Lead Backend Engineer (m/f/d) - Building Scalable AI Systems at dnl

Join us at dnl and take the lead in shaping the backend of a truly developer-focused platform. We’re building Germany's leading AI-powered tools that analyse financial and non-financial reports.

Using state-of-the-art machine learning technologies, we extract key figures from annual financial statements - fully automatically and transparently.

As a Lead Backend Engineer, you’ll play a pivotal role in defining architecture, guiding engineering standards, and mentoring a talented team to deliver high-performance systems.

Tasks

Short-term: Technical Mastery & Impact (0–3 months)

• Dive deep into our stack and quickly contribute production-quality code that’s clean, performant, and reliable.
• Lead by example—drive code quality, testing rigor, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Frontend, Data Science and Product teams to integrate ML models into our features.

Mid-term: Ownership, Mentorship & Architecture (3–6 months)

• Take ownership of core backend systems and guide their evolution as we scale.
• Mentor engineers through code reviews, technical pairings, and structured knowledge-sharing.
• Champion best practices in security, performance, and scalability.
• Design and maintain RESTful APIs and real-time communication systems using WebSockets.
• Partner with leadership to translate product vision into technical strategy.

Long-term: Vision, Strategy & Team Leadership (6–12 months)

• Define and evolve backend architecture and system design in alignment with product goals.
• Establish engineering excellence through standards, documentation, and processes.
• Build and grow the backend team, help with hiring, onboarding, and career development.
• Collaborate closely with other leads to ensure architectural coherence across the platform.
• Advocate for innovation and efficiency across our engineering organization.

Requirements

Education & Experience: A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, and at least 7+ years of professional backend experience (or equivalent proven expertise). You have a track record of leading initiatives, making architectural decisions, and mentoring other developers.

Frameworks: Deep experience building scalable microservices using FastAPI, Flask, or similar frameworks. You’re confident designing complex systems, writing thorough pytest test suites, and ensuring code quality through reviews and automation.

Technical Skills: Proficient in CI/CD pipelines and cloud deployments, ideally on Azure with Kubernetes. You’ve architected and operated event-driven systems and distributed services at scale. Bonus points for experience integrating machine learning models or building data-intensive applications.

Leadership: Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. You thrive in collaborative environments, enjoy mentoring teammates, and excel at aligning technical direction with product and business goals.

Benefits

Above-Average Compensation: We offer a competitive salary well above market average, reflecting the impact and expertise we value.

Monthly Perks (Germany-based): If you're employed in Germany, you’ll receive a €50 monthly voucher usable at over 50 popular stores—covering everything from groceries to lifestyle.

Innovative Work Culture: A collaborative startup environment with flat hierarchies, fast decisions, and space for your ideas.

• Great People: Work alongside an international team of passionate and driven professionals.
• Time Off: 30 vacation days per year to recharge and explore.
• Remote Flexibility: Work from anywhere within the EU—whenever it suits you.
• Flexible Hours: Adapt your schedule to your personal rhythm and lifestyle.
• Top Equipment: We'll provide you with the latest hardware to do your best work.
• We are looking forward to your application and getting to know you! :)