BACKEND ENGINEER (MID–SENIOR)

Description

Job Overview

• Role: BACKEND ENGINEER (MID–SENIOR)
• Company: Urban Legend
• Location: Remote
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Category / Department: Back-End Programming
• Salary: Competitive / Not Disclosed — confirm during interview
• Listing Source: WeWorkRemotely

Job Description

Headquarters: Washington, DC
URL: https://urbanlegend.co/

LOCATION REQUIREMENTS (NO EXCEPTIONS)

Remote: Must reside in Texas, USA

We are unable to consider candidates outside of Texas for this remote role.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

This is a full-time Backend Engineer role reporting directly to the CTO, open to either a late mid-level engineer ready to level up or a solidly senior engineer looking for ownership and impact. Title and comp will be calibrated to experience. You'll have direct access to senior technical leadership and a real voice in shaping our architecture and roadmap with no layers in between.

You will design, develop, and maintain the scalable backend services that power Urban Legend's campaigns, creator tools, and conversion tracking. You'll work across a polyglot stack, primarily Python/Django and Ruby/Rails, and contribute to an active migration of our infrastructure from Heroku to Render. You'll partner closely with product, design, and front-end engineers to ship customer-facing features end-to-end.

We move fast, ship often, and use modern AI tooling (Cursor in particular) as a core part of our day-to-day workflow. Above all, we are looking for someone with a strong bias toward action. You'd rather ship something today, learn from it, and iterate than spend a week debating the perfect approach.

WHAT YOU'LL WORK ON

Our backend ecosystem includes:

• A Django/DRF monolith (Postgres, Redis, RQ workers, Docker)

• Two Ruby on Rails services (Rails 7/8, Postgres, Puma)

• A Flask service for high-throughput conversion tracking

• A Node.js/TypeScript service (Express, Drizzle, Playwright/Puppeteer)

• Shared infrastructure across Docker, Postgres, Redis, and AWS — currently in the middle of a Heroku → Render migration

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A strong bias toward action. You ship, you measure, you iterate. You don't get stuck in analysis paralysis, and you're comfortable making good-enough decisions with incomplete information.

• Strong, production-level expertise in either Python/Django or Ruby on Rails. You don't need both on day one, but you should be excellent in one and excited to ramp quickly on the other.

• Demonstrated ability to learn unfamiliar frameworks and languages quickly. We'll occasionally need you in Flask, Node/TypeScript, or wherever the work lives.

• Solid fundamentals in OOP, relational databases (Postgres), REST API design, background job processing, and caching (Redis).

• Comfortable working in Docker-based local and production environments.

• Experience building scalable, high-performance, secure backend systems.

• Strong collaboration skills in a remote/hybrid environment, with exceptional problem-solving ability and attention to detail.

• Active, hands-on experience with AI coding tools, particularly Cursor, and a point of view on how to use them effectively.

• Bachelor's degree in CS, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.

STRONGLY PREFERRED

• Infrastructure / platform experience — you're a product engineer first, but you've spent time on a platform team or otherwise have meaningful DevOps chops. We are looking for someone who can add real value to our Heroku → Render migration, not a pure DevOps hire who can't ship product work.

• Hands-on experience with Render, Heroku, or similar PaaS platforms.

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration, observability (Sentry, logging, metrics), and zero-downtime deploys.

• Familiarity with AWS (S3, Lambda, etc.).

• Front-end literacy sufficient to integrate cleanly with our React/TypeScript clients.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with creator / marketing / ad-tech platforms.

• Experience with payments (PayPal, Stripe, Brex, etc.).

• Experience with web scraping, headless browsers (Playwright/Puppeteer).

BENEFITS:

• Industry competitive compensation with significant opportunities for growth
• Health benefits package
• Unlimited PTO

To apply: https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/urban-legend-backend-engineer-mid-senior

Salary & Compensation

The salary for this role is not publicly disclosed. Based on industry benchmarks, roles of this type in India or remote-first companies typically offer compensation in line with market rates for the experience level required. We recommend researching platforms like Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, or AmbitionBox to gauge expected ranges before your offer discussion.

In addition to base salary, many employers in this sector offer a comprehensive benefits package that may include:

• Annual or performance-based bonuses
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Provident Fund (PF) and Gratuity contributions (India)
• Paid Time Off (PTO), sick leave, and public holidays
• Professional development budget and learning allowances
• Stock options or Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) at select companies
• Flexible or remote working allowances
• Parental leave and family health coverage

Note: The specific benefits offered by this employer should be confirmed during the offer stage. Not all benefits listed above may apply to every organisation or role type.

Work Arrangement

Type: Fully Remote

This role is designed for a fully remote work arrangement. You will have the flexibility to work from any location, provided you have a stable internet connection and can align with the team's core collaboration hours. The company supports remote employees with the necessary tools, virtual team-building activities, and regular check-ins to ensure productivity and a strong sense of belonging. Equipment and home-office stipends may be provided — check the job listing or confirm during the offer stage.

Typical Interview Process

While each organisation structures its hiring differently, candidates for this type of role typically go through the following stages:

1. Resume and application screening
2. Introductory phone or video call with HR
3. Role-specific skill or competency interview
4. Final interview with the hiring manager or panel
5. Reference checks and offer discussion

Tip: Research the company's products, culture, and recent news thoroughly before each interview round.

About the Employer

Urban Legend is the organisation posting this opportunity. While full company details are available on the original job listing, here is what you should research before applying:

• Company size and culture: Review the company's LinkedIn profile, Glassdoor reviews, and their official website to understand team size, work culture, and employee satisfaction.
• Products and services: Familiarise yourself with what the company builds, sells, or delivers. Being knowledgeable about their offerings will set you apart during interviews.
• Recent news: Search for any recent fundraising, acquisitions, product launches, or leadership changes — these often come up in interviews and signal company health.
• Location and offices: The role is based in or around Remote. Confirm office address, remote policy details, and travel requirements during the process.
• Where this listing was found: This job was sourced from WeWorkRemotely.

How to Apply & Preparation Tips

To apply for the BACKEND ENGINEER (MID–SENIOR) position, follow these steps:

1. Tailor your resume: Customise your CV to match the specific requirements listed in the job description. Use keywords from the posting to pass Applicant Tracking System (ATS) filters.
2. Write a compelling cover letter: Even if not mandatory, a concise cover letter demonstrating your enthusiasm and fit for the role significantly improves your chances.
3. Apply via the original listing: Use the apply link on the original job post to submit your application. Avoid applying through third-party channels that may delay or lose your submission.
4. Prepare for phone screening: Be ready for an initial call within 3–7 business days of applying. Have your resume and a quiet space ready.
5. Follow up professionally: If you haven't heard back in 7–10 business days, a brief, polite follow-up email to the recruiter is acceptable and often appreciated.

Disclaimer: This listing is aggregated from a public job board for informational purposes. JobSetuu does not guarantee the accuracy or current availability of this position. Always verify the details on the employer's official careers page before applying.