About Company
Shopify is a leading global commerce company, providing trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size. We empower millions of merchants worldwide to build their dreams and succeed independently. Our innovative platform is meticulously designed to make commerce better for everyone, so businesses can focus on what they do best: creating and selling their exceptional products. We foster an environment where innovation thrives, complex challenges are embraced, and continuous professional and personal growth is paramount. As a ‘digital by design’ company, we embrace remote work as a foundational part of our operating model, allowing us to attract top talent globally and offer unparalleled flexibility. Join a company that deeply values craft, encourages autonomy, and is profoundly committed to making a tangible, positive impact on the future of global commerce.
Job Description
We are seeking a highly skilled, experienced, and passionate Shopify Backend Engineer to join our dynamic and distributed engineering team. In this pivotal role, you will be instrumental in designing, developing, and maintaining the robust backend systems that power the Shopify platform and its extensive ecosystem. Your work will directly impact millions of merchants and their customers, contributing to critical services, APIs, and infrastructure, ensuring unparalleled scalability, reliability, and performance. This position requires deep expertise in backend development, a strong understanding of e-commerce principles, and an unwavering commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code that stands the test of time. You will collaborate closely with product managers, frontend engineers, and other stakeholders across various teams to deliver innovative, impactful solutions that enhance the merchant experience and drive significant business growth. If you are passionate about building world-class distributed systems, solving complex technical challenges at scale, and contributing to a platform that fundamentally shapes global commerce, we wholeheartedly encourage you to apply. This is a remote role, offering you the flexibility to work from your preferred location within the Americas, while being ideally rooted in the vibrant community of North Shore, Evanston, where you can connect with local talent and resources.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain highly scalable, reliable, and secure backend services and APIs for the Shopify platform.
- Write clean, well-tested, and efficient code primarily in Ruby on Rails, Go, or similar modern languages, adhering to best practices and architectural standards.
- Collaborate effectively with product managers, UX designers, and other engineers to define requirements, design comprehensive solutions, and deliver high-quality features that meet user needs.
- Optimize existing systems for superior performance, scalability, and long-term maintainability, ensuring a seamless user experience.
- Actively participate in thorough code reviews, providing constructive feedback and ensuring the highest standards of code quality and consistency.
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues promptly and effectively, contributing to our on-call rotation as needed.
- Contribute significantly to the continuous improvement of our development processes, tools, and underlying infrastructure.
- Mentor junior engineers, share knowledge, and foster a collaborative culture of technical excellence and continuous learning within the team.
- Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to ensure our platform remains innovative and cutting-edge.
Required Skills
- 5+ years of professional experience in backend software development, preferably in a high-traffic e-commerce or SaaS environment.
- Proficiency in Ruby on Rails, Go, or a similar modern backend framework and programming language.
- Strong understanding of database systems (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis) and advanced SQL query optimization.
- Extensive experience designing, implementing, and consuming RESTful APIs and building robust microservices architectures.
- Solid grasp of software design patterns, complex data structures, and efficient algorithms.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., Google Cloud, AWS, Azure) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Demonstrated experience with comprehensive testing frameworks and methodologies (e.g., RSpec, Minitest, GoConvey).
- Exceptional problem-solving, debugging, and analytical skills with a keen eye for detail.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and collaboration abilities to work effectively in a remote, distributed team.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
- Proven experience with large-scale distributed systems and architecting solutions for high-traffic, mission-critical applications.
- Deep knowledge of e-commerce platforms, payment processing systems, and inventory management.
- Familiarity with frontend technologies (e.g., React, JavaScript, GraphQL) is a valuable asset.
- Active contributions to open-source projects or a strong portfolio showcasing personal technical projects and achievements.
- Experience with GraphQL APIs and service mesh technologies.
Perks & Benefits
- Highly competitive salary package and equity (stock options) to align your success with Shopify's.
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage for you and your family.
- Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and company holidays, alongside flexible work arrangements.
- Robust parental leave program and family support benefits.
- Significant professional development and continuous learning opportunities, including access to courses, conferences, and mentorship.
- Allowance for setting up and maintaining an ergonomic home office.
- Access to a vibrant network of employee resource groups and a dynamic, inclusive company culture.
- Wellness programs and dedicated mental health support resources.
- Industry-leading retirement savings plan with a substantial company match.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are encouraged to click on the application link below to submit their resume and a compelling cover letter. Please highlight your relevant experience, technical expertise, and explain why you are a great fit for Shopify and this specific role. We are excited to review your application and learn more about how you can contribute to our mission!