Senior Backend Engineer (Node.js)

About Zeal:

Zeal is addressing the critical challenge of untapped transactional data. At the moment, whenever a transaction is processed on a POS terminal (payment card machine), physical retailers have no idea who the paying customer is, unless they use a loyalty program. Think of when you go to a supermarket and you pay by card, unless you go to a supermarket that has a loyalty program and you get your loyalty card out, the POS terminal doesn't tell the retailer if you're a new or returning customer, demographics, gender, etc. Unlike e-ecommerce, in physical retail customer identification always had to be a separate step because the payment terminal is not built to self-identify the paying customer. Hence, a plethora of valuable data is lost or underutilized. With Zeal’s advanced Smart POS plugin, the company integrates with POS terminals globally to provide payment acquirers and ISVs with a unique differentiator for their POS terminals. The merchants of our partners benefit from world-class data, analytics & tools to predict consumer behavior using Artificial Intelligence, enabling merchants to unlock the full potential of transactional data.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer (Node.js) who’s passionate about writing clean, scalable, and secure backend systems. This role is perfect for engineers who thrive in fast-paced environments, enjoy leading technical conversations, and want to make a direct impact on product performance and architecture.

As a senior member of our backend team, you’ll take ownership of backend services built with Node.js and Nest.js, mentor junior engineers, and play a key role in shaping our platform’s scalability and performance. You’ll collaborate closely with product, frontend, and DevOps teams to deliver high-quality, reliable solutions that support our growth.

Your Main Responsibilities Are to:

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services using Node.js and Nest.js.
• Build and maintain RESTful APIs and microservices to support frontend applications and third-party integrations.
• Drive architecture and design decisions for backend systems.
• Ensure code quality through testing, reviews, and adherence to best practices.
• Work with MySQL and MongoDB to build performant, reliable data layers.
• Optimize backend performance and scalability to handle increasing loads.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business objectives.
• Mentor junior engineers and help elevate the overall backend engineering standards.
• Integrate message brokers like Kafka or RabbitMQ for asynchronous processing.
• Ensure backend systems follow security best practices and compliance requirements.
• Contribute to DevOps efforts, including containerization (Docker) and CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar).

The Ideal Candidate Should Have:

• 5+ years of experience in software development, with a focus on backend engineering.
• Deep expertise in Node.js, JavaScript (ES6+), and TypeScript.
• Strong experience with Nest.js or similar modern backend frameworks.
• Proficiency in MySQL and MongoDB, with an understanding of relational and NoSQL design principles.
• Familiarity with Docker and container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes).
• Experience in working with Git, CI/CD tools, and Agile/Scrum workflows.
• Knowledge of software design patterns, data structures, and system architecture.
• Solid communication skills in English (both written and spoken).

Nice to Haves:

• Familiarity with event-driven architecture and asynchronous systems.
• Experience working with AWS or other cloud providers.
• Background in startups or high-growth environments.
• Experience with performance profiling and backend optimization.

What You’ll Love About Us:

• 💻 Work from Anywhere: Enjoy the flexibility of remote work or join us in a hybrid setup. Your choice, your comfort.
• 💰 Competitive Compensation: We value your talent and offer packages that reflect it.
• 🤝 Collaborative Culture: Join a team where trust, transparency, and continuous learning are at the heart of everything we do.
• 💡 Make an Impact: Have ideas to make things better? Awesome. We’re all ears and ready to innovate.
• 🚀 Shape the Future of Fintech: Work on cutting-edge fintech solutions that impact thousands of users.