Senior Backend Engineer

About The Company AIQ is an Abu Dhabi-based technology company that develops and deploys industrial artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at scale, focused on the energy sector. As a venture between Presight (G42) and ADNOC, AIQ has productized 15 AI-enabled solutions that support clients to perform better, protect teams and equipment, keep operations sustainable, and rapidly scale successes. The organization embraces an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, looking to push boundaries and solve transformational challenges across industry. It welcomes professionals that share the desire to make meaningful and impactful contributions to the mission to deliver responsible AI to the heart of industrial processes. Always on the forefront of technology, AIQ provides its talent with an environment to thrive and excel. Working at AIQ includes participating in some of the most significant industrial transformation projects, interacting with massive data pools, utilizing sophisticated AI infrastructure that is powered by a NVIDIA GPU cloud computing platform, and access to abundant computing, storage, and network resources made available from across the G42 ecosystem. Overview Senior Backend Engineer - API Development Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE Join AIQ, a pioneering joint venture between Presight (part of Group 42) and ADNOC, dedicated to creating innovative artificial intelligence technologies tailored for the oil and gas sector. At AIQ, you will become part of a visionary team at the forefront of technology, leveraging massive datasets, advanced AI infrastructure, and state-of-the-art NVIDIA GPU cloud platforms. We are committed to fostering a challenging yet supportive environment where you can excel and contribute to transformative AI solutions that optimize costs and maximize revenues for our clients. Responsibilities Primary Responsibilities API Architecture & Development: Lead the design, development, and enhancement of scalable and secure RESTful APIs to support AIQ's sophisticated AI applications. Utilize your expertise in Node.js or Python alongside frameworks like Express.js or FastAPI to implement best-in-class backend services.Database Design & Optimisation: Architect, implement, and refine database schemas and queries across relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB) platforms to ensure data integrity and high performance.Cloud Technology & Infrastructure Management: Deploy, monitor, and maintain applications on major cloud platforms such as Azure and AWS, employing containerization technologies including Docker and orchestration with Kubernetes, alongside developing robust CI/CD pipelines to automate deployment processes.Performance Enhancement & Security: Proactively optimise system scalability and reliability, while implementing stringent security measures encompassing authentication, authorization, and data protection protocols.AI-Assisted Development Practices: Integrate AI-powered coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude Code) responsibly into your workflow to accelerate development while maintaining full accountability for code quality and integrity.Team Collaboration & Technical Leadership: Collaborate closely with cross-disciplinary teams including product managers, frontend developers, and quality assurance specialists to deliver cohesive and impactful software solutions. Mentor junior engineers and actively contribute to architectural discussions and strategic technical decisions.Emerging Technologies: Leverage experience or interest in data engineering, machine learning workflows, and pipeline development to contribute to the evolution of AIQ's technology stack and product offerings. Qualifications Essential Qualifications and Skills A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related technical field is required.Extensive professional experience (minimum 5 years) in backend software engineering with a strong focus on building and scaling API services.Demonstrated mastery of Node.js or Python programming languages, including deep familiarity with backend web frameworks such as Express.js, FastAPI, or their equivalents.Comprehensive knowledge of RESTful API principles alongside proven ability to design robust backend architectures.Proficient with relational and NoSQL databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB, including schema design, query optimization, and data migration strategies.Experience working on cloud platforms, preferably Azure and/or AWS, with capabilities in deploying and managing distributed applications.Strong hands-on experience with container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines in a production environment.Track record of optimizing system performance and scaling applications to meet high availability and reliability standards.Familiarity with security best practices in API development, including authentication mechanisms, authorization frameworks, and data privacy standards.Practical experience utilizing AI-assisted development tools responsibly, with the ability to critically review and validate generated code.Proven leadership skills with experience mentoring peers, leading technical initiatives, or contributing to architectural discussions within development teams.Excellent problem-solving skills complemented by effective communication abilities to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.Additional advantage given to candidates with experience in data engineering, machine learning data pipelines, or similar AI-related workflows. AIQ is dedicated to building an inclusive workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage you to bring your unique perspective and expertise to our talented team. What Working At AIQ Offers Culture: Encouraging initiative, work in an environment that is fast-paced and varied, surrounded by talented peers from around the world, who are similarly attracted to applying their skills to solve transformational challenges. Career: Join a team in which your contribution is recognized and rewarded, while you are supported to operate at your peak performance. Rewards: An attractive renumeration package that includes healthcare, education support for dependents, leave benefits, and more.