such as Django Rest Framework or FastAPI.
• Documentation with Swagger/OpenAPI: Employ Swagger/OpenAPI tools to produce clear and thorough API documentation.
• Integration: Implement and manage integrations between APIs and various internal and external services.
• Optimize Performance: Monitor and enhance the performance of APIs to ensure fast response times and low latency.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with other developers, product owners, and stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver optimal solutions.
• Code Quality: Uphold best practices in code quality, testing, and deployment. Participate in peer code reviews.
• Debugging and Support: Troubleshoot and resolve issues in development, test, and production environments.
• Continuous Learning: Stay informed about emerging technologies and methodologies in Python and API development.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
• Experience: At least 8 years of professional experience in API development with a focus on Python.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in Python programming language.
• Strong experience with API design, development, and RESTful services.
• Expertise with Swagger/OpenAPI specifications.
• Familiarity with Python frameworks like Django, Flask, or FastAPI.
• Experience with ORMs such as SQLAlchemy or Django ORM.
• Knowledge of version control systems, particularly Git.
• Experience working with relational databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL.

Soft Skills:

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a team and across departments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure.
• Knowledge of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and tools like Jenkins or GitLab CI.
• Understanding of asynchronous programming and event-driven architecture.

What We Offer:

• Competitive Compensation: Reflective of your experience and the value you bring.
• Growth Opportunities: Support for professional development, training, and certifications.
• Flexible Work Environment: Remote work options and flexible hours to promote work-life balance.

• Design and develop cloud native enterprise applications 
• Define and establish conventions, standards and best practices for the SDLC process and ensure that quality control is of paramount importance at each step of the development life cycle
• Develop reusable frameworks and libraries that can drastically accelerate new application development in the future
• Participate in the requirement analysis and gathering process and also perform sit-withs with business teams to ensure there is full clarity of the problem statement
• Actively engage wih infrastructure team and take ownership of DevOps processes to ensure that build and deployment processes are efficient and optimal.
• Actively engage with project stakeholders to ensure all are in sync with the progress, risks and issues
• Quickly learn and adopt cutting edge technologies to help keep the org ahead of the curve