Staff Backend Software Engineer

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Staff Backend Software Engineer based in Canada. We are seeking an experienced backend engineer to help build and operate large-scale, distributed observability systems that enable organizations to monitor applications, troubleshoot incidents, and manage telemetry data reliably. In this role, you will contribute to the development of cloud-native database technologies, with a particular focus on log management and the systems that power modern observability platforms. You will take ownership of critical services throughout their lifecycle, from initial design and implementation to production operations and continuous improvement. Working with technologies such as Go, Kubernetes, and cloud infrastructure, you will help deliver scalable, performant, and maintainable software. You will also influence technical direction, contribute to open-source projects, and mentor teammates in a collaborative, globally distributed engineering environment. This fully remote opportunity is suited to a proactive engineer who values technical excellence, autonomy, pragmatic problem-solving, and meaningful contributions to widely used software.

Design, develop, operate, and maintain critical backend systems, ensuring high reliability, performance, scalability, and availability. Contribute to the evolution of distributed telemetry databases and cloud-native observability solutions, particularly those focused on log data. Drive projects from early discovery and technical design through implementation, release, production operation, and ongoing improvement. Collaborate with teammates to define requirements, explore solutions, deliver features, and iterate based on customer feedback and operational data. Influence technical roadmaps, participate in architecture and design discussions, and help shape engineering priorities. Write clean, robust, efficient, and maintainable code that meets high standards for quality and long-term sustainability. Participate in on-call rotations and take responsibility for the reliability and operational health of the services you support. Contribute to open-source projects and collaborate across engineering teams when work extends beyond your immediate area of responsibility. Mentor and support colleagues, share technical knowledge, and help foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning. Explore and apply AI-assisted development tools for prototyping, test generation, refactoring, documentation, and incident follow-up, while maintaining strong review and quality practices. Develop a deeper understanding of the platform, its customers, and the architecture of large-scale distributed systems. Requirements: Strong software engineering experience with at least one programming language. Go is used extensively, while experience with Python, C, C++, Rust, or similar languages is also relevant. Experience delivering software projects independently, from requirements gathering and idea development through implementation and delivery to customers. Experience developing cloud-based software, working with cloud infrastructure, or performing systems engineering. Ability to design and implement clean, robust, performant, and maintainable software. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to break complex challenges into manageable steps and deliver solutions iteratively. A proactive, self-directed approach, with sound judgment and a bias toward action. Strong communication and collaboration skills, particularly in a fully remote and distributed team environment. A customer-focused mindset and an interest in building intuitive, reliable solutions that address real user needs. Willingness to learn unfamiliar technologies, understand complex codebases, and contribute to shared engineering goals. Experience with low-level programming for databases, storage layers, or query engines is an advantage. Familiarity with Kubernetes, microservices architectures, distributed systems, or infrastructure as code is beneficial. Experience using observability tools such as Grafana or Prometheus, including in operational or on-call contexts, is a plus. Familiarity with site reliability engineering practices, production operations, or on-call responsibilities is advantageous. Benefits: Remote work: Fully remote position available to candidates based in Canada. Competitive compensation: Base salary range of CAD 186,500–223,500, depending on experience, skills, and assessed level. The source posting contains an inconsistent currency reference in the upper end of the range; the amount should be confirmed during recruitment. Equity and bonus: Equity participation and a bonus where applicable. Annual leave: 30 days of annual leave per year, with three days reserved for company-wide shutdown periods, subject to local legislation. Global collaboration: Work with colleagues across countries in a remote-first environment built around transparency, autonomy, and shared ownership. Professional development: Career growth pathways, opportunities to influence technical direction, and ongoing learning through exposure to complex systems and technologies. Developer productivity tools: Access to modern AI coding assistants, a company-funded usage budget, and leading AI models, subject to security guidelines. Open-source culture: Opportunities to contribute to community-driven projects and widely used observability technologies. Collaborative leadership: An environment emphasizing open communication, approachable leadership, trust, and outcome-focused teamwork. Onboarding experience: In-person onboarding designed to help new team members connect with colleagues and understand the organization and its ways of working.