Backend Developer (Data Layer / API Specialist)

Blue Acorn iCi is looking for a Backend Developer (Data Layer / API Specialist) responsible for designing, building, and maintaining scalable backend services and data interfaces that power digital experiences, analytics, and personalization platforms.

This role focuses on API development, data ingestion and transformation, and secure, high-performance integration between upstream data sources and downstream applications. The Backend Developer will work closely with frontend engineers, data engineers, analytics teams, and platform architects to ensure reliable, well-governed data flows and performant backend services.
Location: Remote, US

• Design and develop RESTful and/or GraphQL APIs to expose data and business services.
• Build backend services that support real-time and batch data access.
• Ensure APIs are scalable, resilient, and well-documented (OpenAPI / Swagger).

• Implement data ingestion, transformation, and orchestration services.
• Integrate with databases, data warehouses, and event streams.
• Optimize data access patterns for performance, reliability, and cost.

• Integrate backend services with third-party platforms including CDPs, analytics, CRM, CMS, and marketing platforms.
• Support identity, consent, and data-governance requirements at the API layer.
• Enable downstream consumers including web, mobile, call center, and analytics teams with clean, consistent data interfaces.

• Implement authentication, authorization, and API security best practices.
• Monitor and tune backend services for performance and availability.
• Build logging, error handling, and observability into all services.

• Partner with frontend, analytics, and data engineering teams on end-to-end solutions.
• Participate in architecture reviews and contribute to backend standards.
• Support CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code workflows.

• Strong experience with backend languages such as Java, Python, Node.js, or Go.
• Hands-on experience building and consuming REST and/or GraphQL APIs.
• Solid understanding of SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB).
• Experience with data pipelines, ETL/ELT, or event-driven architectures.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

• Experience integrating with analytics, CDP, CRM, or marketing platforms.
• Understanding of data modeling, schemas, and data quality best practices.
• Knowledge of identity, consent, and data privacy considerations is a plus.

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Git-based workflows, and automated testing.
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes preferred.
• Strong troubleshooting and performance optimization skills.

• Experience working in MarTech, analytics, or personalization ecosystems.
• Exposure to real-time streaming technologies such as Kafka, Kinesis, or Pub/Sub.
• Familiarity with API gateways, service meshes, or microservices architectures.
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale data platforms.

The base salary range for this position is $75,000 – $110,000 annually. Actual compensation may vary depending on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors.