• Lead the design and implementation of scalable, distributed backend services and APIs • Drive architecture decisions for major components and cross-team integrations • Mentor, guide, and support other engineers through design reviews, pairing, and informal coaching • Collaborate with front-end, data, and infrastructure teams to define end-to-end solutions • Ensure reliability, observability, security, and performance across production systems • Define and improve engineering practices, architecture patterns, CI/CD pipelines, and tooling • Own critical services through the full development lifecycle—including operation, monitoring, and on-call support • Evaluate and integrate new technologies and approaches to improve robustness and developer experience • Work directly with product and cross-functional partners to influence technical direction and roadmap planning