Senior Backend Engineer (Hybrid)

At Umpisa Inc., our mission is to make the Philippines be known globally as a tech hub. 

Umpisa Inc. is a progressive technology services company that partners with select industries, clients and people to work on pioneering and industry-changing solutions via digital transformation, modern software development and venture building.

We create a set of world-class and impactful products and solutions to help organizations and individuals live better lives. We offer demanding, challenging and rewarding careers in software development, product development, emerging technologies, and more for the right candidates.

Essential Skills:

• Aligns with our values: Excellence, Integrity, Professionalism, People Success, Customer Success, Fun, Innovation and Diversity
• Strong communication skills
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Excellent problem-solving ability
• Would like to work as part of a self-organizing Scrum team in a scaled agile framework
• Must be a self-starter and loves to collaborate with the team and client

Summary:

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Backend Engineer with strong expertise in fintech and banking systems. The ideal candidate has deep experience designing, building, and scaling secure, high-performance backend systems that handle financial transactions, payment processing, and distributed workloads.

You will take ownership of critical backend services, contribute to architectural decisions, mentor engineers, and ensure systems are scalable, secure, compliant, and production-ready. This role requires strong hands-on development skills combined with architectural leadership in high-availability financial environments.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical Expertise

Programming & Backend Development

• Strong proficiency in JavaScript / TypeScript
• Extensive hands-on experience with Node.js and NestJS
• Working knowledge of Python (optional but advantageous)
• Build modular, maintainable, and testable backend services following clean architecture principles

Database Engineering

• Design and optimize high-performance databases:
• PostgreSQL (transactions, indexing, query optimization, ACID compliance)
• MongoDB (document modeling, performance tuning)
• Redis (caching, session storage, performance acceleration)
• Implement data consistency, idempotency, and transactional integrity for financial systems

API & Integration

• Design and implement secure, scalable RESTful APIs
• Familiarity with GraphQL (plus)
• Implement authentication, authorization, rate limiting, and API versioning
• Integrate with internal and external financial systems

Messaging & Event-Driven Architecture

• Build distributed systems using:
• Apache Kafka
• RabbitMQ
• Implement asynchronous processing, event streaming, and high-throughput transaction flows

System Architecture & Scalability

• Architect and maintain:
• Microservices-based systems
• Distributed systems
• Composable backend architectures
• Design systems capable of handling high TPS (transactions per second)
• Ensure fault tolerance, observability, and horizontal scalability

Containerization & DevOps

• Containerize services using Docker
• Support CI/CD pipelines and automated deployments
• Work with Git-based workflows for version control and collaboration

Payments & Financial Systems

• Design and maintain payment logic flows
• Implement transaction validation, reconciliation, and status reporting
• Ensure idempotency and consistency in financial transaction processing
• Apply best practices for high-reliability financial systems

Code Quality & Engineering Excellence

• Write clean, maintainable, well-documented code
• Enforce coding standards and perform code reviews
• Promote automated testing and continuous integration
• Mentor junior engineers and elevate team standards

2. Project Leadership & Delivery

• Lead backend projects from architecture to production deployment
• Provide accurate technical estimations and sprint planning inputs
• Participate actively in Agile/Scrum ceremonies
• Maintain comprehensive documentation for APIs and architecture
• Ensure timely delivery of features and production fixes

3. Security & Compliance

• Implement industry-standard security best practices:
• Encryption (in transit and at rest)
• Authentication & Authorization
• Secure API design
• Support compliance requirements relevant to fintech/banking environments
• Ensure secure coding practices across all services

4. Performance & Reliability

• Optimize database queries and backend performance
• Reduce latency and improve system throughput
• Diagnose and debug complex distributed system issues
• Maintain high system uptime and reliability

5. Collaboration & Communication

• Collaborate with frontend engineers, QA, DevOps, and product teams
• Translate technical concepts into business-friendly communication
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of backend engineering experience
• Strong hands-on experience with:
• Node.js
• TypeScript
• NestJS
• PostgreSQL
• MongoDB
• Redis
• Apache Kafka
• RabbitMQ
• Docker
• Git
• Proven experience in fintech, payments, or banking systems.
• Strong understanding of:
• Microservices architecture
• Distributed systems
• High-availability systems
• Scalable transaction processing
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with GraphQL
• Experience handling high TPS financial systems
• Experience implementing ISO 20022 or financial messaging integrations (plus)
• Experience designing payment gateways or core banking integrations

Soft Skills:

• Strong leadership and mentorship capabilities
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced fintech environments
• High ownership and accountability

Deliverables & Success Metrics:

• High-quality, production-ready backend services
• Secure and scalable payment processing systems
• Consistent on-time delivery of features
• Reduced latency and improved system performance
• Reliable and compliant financial backend infrastructure

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).