Staff Backend Engineer

What We Do

We build Calm’s product, guide Calm’s analysis, secure Calm’s data, and operate the platforms that underpin it all. We’re product-minded, team-oriented, and grounded in the mission of meeting everyone where they’re at on their mental health journey. We work in fast-moving, small pods and as a Staff Backend Engineer you will be expected to gather technical requirements, design and publish technical specs of innovative systems, as well as own building and releasing them into production.

We are hiring remote workers for this role in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, or Minneapolis areas. At this time, only candidates in these locations will be considered. 

What You’ll Do

The Staff Backend Software Engineer is a critical member of the Calm Engineering Team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the backend systems that power our mobile and web applications. You will work closely with a team of engineers, designers, product managers, and customers to ensure that our products are reliable, performant, and secure.

• Work directly with our customers and product managers to gather requirements and define technical specifications
• Design, develop, and maintain backend systems that are reliable, scalable, and secure
• Write high-quality code that is well-documented and easy to maintain
• Ensure high test coverage for all code, including unit and integration tests
• Implement monitoring to detect and respond to system failures and performance issues
• Work with other teams, such as mobile development, QA, and DevOps, to ensure a smooth development and deployment process
• Stay up-to-date on the latest backend technologies and trends
• Develop, mentor and train software engineers

Who You Are

• Experience with the following languages/technologies/frameworks (or equivalents):
• Javascript/Typescript
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• Terraform
• Expertise with one of the following: AWS / GCP / GKE / Azure
• Relational DBs / SQL
• Experience with REST API-based microservices design
• Strong focus on security, with the ability to clearly articulate potential attack vectors and design mitigations
• Proven experience working effectively in a fast-paced, agile environment as part of a collaborative team
• Willingness and enthusiasm to learn new technologies and tackle challenging problems
• Experience providing accurate high-level estimates based on complexity and consistently delivering on time and with quality
• Proficiency in writing unit and integration tests in a CI/CD environment
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey technical solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Provide high-quality code reviews that reduce defects and support the professional development of peers
• Ability to leverage the expertise of others to facilitate professional growth and know when to seek assistance
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure

Nice to Haves

• Past experience building apps in highly controlled industries, i.e., healthcare
• Experience with GoLang - Karate - Airbyte  

Minimum Requirements

• This role typically requires 12 years of related experience
• BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field

Calm uses a geographic pay model that determines salaries based on the location where an employee lives. For this position, the base pay ranges across Calm’s pay tiers is as follows:

$150,000 - $260,000

The base pay range represents the low and high end of Calm’s salary range for this position. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. Exact salary will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, experience and other qualifications.

Calm uses employee zip code to determine which pay range applies. 

This role is also eligible for equity + comprehensive benefits + 401k + flexible time off.