Principal Backend Engineer

Fully Remote- work from anywhere  Timezone- GMT+1 or CST Please upload your resume in English Hi, we're Search Atlas We're a rapidly growing SEO software company and full-service digital agency that helps websites improve their Google performance. From Fortune 500 companies to Silicon Valley startups, our clients trust us to drive results. We're hiring a Principal Backend Engineer to drive cross-product technical initiatives across our SEO intelligence platform. This role is ideal for a hands-on technical leader who thrives on solving complex problems, improving core systems, and collaborating across multiple product teams. You'll work side-by-side with senior leadership to architect and scale backend foundations that impact every service in our ecosystem. This role is not about managing a single team, but rather about leading initiatives that elevate all teams, improving performance, reliability, developer experience, and consistency across the platform. We're looking for someone technically exceptional, socially engaging, and naturally curious, who can connect with engineers across disciplines and inspire technical excellence through collaboration and example. Responsibilities Lead cross-product backend initiatives and scalable architecture design across multiple services. Collaborate with senior leadership to align on system design, coding standards, and performance practices. Architect and evolve Django REST, Celery, and PostgreSQL systems for scalability, reliability, and data integrity. Introduce and evaluate new technologies that deliver measurable technical or business value. Mentor engineers through code reviews, design sessions, and technical guidance. Drive best practices in observability and performance optimization using tools like Sentry, Datadog, and Grafana. Partner with DevOps to standardize tracing, monitoring, and alerting across environments. Enforce quality standards via robust testing, CI/CD, and periodic technical audits. Ensure production readiness and reliability through rigorous design and code review processes. Collaborate effectively across engineering, product, and QA teams to deliver end-to-end excellence. Requirements 8+ years of experience with Python 3 and Django REST Framework (1+ year working/employed at Principal level is a must) Deep understanding of Django internals, ORM optimization, and REST API design Proven experience architecting distributed systems and asynchronous processing with Celery Strong PostgreSQL expertise (schema design, indexing, query optimization) Production experience with observability stacks: Sentry, Datadog, Grafana Experience designing or maintaining multi-service or microservice architectures Comfortable working in Git-based workflows (GitLab preferred) Excellent communication, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration skills Nice to have Experience with ClickHouse or Elasticsearch for large-scale analytics Familiarity with OpenAPI or DRF Spectacular Knowledge of Kubernetes (our DevOps manages infra, but familiarity is valuable) Understanding of caching strategies, async processing, and profiling tools Interest in improving developer productivity through tooling and automation Salary & Benefits $6,000-$7,000USD per month/depending on your location and skills/experience 15 Days Paid Time Off + Christmas Day + New Year's Day Paid Off Our Recruitment Process Step 1: Initial screening call with our recruitment team Step 2: Assessment to showcase your skills (if applicable) Step 3: Final interview with our Hiring Manager Step 4: Offer extended Life at Search Atlas Group We are committed to fostering a healthy work-life balance, innovation, and a collaborative, inclusive culture—no matter where you work. We host monthly virtual game days and events, and our team enjoys the flexibility of contributing to charity initiatives of their choice. We believe in supporting both personal growth and professional success, ensuring that remote work doesn't mean disconnected work. Here's a look into our core values: Collaborative & Engaged : We're a tight-knit team that supports each other and shares knowledge. Excellence Driven : We aim for the highest standards, always raising the bar. Self-Starter Mentality : We take initiative and problem-solve independently. Innovative : We embrace change, experiment, and think outside the box. Student Mentality : We learn from our mistakes and constantly evolve. Why Join Us? We're proud of the recognition we've received for our growth and commitment to creating a positive, inclusive work environment. Here are just a few of the accolades that highlight our success and culture: Nevada's Top Workplaces - #1 Small Business, Best New Ideas Best Start-Up Agency (U.S. Search Awards) Top B2B Companies (Clutch) Inc's On The Rise and Best Places to Work (Inc. Magazine) Great Place to Work Certified (Great Place to Work) These awards reflect the hard work, dedication, and passion of our entire team, and we'd love for you to be a part of itWant to hear more? Here is our Founder, Manick on why you should work with us at Search Atlas