Software Engineer - Backend
Job description
Cardless at Cardless.
About the role
Software engineers turn product ideas into working code. Engineers work in small teams, review each other's work, and ship in small batches. Most teams follow agile practices such as sprints and daily standups. Engineers also write tests, fix bugs, and improve performance. The field values clear communication as much as technical skill. Engineers spend part of every week on planning, code review, and debugging, not just writing new code. The ability to explain a technical decision in plain words separates strong engineers from the rest.
Key facts
What you'll do
Core financial product needs guide the design and scaling of backend systems and services.
Project ownership moves requirements, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance reliably into production.
Reliability, observability, performance, and developer experience improve across critical systems through identified enhancements.
Peers in engineering receive technical guidance and thought partnership that strengthens broader engineering efforts.
Requirements
The posting states a bachelor's degree requirement. Backend systems and services operate at scale with at least five years of industry experience.
Solid understanding of distributed systems, APIs, databases, and infrastructure fundamentals is demonstrated.
Modern backend language proficiency such as Java or Python and its ecosystem is required.
Complex technical projects are delivered end-to-end while collaborating effectively with cross-functional partners.
Low-level expertise in one or more backend domains such as databases, scaling systems, or distributed systems is developed.
Robust, maintainable systems create real-world customer impact.
Nice to have
Building and maintaining external, public-facing APIs is valued.
Financial systems, reconciliation workflows, or data integrity challenges are familiar territory.
ML pipelines or feature stores exposure is seen as advantageous.
Practical notes
The role is based in San Francisco and requires five days per week in the office.
The position is open to experienced engineers only.
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
Backend engineers use languages like Java and Python to build services that handle financial workflows.
Distributed systems concepts, API design, and database fundamentals are central to the work.
Reliability engineering, observability, and performance tuning help systems scale.
Engineers own projects from design through deployment and maintenance.
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.
About the company
Cardless is looking for an experienced backend engineer to join our exceptional team! You'll play a key role in designing, building, and scaling the systems that power our co-branded credit card platform spanning domains like applications, accounts, transactions, fraud, risk, and rewards.