Lead Backend Engineer

Veriswap is a marketplace for trading cards, operating within the $10B+ sports card secondary market. We’re building a new swap economy because we believe that the trades market is 5x larger than the cash sales market for collectibles.

Our mission is simple, empower collectors to trade sports cards anytime, anywhere.

Founded in 2021 by alumni from Columbia (ex-Investment Banking) and Brown (ex-Google), Veriswap has quickly become one of the most trusted and active trading platforms for collectors worldwide.

• $120M+ in transactions completed in just three years
• 3x growth in 2024, with transactions as large as $300K
• 100,000 users and growing, with bootstrapped profitability
• Available on web, Android, and iOS
• Team size: 18 (8 in engineering/product, 10 in operations)
• Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA

We’re now entering our next growth phase scaling from 1→10, and we’re looking for a Lead Backend Engineer who can help us shape and scale the next generation of Veriswap’s platform.

• Join a product with real traction in a multi-billion-dollar market.
• Work directly with the founding team and influence product strategy.
• Solve exciting challenges in scaling, security, and high-value transactions.
• Be part of a small, high-performing team where your impact is immediate and visible.

As a Lead Backend Engineer, you’ll take ownership of Veriswap’s backend architecture and be a key voice in how we design, build, and scale our trading platform. You’ll lead a small team of engineers, guide them through technical decisions, and collaborate closely with Product and Design to ship features that delight users and drive growth.

You will:

• Design and develop backend systems using TypeScript and NestJS.
• Architect and optimize PostgreSQL schemas to handle large, complex data sets.
• Ensure backend systems are secure, scalable, and efficient.
• Collaborate directly with Product Managers and UX Designers on new features.
• Break down large, complex features into phased releases with clear delivery plans.
• Mentor engineers and help establish sprint-based development practices.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and overall technical strategy.
• Maintain best practices around GitHub workflows (PRs, branches, commits).

Must-haves

• 4+ years of backend development using NestJS.
• 4+ years of experience with PostgreSQL (schema design, optimization).
• 3+ years using TypeScript.
• 2+ years with Google Cloud Platform (Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, GCP services).
• Proven experience leading a small team (3+ engineers).
• Background working in B2C product companies (not agencies or consultancies).
• Experience with scale-up stage environments (1→10), not just early prototypes.
• Strong understanding of REST APIs, security, and performance optimization.
• Collaborative and communicative, able to work closely with non-technical teams.
  

Nice-to-haves

• Experience working in consumer apps, marketplaces, or fintech.
• Familiarity with NextJS or similar frameworks.
• Interest in collectibles, trading, or sports cards (a plus, not required).