Backend Software Engineer

Backend Software Engineer (Node.js / PostgreSQL)

Location: Onsite | Southeast Austin

Compensation

$120,000 – $150,000 annually, DOE

Employment Type: Direct Hire / Full-time

Position Summary

We are sourcing on behalf of our client, a clean energy and fleet technology company that combines vehicle power hardware with IoT connectivity, cloud monitoring, and fleet analytics. Located in the Austin area, they are seeking a mid-level Backend Software Engineer to help stabilize, modernize, and scale their backend architecture.

This position offers the opportunity to bring structure, scalability, and best practices to a data system that has grown organically across multiple major enterprise client deployments. Working closely with the Chief Operations Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and the firmware engineering team, you will own the backend pipelines and database architecture that power their real-world asset monitoring platform.

Responsibilities

• Own & Optimize: Improve backend services built on Node.js/Express with a PostgreSQL database.
• Database Architecture: Design and enforce database best practices, including schema design, indexing, migrations, and per-client data organization.
• Data Engineering: Parse, clean, validate, and structure raw, incoming device strings from field-deployed hardware into reliable database records.
• API Development: Build and maintain REST APIs that feed the front-end dashboard and support client-specific integrations.
• Git Discipline: Establish clean branching and release practices to bring Git/GitHub organization and workflow discipline to the codebase.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with firmware and hardware engineers to understand device logic and system schematics so data pipelines perfectly match hardware production.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Manage and maintain AWS infrastructure, specifically RDS, Lambda, and related cloud services.
• Scale for Growth: Support scalability planning as the company expands enterprise SaaS contracts and onboards new clients.

What You Bring to the Table (Requirements)

• The DB & Git Master: Strong working knowledge of relational database design (PostgreSQL/SQL preferred) and a track record of keeping Git repository branching strategies clean and maintainable at scale.
• Hardware-Aware Data Engineering: You don't need to write firmware (though it's a bonus!), but you must be comfortable reading firmware logic or system schematics to trace how data is generated and parse it accordingly.
• AWS Proficiency: Hands-on experience and proficiency managing cloud infrastructure like AWS RDS, Lambda, and related services.
• Collaborative Communicator: Strong communication and documentation habits, with the ability to explain technical tradeoffs clearly to both engineering and non-engineering leadership.

Preferred Experience

• Direct experience with the Node.js and Express framework specifically.
• Experience handling IoT (Internet of Things), cellular, BLE, or sensor telemetry data.
• Prior experience in a startup or small-team environment where you have owned a system end-to-end.
• A background heavily focused on relational database optimization and data pipeline structuring.

Please apply to be considered for this role or visit our website www.openwork.com to search for other opportunities that are currently available. Please contact the lead recruiter, Jessika Briggs, at JESSIKA.BRIGGS@OPENWORK.COM

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