Senior Backend Engineer - Node.js

As a Senior Backend Engineer - Node.js at Wordly, you will use your backend engineering experience to design, extend, and improve Node.js services and modules across our technology stack. You will help maintain existing systems while adding new capabilities and integrations that support Wordly’s real-time translation experiences.

This is a hands-on individual contributor role. You will work from product requirements and established architectural direction to extend existing Node.js modules, build and maintain backend services and APIs, and integrate them with other parts of Wordly’s backend platform. You will be expected to make sound technical decisions within your area of responsibility and drive complex work through implementation and delivery.

We are looking for someone with strong professional backend development experience using Node.js and JavaScript. You should be comfortable working with distributed systems, APIs, messaging and event-driven architectures, data stores, CI/CD pipelines, and comprehensive automated testing. You should also be comfortable using AI-assisted development tools effectively and responsibly as part of day-to-day engineering work.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 5+ years of hands-on backend engineering experience, including significant professional experience building and maintaining Node.js services and APIs.

• Strong hands-on experience with Node.js and JavaScript in backend production environments.

• Experience extending and maintaining existing Node.js modules, services, and integrations.

• Experience with Node.js backend frameworks.

• Strong understanding of asynchronous programming and event-driven backend patterns.

• Strong experience working in distributed systems and microservice environments.

• Experience with messaging and event streaming systems, NoSQL databases, distributed caches, and CI/CD pipelines.

• Strong experience writing and maintaining unit and integration tests, with a focus on producing reliable and well-tested software.

• Experience debugging and resolving complex issues in backend services.

• Experience using AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, or similar, and comfort using them effectively and responsibly.

• Experience working in modern software development workflows, including version control and code review practices.

• Comfortable working with a fully remote team.

• Self-motivated and able to independently deliver complex backend features from requirements through implementation.

Desired Qualifications

In addition to the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate meets some or all of the following desired qualifications.

• Experience with Java or Kotlin and backend frameworks such as Micronaut or Spring Boot.

• Experience working with real-time audio streams.

• A B.S. degree in Computer Science or equivalent from an accredited institution.

Responsibilities

• Design, extend, and maintain Node.js backend services, modules, and APIs from product requirements and established architectural direction.

• Add new capabilities to existing Node.js modules while maintaining compatibility, reliability, and maintainability.

• Integrate Node.js services and modules with other backend services, APIs, and platform components.

• Take ownership of complex backend features from technical design through implementation and delivery.

• Improve and support existing backend services, including debugging and resolving complex production issues.

• Implement solutions involving distributed systems, messaging and event streaming systems, caches, and NoSQL data stores.

• Write and maintain comprehensive unit and integration tests, and actively improve test coverage and code quality.

• Participate actively in technical design and code reviews, providing constructive technical feedback to other engineers.

• Identify opportunities to improve maintainability, reliability, and engineering practices within the areas you work on.

• Work cross-functionally with Product, other engineers, and technical leads to deliver backend functionality.

• Use AI-assisted development tools effectively and responsibly as part of day-to-day engineering work.