Backend Engineer, Integrations & APIs

About the role

This role focuses on building core infrastructure for a new distributed systems prototype at the Stellar Development Foundation. You will be responsible for designing and implementing the public API layer using JSON-RPC, which will enable external tools, SDKs, and wallets to interact with the network. This includes handling transaction submission, status queries, and managing account states.

A key part of the work involves owning the entire transaction lifecycle, from client interaction through consensus and back, ensuring robust status tracking, error reporting, and timeout handling. You will also develop the data backend for historical queries, block explorers, and partner integrations, requiring a deep understanding of database architecture and indexing.

Success in this position means actively contributing to a greenfield project that aims for production readiness, not just prototyping. You will work within a small, highly technical team alongside the protocol architect and core systems engineers, building out analytics pipelines and implementing comprehensive metrics and event logging for observability.

The base salary for this position ranges from $140,000 to $210,000, with the final amount depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

Skills that matter here

• Rust: This role requires strong systems or backend programming experience in Rust, as it is used in the codebase for building core components.
• C++: Candidates should have strong systems or backend programming experience in C++, as it is also part of the existing codebase.
• JSON-RPC: You will design and build JSON-RPC endpoints to facilitate communication between external tools and the core network.
• BigQuery: This role involves building analytics pipelines, including population of data into BigQuery for analysis.
• Prometheus: You will implement robust metrics and event logging using Prometheus to ensure system observability.
• Clickhouse: This role requires implementing robust metrics and event logging using Clickhouse for data storage and analysis.

Who this role suits

• A builder who takes full ownership of production infrastructure, beyond just creating prototypes.
• Someone who thrives in a fast-moving, highly technical environment with direct collaboration and no management layers.
• An individual comfortable reading and understanding code in components they don't directly own to grasp system behavior.
• A person eager to work on a zero-to-one build, creating infrastructure and tooling from scratch.

From the employer

• Public API Layer: Design and build the JSON-RPC endpoints that external tools, SDKs, and wallets use to communicate with the core network (transaction submission, status queries, account state).
• Transaction Lifecycle: Own the full path from client to consensus and back. Status tracking, error reporting, and timeout handling.
• Indexer & Query Backend: Build the data backend that powers the block explorer, partner integrations, and historical state queries.
• Data & Observability: Build out analytics pipelines (e.g., BigQuery population) and implement robust metrics and event logging using tools like Prometheus, Clickhouse, and Sentry.
• Cross-Functional Impact: Work across service boundaries, getting comfortable reading code in components you don't own to understand how they behave.

• Strong systems or backend programming experience in Rust, C++ or both (our codebase uses both).
• Proven track record of designing and building robust RPC/API services that handle real-world, high-scale traffic.
• Deep understanding of database architecture, indexing, and query patterns.
• You are a builder who takes ownership of production infrastructure, not just prototypes.

• Competitive pay with a base salary range for this position of $140,000 - $210,000 depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
• Competitive health, dental & vision coverage with most plans covered at 100% for the employee + any dependents.
• Flexible time off + 15 company holidays including a company-wide holiday break.
• Generous paid parental leave for all parents, plus paid pregnancy disability leave for birthing parents.
• Gym reimbursement ($80 per month).
• Life & ADD (up to $50K).
• Short & Long term disability.
• 401K with 4% match.
• Health & Dependent Care FSA Accounts.
• Commuter benefits with $250/month employer contribution.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with monthly employer contribution.
• Family building benefits through Kindbody.
• Wellbeing benefits (One Medical, Rightway, Headspace).
• L&D budget of $1,500/year.
• Daily lunch and snacks in office.
• Company retreats.