Senior Backend Engineer, Data SystemsWe are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer, Data Systems to help design and build the core data foundations of our platform.This role is for an engineer who is deeply comfortable translating complex real-world concepts into clean relational data models, durable SQL schemas, clear data contracts, and maintainable backend services. You will work at the intersection of backend engineering, data architecture, and domain modeling.A major focus of this position will be building systems where business rules and operational logic can be expressed through data structures and database-backed rules, rather than being hardcoded exclusively in application logic. You will help shape how we represent entities, relationships, constraints, validation rules, ingested data, and derived logic across the product.This is not a traditional analytics or BI data engineering role.
It is a product/backend engineering role with a strong data systems focus.What You'll DoDesign and evolve relational data models that represent complex domain concepts, entities, relationships, and workflows.Build and maintain SQL schemas, constraints, indexes, migrations, and query patterns that support scalable backend systems.Define and enforce data contracts between services, APIs, ingestion pipelines, and downstream consumers.Develop ingestion and normalization workflows for structured, semi-structured, and external source data.Move business logic from ad hoc application code into well-modeled, extensible data structures, including:configurable ruleseligibility or feasibility checksmappings and lookup tablesdomain-specific constraintsdecision logic represented in dataPartner with product, domain experts, and engineers to convert ambiguous or evolving requirements into clear data abstractions.Build backend services and APIs that expose, validate, and operate on these data models.Improve the consistency, traceability, and maintainability of data across the system.Help establish patterns for:versioned data modelsschema governancedata validationaudit-abilitybackward-compatible contractsParticipate in architecture discussions and code reviews, especially where data modeling decisions have long-term consequences.Required QualificationsStrong professional experience as a backend software engineer working on production systems.Deep experience with relational databases, especially PostgreSQL or similar systems.Strong ability to design:normalized schemasassociative/relationship tablesconstraints and validation logicenum / lookup modelslifecycle-aware data structuresStrong SQL skills, including:complex joinsaggregationCTEsviews or materialized views where appropriatequery performance awarenessExperience defining or working with data contracts between services, APIs, and persistence layers.Experience building or maintaining data ingestion, transformation, or normalization workflows.Ability to reason carefully about business rules, edge cases, and how domain logic should be represented in software.Strong programming ability in Python.Experience working with ORMs and migration frameworks such as:SQLAlchemyAlembicor comparable toolsStrong communication skills and comfort collaborating with engineers, product stakeholders, and domain experts.Preferred Qualifications7+ years of experience designing rule-driven systems, policy engines, feasibility checks, or configuration-driven business logic.Experience deciding when logic belongs in:application codeSQL/database structuresrules tablesservices or domain layersExperience modeling complex operational domains such as:simulationslogisticsplanning systemsgeospatial systemsdefense, aerospace, or other highly structured data environmentsExperience with:PostGIS or geospatial dataevent-driven systemsversioned datasets or snapshotsdata lineage / provenanceimported external datasets with inconsistent or incomplete source qualityFamiliarity with API schema design and typed contracts, such as:PydanticJSON Schemaprotobuf or similar toolsOpenAPI