Senior Backend Developer (Core)

Paxful is the world’s largest people-powered marketplace, connecting over 14 million users across 140+ countries to move, save, and store money - even without a bank account. Founded in 2015 and based in the United States, Paxful offers safe, fast, and reliable access to the global economy through cryptocurrencies bought and sold on a borderless peer-to-peer payment network. With over 500 payment methods for accessing Bitcoin, USDT, and other popular digital and local currencies, Paxful is building a financial system allowing all users to participate in the digital economy.

The Senior Backend Developer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the backend services that power Paxful’s marketplace, focusing on high-performance systems and scalable architecture. This role requires strong expertise in Java, a deep understanding of microservices, and the ability to contribute to complex system designs. You’ll work closely with cross-functional teams, including frontend, mobile, and DevOps, to ensure the platform remains secure, reliable, and scalable as Paxful continues to grow.

What will you do:

• Design and develop backend services primarily using PHP, with secondary contributions in Go and Node.js.
• Build and maintain RESTful APIs that integrate seamlessly with frontend, mobile, and blockchain systems.
• Collaborate with product managers, frontend, and mobile teams to define requirements and deliver new features.
• Ensure backend services are scalable, secure, and optimized for high performance.
• Debug and troubleshoot production issues to maintain platform reliability.
• Contribute to the migration of legacy PHP systems to modern architectures and service-based designs.
• Implement and optimize database queries for high availability and low latency.
• Write robust unit and integration tests to maintain code quality.
• Contribute to the development of microservices using Go and Node.js as needed.
• Work closely with the DevOps team to deploy and monitor services using Kubernetes and Terraform.
• Participate in peer code reviews and mentor junior developers to promote best practices.

Who you are:

• A backend developer with deep expertise in PHP and a strong foundation in Go and Node.js.
• A problem solver with a passion for building scalable and efficient systems.
• A collaborative team player who thrives in cross-functional environments.
• Excited to contribute to challenging projects in the fintech and crypto space.

What we are looking for:

• 5+ years of backend development experience, with strong expertise in PHP (preferably PHP 7.4+).
• Familiarity with frameworks like Laravel or Symfony.
• Experience with Go and Node.js for developing microservices and handling event-driven systems.
• Ability to contribute across multiple languages as needed.
• Proficiency in database management.
• Experience with SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and familiarity with NoSQL databases like MongoDB.
• Experience with RESTful API design and development.
• Knowledge of API integration, versioning, and optimization.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps workflows.
• Hands-on experience with GitLab, Docker, and Kubernetes.
• Understanding of secure backend development practices.
• Familiarity with authentication mechanisms like OAuth, JWT, and API key management.

Recommended Skills:

• Experience with message queues (e.g., RabbitMQ, Kafka) for asynchronous processing.
• Familiarity with monitoring and logging tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack).
• Knowledge of blockchain and cryptocurrency-related systems.
• Background in performance optimization for high-traffic platforms.
• Contributions to open-source projects or technical communities.

We encourage a remote-first approach for geographically distributed teams, being open to skilled professionals from around the world. Beyond that, we are committed to transparency, openness, and supporting each other to build great things together.

You can expect:

• Competitive salary
• Fully remote work environment
• Flexible working hours with a 4-hour overlap in Eastern Time (EST)
• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies on impactful projects
• Collaborative, innovative, and supportive work culture
• Opportunity to mentor and lead a team of talented engineers
• Professional growth and development opportunities

Notes

We are a fully remotely distributed team. However, we are currently unable to provide visa sponsorship for employment.

Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to hire individuals residing in countries currently under international sanctions.

Upon submitting your application, you consent to receive future communications. The communication will depend on the alignment of your qualifications with this position. Only eligible candidates will receive correspondence.

Interested in Paxful but don't think this role is the best fit for you? View our other positions:

Base compensation is dependent on the candidate's residence.

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To recruitment agencies and outsourcing entities: Paxful maintains a strict policy of not accepting third-party applications from recruitment agencies or individual recruiters. Furthermore, any collaboration with outsourcing partners remains outside of our strategic planning.