• 5+ years of software engineering experience, with deep expertise in backend / distributed systems
• Proven track record of leading a team to execute and ship features
• Strong proficiency in Go, Python, Ruby, or similar backend languages/frameworks
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and scaling distributed systems that handle real-world traffic at scale
• Proficient with AI-assisted development tools and a believer in using them to multiply team output
• A T-shaped engineer / generalist mindset with deep expertise in at least one domain
• A proactive ownership mentality
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity, handling conflict constructively, and building consensus
• Experience with high-traffic consumer applications
• Familiarity with technologies, tradeoffs, and design patterns in modern web services and cloud-native architectures
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience