Senior Software Engineer

About the role

This role delivers scalable backend systems for wholesale distribution customers, owns complex projects end to end, and guides product features that solve real operational problems. The work directly supports large distributors of electrical supplies, plumbing products, roofing materials, and HVAC equipment as they process orders and manage purchasing. You will translate ambiguous operational needs into robust technical solutions while maintaining a high standard of code quality and system performance. A significant part of the role involves mentoring less experienced engineers through thoughtful reviews and clear architectural guidance. Success is measured by your ability to unblock critical workflows and ensure the platform can handle growth without sacrificing reliability. You will spend time in planning and debugging sessions, balancing new feature development with the maintenance of existing systems. The most effective engineers here communicate technical tradeoffs in plain language and align their work tightly with business outcomes.

Key facts

What you'll do

Own complex backend systems end to end, covering planning, implementation, and deployment for performance, scalability, and reliability in a wholesale distribution context.

Collaborate directly with product and customer teams to translate operational problems into technical requirements that unblock critical workflows and support industrial supply markets.

Shape large projects by balancing hands-on coding with technical direction, ensuring alignment across the broader engineering group and maintaining high delivery standards.

Write and review code that forms the foundation of the platform, ensuring it can scale alongside a growing customer base while remaining maintainable and robust.

Guide other engineers through thoughtful code reviews and architectural feedback, removing blockers and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Analyze and fix performance bottlenecks in existing systems, ensuring that orders and purchasing processes for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC distributors remain fast and reliable.

Evaluate and adopt new tools and practices that improve the quality and velocity of delivery within small, agile teams that follow agile practices such as sprints and daily standups.

Document decisions and processes clearly so that engineers can understand and build upon your work without needing extensive context.

Participate in the full lifecycle of software delivery, including writing tests, debugging issues, and monitoring production systems to ensure high reliability.

Contribute to the long-term vision of Canals by helping the platform scale and by mentoring junior engineers who are part of the growing engineering organization.

Requirements

Senior-level backend engineering experience is required for building and maintaining scalable, high-performance systems that serve wholesale distribution workflows.

Independence in a fast-paced, product-focused environment is necessary for moving quickly while preserving high quality and meeting demanding operational needs.

Ownership of deliverables is required, with a focus on ensuring projects meet a high standard of completion and are supported in production.

The ability to explain technical decisions in plain words is required to bridge the gap between engineering and non-technical stakeholders.

Prior experience in high-growth startups or small teams is preferred, as these environments demand rapid iteration and clear communication.

Strong written and verbal communication skills are required to collaborate effectively with distributed teams across North and South America.

A commitment to writing tests and improving code quality is required to maintain reliability as the platform scales alongside a growing customer base.

Willingness to mentor other engineers through code reviews and architectural guidance is required to support team growth and unblock critical work.

Nice to have

Prior experience building systems for supply chain, distribution, or industrial marketplaces.

Familiarity with agile practices such as sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives.

Experience working with electrical supplies, plumbing, roofing, or HVAC industry data models.

Practical notes

Mexico City is listed as the location for this position.

Equal opportunity employment is practiced in compliance with applicable laws.

Typical interview steps

Hiring for engineering roles usually starts with a recruiter screen, followed by one or two technical rounds. Candidates often solve a coding problem, discuss past projects, and answer system design questions. Some loops include a take-home task. Final rounds typically cover team fit and give candidates a chance to ask questions. Interviewers look for how you break down an unfamiliar problem, not just whether you reach the answer. Practicing a few problems aloud and reviewing your own past projects are the best preparation.

Good to know

The role involves backend work in a wholesale distribution software context.

The team operates remotely across multiple regions in North and South America.

Product decisions directly affect real-world operations for industrial supply markets.

Engineering guidance and code reviews are part of the day-to-day responsibilities.

Continuous improvement and ownership are central to how the team works.

Questions to ask

Good questions to ask the employer in the interview: what does success look like in the first six months, how is the team structured, what is the current biggest challenge, and how are decisions made. Asking about growth paths and the review process is also well received. Employers expect questions, and good ones show preparation.

Career growth

Engineering careers usually progress from individual contributor to senior, staff, and principal levels. Some engineers move into management and lead teams of five to twenty people. Others stay on the technical track. Growth follows demonstrated impact, not tenure alone. A typical engineering ladder has clear levels with defined expectations for scope, quality, and mentorship. Moving up usually requires owning outcomes end to end rather than completing assigned tickets.