Staff Backend Engineer, Cards

Airwallex6 months ago

Location

SG - Singapore

Type

Full Time

Salary

SGD 120,000 – 180,000

Level

Staff

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Aug 20, 2025

Full TimeStaff

The role

Summary

Staff Backend Engineer role at Airwallex's Cards team in Singapore, leading architecture and development of complex distributed systems for card issuance and expense management. Requires 8+ years experience with strong technical leadership skills and expertise in backend technologies, cloud infrastructure, and financial services domain.

What you'll do

System Architecture: Drive the architecture, design, and evolution of complex backend systems that support the Cards product

Technical Leadership: Lead cross-functional technical initiatives and ensure alignment with long-term engineering goals

Full Lifecycle Ownership: Own the full lifecycle of backend services from idea to design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance

System Design Guidance: Guide teams in making scalable, secure, and high-performing system design decisions

Best Practices Implementation: Establish engineering best practices around observability, testing, and API design

Team Mentoring: Mentor and support the growth of engineers across the team

Cross-team Collaboration: Collaborate closely with product, design, and infrastructure teams to deliver reliable and impactful solutions

What we look for

Technical

Backend LanguagesExpertise in at least one backend language (Java, Kotlin, Go, Python)

System ArchitectureProven experience architecting and scaling backend systems and APIs in production

Computer Science FundamentalsStrong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems

API DesignDeep understanding of REST API design and modern backend frameworks

Cloud InfrastructureExperience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP) and container orchestration tools like Kubernetes

Code QualityStrong commitment to code quality, reliability, and performance

Education

Bachelor's DegreeBachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field

Experience

Professional Experience8+ years of professional software engineering experience

Technical LeadershipExperience in technical leadership roles

Production SystemsProven experience with production-scale backend systems and APIs

Skills

Required skills

Backend Development8+ years of professional software engineering experience with backend focus

System ArchitectureProven experience architecting and scaling distributed systems in production

Technical LeadershipExperience leading technical initiatives and mentoring engineering teams

Programming LanguagesExpertise in Java, Kotlin, Go, or Python for backend development

API DesignDeep understanding of REST API design and modern backend frameworks like Spring Boot

Cloud InfrastructureHands-on experience with AWS or GCP and container orchestration with Kubernetes

Computer Science FundamentalsStrong foundation in data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems

Nice to have

Cross-team LeadershipExperience leading cross-team initiatives and influencing technical direction at system-wide level

Observability ToolsProficiency in monitoring tools like Grafana, Prometheus, and Splunk

Financial ServicesFamiliarity with security and compliance considerations in financial services domain

Mentoring ExperiencePassion for mentoring and helping other engineers grow their careers

Compensation & benefits

Salary

SGD 120,000 – 180,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Participation

Stock options and equity participation in a $8 billion valued fintech company

Global Experience

Opportunity to work with international teams across 26 global offices

Professional Development

Accelerated learning opportunities and career growth in a fast-paced fintech environment

Innovation Culture

Work on cutting-edge financial technology solutions with exceptional teammates

Mentorship Programs

Access to mentoring and professional development opportunities

Equal Opportunity

Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and equal opportunity employment

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Phone or video call with HR to discuss background, experience, and role fit
2
Technical Phone Interview — Technical discussion covering system design, coding concepts, and backend architecture
3
System Design Interview — In-depth system design session focusing on distributed systems and scalability challenges
4
Technical Deep Dive — Detailed technical interview covering specific backend technologies, frameworks, and production experience
5
Leadership & Behavioral — Interview focusing on technical leadership experience, mentoring, and cross-team collaboration
6
Final Round — Meeting with senior leadership and team members to assess cultural fit and strategic thinking