Senior Backend Developer

About the role

This role focuses on designing and building core backend systems for blockchain infrastructure and staking products. You will be responsible for the full lifecycle of these systems, from architecture and implementation to testing, deployment, and observability. Key tasks include developing APIs, services, Ethereum data pipelines, and integrating with staking and validator infrastructure, ensuring robust and reliable solutions for digital asset platforms.

The position requires a deep engagement with the Ethereum stack, integrating both execution and consensus layer clients. You will contribute to projects like Liquid Collective and other blockchain infrastructure initiatives, operating within a spec-first development environment. This involves translating product and protocol requirements into clear technical specifications before development begins, ensuring a structured approach to building complex systems.

Beyond development, you will define and uphold engineering standards, focusing on API design, testing strategies for distributed systems, reliability, fault tolerance, and security. Collaboration with protocol, product, and infrastructure teams is essential. You will also mentor other engineers and contribute to improving team practices, with an emphasis on thoughtfully adopting AI tools to enhance productivity and decision-making.

The salary for this position ranges from $82,000 to $138,000 annually.

Skills that matter here

• Golang: This role requires strong experience in building backend systems using Golang.
• AWS: Experience with cloud-native infrastructure on AWS is necessary for deploying and managing systems.
• Kubernetes: Familiarity with Kubernetes is required for orchestrating containerized applications.
• Ethereum: Deep understanding and experience with blockchain systems, specifically Ethereum, are crucial for integrating with its execution and consensus layers.
• API design: You will be responsible for designing and building APIs, and setting standards for API design within the team.
• Distributed systems: A deep understanding of distributed systems is fundamental to designing reliable and fault-tolerant backend solutions.

Who this role suits

• Someone with at least seven years of professional software engineering experience, particularly in backend development.
• An individual who takes end-to-end ownership of their work, from architecture to deployment, and is accountable for its quality.
• A person who thrives in a remote, asynchronous team environment and can work effectively across different functional teams.
• A developer who is proactive in defining and upholding engineering standards, and is open to leveraging AI for development workflows.

From the employer

What You’ll Do:

• Build and own backend systems
• Design and build APIs, services, Ethereum data pipelines and indexers, staking and validator infrastructure integrations, and monitoring and operational tooling.
• Own system design end-to-end: architecture, implementation, testing, deployment, and observability.
• Work across the Ethereum stack, integrating with both execution layer and consensus layer clients.
• Contribute to Liquid Collective alongside other staking and blockchain infrastructure projects across Galaxy.
• Define and uphold engineering standards
• Set and maintain the bar on API design, testing strategies for distributed systems, reliability and fault tolerance, and security and key management practices.
• Operate in a spec-first development environment — translate product and protocol requirements into clear technical specs before building.
• Leverage AI-assisted development workflows (e.g. Claude Code) and work with emerging paradigms like MCP (Model Context Protocol) and agent-based tooling.
• Collaborate and contribute to engineering culture
• Work cross-functionally with protocol, product, and infrastructure teams.
• Mentor engineers through code review, design feedback, and raising the overall quality of what the team ships.
• Contribute to how the team evolves its practices — not just executing within the current system, but improving it.
• Embrace and champion the thoughtful adoption of AI to improve team performance and business outcomes.
• Leverage AI tools (e.g., generative AI, automation platforms, data copilots) to improve productivity, decision-making, and output quality in your day-to-day work.

What We’re Looking For:

• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong experience building backend systems in Golang.
• Deep understanding of distributed systems.
• Experience working with blockchain systems, preferably Ethereum — including familiarity with execution vs consensus layers, node operation, and data flow.
• Experience with cloud-native infrastructure: AWS, Kubernetes, Helm, GitOps (e.g. Flux).
• Strong testing practices for complex and stateful systems.
• Experience working in remote, asynchronous teams.
• High agency, low ego — you own your work end-to-end and hold yourself accountable for quality.

Bonus Points:

• Hands-on experience with Ethereum nodes (execution and/or consensus clients) or validator and staking infrastructure.
• Understanding of proof-of-stake mechanisms.
• Experience building blockchain indexers, data pipelines, dApps, or smart contracts (Solidity).
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development workflows: spec-driven development, code generation tools, MCP, or agent-based paradigms.
• Contributions to open-source projects.
• Experience with Rust.

What We Offer:

• Competitive base salary and discretionary bonus
• Hybrid/Flexible Working Arrangements
• Flexible Time Off (paid)
• 3% 401(k) company contribution
• Company-paid health and protective benefits for employees, partners, and other dependents
• Generous paid Parental Leave
• Competitive family planning benefits for US employees
• Opportunities to learn about the Crypto industry
• Smart, entrepreneurial, and fun colleagues
• Free daily snacks and weekly breakfasts/lunches
• Employee Resource Groups
• Free coaching and counseling sessions through Headspace.