Head of Backend Engineering

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Backend based in Canada. This is a hands-on engineering leadership opportunity within a fast-growing productivity SaaS environment. You will lead the evolution and scaling of a backend function while remaining deeply involved in production engineering. The role focuses on consolidating microservices, improving performance, reliability, security, and enabling continued product growth. You will design robust APIs, build integrations, and create internal tooling that improves both developer and operational efficiency. Working within a small, highly capable team, you will have significant ownership and direct influence over technical and product decisions. The position combines architectural leadership, hands-on development, engineering standards, and occasional customer-facing troubleshooting. It is an on-site role in Canada for an experienced engineer who thrives in high-ownership, fast-moving environments. Accountabilities Lead the evolution, consolidation, and scaling of a microservices-based backend architecture for a high-growth SaaS product.Remain hands-on in production engineering, contributing directly to backend design, implementation, testing, and deployment.Improve backend performance, reliability, scalability, and security, identifying and addressing technical risks proactively.Design, develop, and maintain robust REST APIs for internal and external consumers, including appropriate authentication mechanisms.Build and maintain integrations with third-party services and external APIs.Develop internal tools and automation that improve engineering productivity and operational workflows.Define and continuously improve software development lifecycle processes, engineering standards, and backend best practices.Partner with product stakeholders to propose innovative backend capabilities and technical solutions aligned with business and customer needs.Scale infrastructure and strengthen monitoring, logging, and operational visibility across backend services.Help investigate, reproduce, and resolve customer-reported issues when needed, maintaining a strong focus on API-level user experience.Provide technical direction and mentorship within a small engineering team while fostering a collaborative, ownership-driven culture. Requirements 11+ years of professional backend development experience, with exceptional candidates having a minimum of 6 years considered.Strong hands-on proficiency with Go and Node.js; familiarity with PHP is an advantage.Proven experience designing, building, and consuming REST APIs, including authentication with OAuth2.Deep understanding of distributed systems and microservices architecture.Strong knowledge of PostgreSQL or other relational databases, as well as caching systems.Hands-on experience with Unix-based systems, Docker, and Kubernetes.Professional experience with cloud platforms such as GCP, AWS, or equivalent.Experience scaling infrastructure and implementing effective monitoring, logging, and observability solutions.Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, software design, and engineering principles.Proficiency with Git and modern software development workflows.Strong written and spoken English communication skills.Experience with third-party and external API integrations is a plus.Background in backend security hardening and security-conscious engineering is desirable.Experience developing internal tools for engineering or developer productivity is an advantage.Collaborative, detail-oriented, proactive, and adaptable approach to problem-solving.Strong ownership mindset and ability to operate effectively in a small, fast-moving team.Must be legally authorized to work in Canada; visa sponsorship is not available. Benefits USD $80,000–$120,000 annual salary, depending on experience.Opportunity to shape backend architecture during a significant growth-stage phase of the product.High level of ownership and autonomy over technical decisions.Direct impact on product direction, backend scalability, and engineering practices.Small, highly capable engineering team with close collaboration and strong technical ownership.Hands-on leadership role combining architecture, technical strategy, and production development.On-site work in Canada.Opportunity to work on a growing SaaS product with significant scope for backend innovation. How Jobgether Works We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. 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