Backend Engineer

Summary

Sunrise Systems, Inc. is a staffing and technology services company offering this role to support a major retailer’s analytics infrastructure. The Backend Engineer will build and maintain scalable, event-driven backend services and data pipelines using TypeScript/Node.js, Kafka, Redis, Kubernetes, and microservices, while collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure performance, reliability, and high-quality deployments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain high-throughput backend services and data pipelines processing hundreds of millions of events daily using Kafka, Redis, and Kubernetes
• Write clean, efficient, and well-tested code in TypeScript/Node.js to solve complex data routing and transformation challenges
• Collaborate daily with product managers, frontend SDK engineers, and QA to iterate on features - we ship as a unified team
• Implement and evolve microservices that transform and validate clickstream data to ensure downstream accuracy
• Participate actively in code reviews and technical discussions, providing and receiving constructive feedback to maintain high quality standards
• Contribute to modernization efforts, such as service rewrites and infrastructure migrations (e.g., RKE2/Kubernetes)
• Take ownership of service performance and reliability, proactively identifying and fixing bugs or bottlenecks
• Support the team's CI/CD pipelines to ensure fast, safe, and repeatable deployments
• Share knowledge and technical insights with the team - fostering an environment where everyone learns from each other

Skills

• Strong professional experience in backend or services engineering
• Proficiency in TypeScript/Node.js
• Solid experience with event-driven architectures and messaging systems (e.g., Kafka)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills - you enjoy digging into the details of how data flows
• Experience with RESTful APIs and microservice design patterns
• Detail-oriented, with the ability to work effectively within a team and independently
• Self-starter with strong initiative - comfortable working through technical challenges and meeting deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - you can explain technical concepts clearly to your peers
• Business-minded approach to time, costs, and deadlines
• 3+ years of experience building and operating scalable backend services or data pipelines
• Experience with high-volume event processing and real-time data streaming
• Familiarity with caching solutions (e.g., Redis) and managing data at scale
• Experience with CI/CD tooling (e.g., Harness, GitHub Actions)
• Exposure to cloud and hybrid infrastructure (Azure, on-prem, etc.)
• A passion for pair programming and collaborative problem-solving
• Experience with JSON Schema validation or similar data-contract technologies

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Strong professional experience in backend or services engineering
• Proficiency in TypeScript/Node.js
• Solid experience with event-driven architectures and messaging systems (e.g., Kafka)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills - you enjoy digging into the details of how data flows
• Experience with RESTful APIs and microservice design patterns
• Detail-oriented, with the ability to work effectively within a team and independently
• Self-starter with strong initiative - comfortable working through technical challenges and meeting deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - you can explain technical concepts clearly to your peers
• Business-minded approach to time, costs, and deadlines

Nice to Haves

• 3+ years of experience building and operating scalable backend services or data pipelines
• Experience with high-volume event processing and real-time data streaming
• Familiarity with caching solutions (e.g., Redis) and managing data at scale
• Experience with CI/CD tooling (e.g., Harness, GitHub Actions)
• Exposure to cloud and hybrid infrastructure (Azure, on-prem, etc.)
• A passion for pair programming and collaborative problem-solving
• Experience with JSON Schema validation or similar data-contract technologies

Benefits

• ACA compliant medical coverage to all employees
• Dental insurance to all employees
• Vision insurance to all employees
• Sick time benefits as required per State regulations