Lead Backend Engineer

Why this role matters

At Pocket Worlds, our mission is to connect the world through shared experiences. We build multiplayer virtual worlds that feel alive — but none of that happens without fast, reliable, scalable backend systems.

We’re looking for a Lead Backend Engineer to own our backend architecture and lead our team of 3 backend engineers. You’ll raise the bar on execution, design systems that scale, and lead with a bias for speed and quality.

This is a critical role. You’re not just building systems — you’re building the foundation for everything that follows.

You will...

• Own and evolve our backend architecture to support millions of users across games and virtual worlds

• Lead and mentor a team of backend engineers — unblocking them, growing them, and raising the bar

• Set and enforce engineering standards across code quality, testing, deployment, and observability

• Drive technical planning: make build vs buy decisions, anticipate scale issues, and ensure velocity

• Collaborate closely with product, frontend, and platform teams to ship end-to-end features fast

• Make pragmatic calls under uncertainty and ensure we always keep moving forward

• Take ownership of systems performance, cost, reliability, and developer experience

Our Stack

• Languages: Async typed Python, Go

• Infrastructure: Kubernetes (kOps), AWS, Terraform, Helm

• Data: MongoDB, Redis, ElasticSearch, OpenSearch

• Monitoring & Observability: Grafana, Kibana, Prometheus

• Communication: REST, FlatBuffers, WebSocket Secure (WSS)

• Architecture: Microservices, event-based architecture

You don’t need to be an expert in every piece of the stack — but you should be strong in system design, cloud infra, distributed systems, and be able to quickly ramp up on unfamiliar tech.

You might be a fit if you...

• Have 6+ years of experience building and scaling backend systems in production

• Are fluent in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and data architecture

• Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code — and expect the same from others

• Have led teams or been the go-to technical lead for high-impact projects

• Love solving messy, ambiguous problems — and don’t wait to be told what to do

• Believe building > talking, and own every part of the system like it’s yours

• Are fast, decisive, and care deeply about product outcomes

This is not for you if...

• You want to just code — and don’t want to mentor or lead

• You avoid hard architectural decisions

• You’re looking for lots of process, rules, or hand-holding

• You optimize for personal output over team velocity

How we work at Pocket Worlds

We’re a team of smart, hungry builders who move fast, debate hard, and care deeply about impact. We operate with extreme ownership, bias for speed, and a relentless drive to ship. No politics, no passengers, no excuses.

If you want to work with exceptional people, solve meaningful technical problems, and build products that connect millions, let’s talk.