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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Server Side Engineer

💰 $110,000 - $185,000

Software EngineeringTechnologyBackend Development

🎯 Role Definition

At its core, the Server Side Engineer is the architect and builder of the digital infrastructure that powers modern applications. This role is responsible for everything the user doesn't see but fundamentally relies on: the application's logic, the database interactions, the user authentication, and the server configuration. They are the engineers who build the robust, scalable, and secure "engine" that allows the front-end "vehicle" to run smoothly and efficiently. This position is pivotal in translating business requirements into functional, high-performance code and ensuring the entire system is reliable, scalable, and ready for future growth.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Software Engineer / Associate Engineer
  • Full-Stack Developer (seeking specialization)
  • Computer Science / Engineering Graduate

Advancement To:

  • Senior or Principal Server Side Engineer
  • Software Architect / Solutions Architect
  • Engineering Manager / Technical Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • DevOps Engineer / Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)
  • Data Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Architect, design, and develop robust, scalable, and high-performance server-side applications, APIs, and backend services.
  • Write clean, efficient, well-documented, and maintainable code in languages such as Go, Python, Java, or Node.js.
  • Take complete ownership of the design and implementation of RESTful APIs and/or GraphQL schemas that are consumed by front-end and mobile applications.
  • Design, implement, and manage complex database schemas and data storage solutions, including relational (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB, DynamoDB) databases.
  • Integrate user-facing elements developed by front-end developers with server-side logic, ensuring seamless data flow and functionality.
  • Implement and maintain robust data protection measures, encryption, and security best practices to safeguard sensitive user and system information.
  • Develop and maintain microservices-based architectures, ensuring services are resilient, independently deployable, and communicate effectively.
  • Proactively identify and resolve performance bottlenecks by optimizing applications for maximum speed, scalability, and low latency.
  • Build and maintain continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate the testing, building, and deployment of backend services.
  • Troubleshoot, debug, and upgrade existing systems, providing timely and effective solutions to complex technical problems and production issues.
  • Own the end-to-end delivery of features, from initial concept and technical design through to production deployment, monitoring, and iteration.
  • Design and implement robust caching strategies using technologies like Redis or Memcached to improve application responsiveness and reduce database load.

Secondary Functions

  • Conduct thorough peer code reviews to maintain high standards of code quality, promote knowledge sharing, and foster a collaborative engineering culture.
  • Create and maintain comprehensive technical documentation for system architecture, API specifications, and internal processes to support team alignment and onboarding.
  • Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into detailed technical specifications.
  • Participate actively in the full Agile software development lifecycle, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and backlog grooming.
  • Implement, configure, and monitor comprehensive logging, monitoring, and alerting systems (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog) to ensure system health and enable proactive issue resolution.
  • Mentor junior engineers, providing technical guidance, support on complex challenges, and fostering their professional growth within the team.
  • Stay current with emerging technologies, new architectural patterns, and industry best practices in server-side development to drive innovation and continuous improvement.
  • Contribute to the evolution of the team's technical roadmap and long-term architectural vision.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Core Programming: Deep proficiency in at least one major server-side language like Go, Python (with Django/Flask), Java (with Spring), Node.js, or C#.
  • Database Management: Strong experience with both SQL (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB, Redis, Cassandra) databases, including schema design and query optimization.
  • API Design: A comprehensive understanding of designing, building, and maintaining RESTful APIs or GraphQL services.
  • Cloud Platforms: Hands-on experience with a major cloud provider (AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Azure), including services for compute, storage, and networking.
  • Containerization & Orchestration: Practical knowledge of containerizing applications with Docker and managing them with an orchestrator like Kubernetes.
  • Microservices Architecture: Solid understanding of the principles, patterns, and trade-offs of designing and operating a distributed microservices ecosystem.
  • CI/CD & DevOps: Familiarity with building and managing CI/CD pipelines using tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or CircleCI.
  • System Design: The ability to design scalable, fault-tolerant, and maintainable backend systems.
  • Testing Frameworks: Experience writing unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to ensure code quality and system reliability.
  • Message Queues & Event Streaming: Knowledge of systems like RabbitMQ, SQS, or Kafka for building asynchronous and event-driven applications.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical Problem-Solving: A natural ability to break down complex problems into manageable components and devise effective, logical solutions.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: The capacity to work effectively within a cross-functional team, communicating ideas clearly and respectfully.
  • Ownership & Accountability: A strong sense of responsibility for the quality and timely delivery of your work, from conception to production.
  • Effective Communication: The ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Adaptability & Continuous Learning: An eagerness to learn new technologies and adapt to changing requirements and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Attention to Detail: A meticulous approach to coding, testing, and documentation to ensure high-quality, bug-free releases.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

A Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent, demonstrated practical experience in a professional software engineering environment. We value hands-on experience and a strong portfolio of work.

Preferred Education:

A Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field of study.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Technology or a related STEM field

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

We typically see successful candidates possessing 3-8 years of professional experience in backend or server-side software development.

Preferred:

Experience working on high-traffic, distributed systems in a cloud-native environment is highly desirable. A proven track record of shipping and maintaining complex backend services in production is a significant plus.

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