Senior Backend Engineer

About the Role We are looking for an exceptional Back-End Engineer to join our growing engineering team. This role is designed for experienced builders who have a strong track record of designing scalable systems, solving complex technical challenges, and driving product development in fast-paced startup environments. We maintain an exceptionally high hiring bar and are seeking candidates who combine deep technical expertise with strong product thinking, ownership, and leadership capabilities. Candidates with Full-Stack Engineering backgrounds are also encouraged to apply, provided their core strengths lie in back-end architecture and development. Responsibility Backend System Development Design, develop, and maintain scalable, reliable, and high-performance backend systems and APIs.Build robust backend services that support business-critical applications and user experiences.Write clean, maintainable, and well-tested code following engineering best practices.Ensure code quality through testing, code reviews, and continuous improvement.System Architecture & Scalability Architect distributed systems capable of supporting rapid business growth and increasing operational complexity.Design scalable infrastructure and backend services with a focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability.Evaluate and implement architectural improvements that support long-term product and engineering goals.Contribute to technical roadmaps and infrastructure planning.Performance, Reliability & Security Continuously improve system performance, availability, and operational efficiency.Identify and resolve bottlenecks, scalability challenges, and production issues.Implement best practices for system security, monitoring, logging, and observability.Ensure high system uptime and reliability across all backend services.Cross-Functional Collaboration Collaborate closely with Product, Design, Data, AI, and Business teams to deliver impactful solutions.Translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.Partner with stakeholders to prioritize initiatives and align technical execution with company objectives.Support cross-functional projects and contribute to company-wide product development efforts.Technical Leadership & Engineering Excellence Lead technical discussions and contribute to key architectural and engineering decisions.Mentor engineers and help elevate the overall technical standards of the team.Promote engineering best practices, including code quality, documentation, testing, and operational excellence.Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous learning.Ownership & Product Execution Take end-to-end ownership of critical systems, services, and technical initiatives.Drive projects from conception, design, implementation, deployment, and ongoing maintenance.Proactively identify opportunities for improvement and execute solutions with minimal oversight.Operate effectively in a fast-paced startup environment with a strong bias toward action and results.Startup Mindset & Strategic Thinking Contribute beyond implementation by helping shape technical strategy and product direction.Balance speed, scalability, and business priorities when making engineering decisions.Demonstrate strong ownership and entrepreneurial thinking in solving complex technical and business challenges.Help build engineering processes, systems, and culture as the company scales. Requirements Minimum 8 years of professional software engineering experienceStrong experience building and maintaining production-grade backend systems.Proficiency in one or more backend programming languages such as Python, Go, Java, Kotlin, Node.js/TypeScript, or Rust.Strong understanding of system design, distributed systems, database architecture, API design, and cloud infrastructure.Experience working with both relational and/or NoSQL databases.Proven ability to design, develop, and scale reliable, high-performance backend systems.Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively in a global team environment.Experience building products from zero to one (0→1) and taking them from concept to production is highly preferred.Experience scaling systems and infrastructure to support significant user and business growth is highly preferred.Previous experience as a Founder, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Technical Lead, Founding Engineer, or Engineering Leader in an early-stage startup is highly preferred.Full-stack development experience is a plus.Experience working in high-growth startups or venture-backed companies is a strong advantage.Strong product mindset with the ability to balance technical excellence, execution speed, and business priorities.Demonstrated ownership, leadership, and entrepreneurial thinking when solving complex technical and business challenges. Please note: We maintain an exceptionally high hiring bar for this role. Candidates with startup leadership experience, founder backgrounds, or a proven track record of building and scaling products will be given strong consideration. What You Will Gain by Working at SkinSeoul Be at the forefront of a company pioneering and disrupting the e-commerce and skincare industry with advanced AI technology.Be part of the growth story and boost your career by joining an ambitious and fast growing company.Thrive in a dynamic environment and challenge yourself to solve unique business problems.Work in an international work environment with a flat organization. About SkinSeoul At SkinSeoul we stand at the unique intersection of AI, e-commerce, and beauty. We are disrupting the B2C e-commerce market in skincare and our vision is to be become the #1 skincare company globally. Also, we are expanding into the B2B segment, with a strategic focus on brand partnerships to create long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations. Starting with K-Beauty, we have unleashed the potential of advanced AI technology to launch the world’s largest Korean skincare store. We pride ourselves on offering not only the largest but most personalized skincare selection, at affordable price points and with a superior customer experience. SkinSeoul is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative, and learning environment with the best employees. We provide equal employment opportunities without regard to gender, identity, race, religion, nationality, age, marital status, disability, or any other protected status, as required by applicable law. If there is anything we can do to help ensure you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please let us know.