Senior Backend Engineer, Collaboration
The Pitch
Slate is building collaboration features that let brand teams work together on content in real time — and we need a Senior Backend Engineer to own the infrastructure that makes it possible. You’ll build the backend systems for real-time collaboration: operational transforms, presence, commenting, version history, and the APIs that tie it all together.
What You’ll Actually Do
Build real-time collaboration infrastructure
Design and build the backend systems that power real-time document collaboration — conflict resolution, operational transforms or CRDTs, and state synchronisation
Build presence, cursors, and live activity indicators across Slate’s shared workspaces
Own the performance and reliability of collaboration features at scale
Enable team workflows
Build commenting, tagging, and notification systems that support async and real-time team workflows
Design version history and branching capabilities so teams can collaborate without fear
Work closely with frontend engineers to define the APIs and protocols they need
Raise the platform bar
Improve the reliability and scalability of Slate’s existing backend systems
Define and own the observability and alerting for collaboration features
Contribute to architectural decisions that affect the whole engineering team
You’d Be a Great Fit If
You have the experience:
5+ years of backend engineering experience with a track record of shipping production systems
Experience building real-time systems (WebSockets, CRDTs, OT, or similar)
Strong understanding of distributed systems and database design
You’ve done work like this before:
Built collaborative editing or real-time sync features in a production product
Designed systems that handle concurrent writes and conflict resolution
Operated stateful systems with high availability requirements
You work the way we work:
You own the outcomes, not just the tasks
You communicate clearly and raise issues early
You think carefully about correctness and edge cases, but also know when to ship
Tech Stack
Node.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Redis, WebSockets, AWS
The Details
Location: Remote, anywhere from EST (UTC-5) to UTC+2
Reporting to: Maciej Kucharek, Head of Engineering
Compensation: US $170k–200k | Rest of World $95k–140k USD + equity
Benefits
Equity options
Unlimited PTO (we actually take it)
$200/month wellness stipend
Health insurance stipend
Home office budget
About Slate
Slate is the creative workspace for brand social teams. We help teams create and ship on-brand content fast with an all-in-one editor, built-in asset management, and seamless creative file workflows, backed by hands-on support from people who have done the job. Teams across top sports leagues and global brands like Amazon and Hoka use Slate every day to elevate their social presence.
Note: We do not sponsor work visas.
Slate is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, regardless of background, identity, or experience.