Backend Engineer — Ingestion

Backend Engineer — Ingestion

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Build and optimise high-throughput data processing systems that handle billions of events daily.
  • Company: Join a fast-growing tech company focused on innovative data solutions.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with a commitment to personal development.
  • Why this job: Take ownership of impactful projects and see immediate results from your work.
  • Qualifications: Experience with scalable distributed systems and languages like Node.JS or Rust.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

We're seeking a Europe/UK based ingestion pipeline engineer who:

  • Thrives on challenges of building systems that process billions of events per day
  • Gets excited about designing elegant and efficient systems that can handle terabytes of data without giving people insomnia
  • Understands the importance of data integrity and reliability for customers

The ideal candidate has experience with high-throughput data processing systems such as:

  • Analytics platforms
  • Metric collection systems
  • Log aggregation engines
  • Streaming and batch-processing pipelines

We use a mixture of Node.JS and Rust for high-throughput processing. We store most of our data in Kafka, PostgreSQL, Clickhouse, S3, and Redis, but with the growing volume of data, we're constantly re-evaluating our technological choices. We're looking for someone who understands the principles of designing distributed systems and can use them to pick the best tools for the job.

What makes this role unique:

  • Own the entire service from end-to-end: No committees or overzealous PMs, the destiny of the ingestion pipeline will be in your hands.
  • Build open-source software: You'll be able to show your Rust-fu to your friends and family (and security researchers too).
  • Build in the hot path: Your code will decide whether our customers and engineers have a good time or not.
  • Start from first principles: No cookie-cutter solutions here, you'll be safe from AI agents for a good while.
  • See immediate results: Small, confident, frequent steps forward – that's how we like to move.

Our team is spread across North America and Europe and we're looking for another engineer in Europe or the UK. We're growing very quickly at PostHog, so quickly that the numbers in our job descriptions often get out of date. Our ingestion pipeline is currently processing 10s of billions of events a month and we're hoping to add one more zero to that soon. You will be responsible for developing the infrastructure to capture all that data, process it reliably, and provide it to other parts of PostHog's platform, such as product analytics, feature flags, CDP, and more.

Requirements:

  • Experience working with highly scalable, event-driven distributed systems
  • You have developed multi-tenant software-as-a-service products
  • Experience with Node.JS, Go, Rust, or similar languages
  • You have worked with Kafka and PostgreSQL, Redis, or similar systems at scale
  • You know how to ship changes quickly without breaking things

Nice to have:

  • Experience with customer data platforms or similar data analytics systems
  • You've carried a pager and have dealt with incidents
  • You're comfortable with provisioning and maintaining cloud infrastructure
  • Experience with benchmarking and profiling tools
  • Knowledge of observability systems and practices

We believe people from diverse backgrounds, with different identities and experiences, make our product and our company better. That’s why we dedicated a page in our handbook to diversity and inclusion. No matter your background, we'd love to hear from you! Also, if you have a disability, please let us know if there's any way we can make the interview process better for you - we're happy to accommodate!

Backend Engineer — Ingestion employer: Wearefounders

At PostHog, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. As a Backend Engineer — Ingestion, you'll have the unique opportunity to own your projects end-to-end, work with cutting-edge technologies, and see the immediate impact of your contributions in a fast-paced environment. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that every voice is heard, making it a rewarding place for personal and professional growth.

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Contact Details:

Wearefounders Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Backend Engineer — Ingestion

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.

Tip Number 2

Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those involving Node.JS, Rust, or any high-throughput systems you've worked on. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do.

Tip Number 3

Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on distributed systems principles and data processing techniques. Practice coding challenges and system design questions to impress during the interview.

Tip Number 4

Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love hearing from passionate candidates who are excited about building robust ingestion pipelines.

We think you need these skills to ace Backend Engineer — Ingestion

High-throughput Data Processing
Distributed Systems Design
Node.JS
Rust
Kafka
PostgreSQL
Redis

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Passion for Data:When writing your application, let us know how excited you are about building systems that handle massive amounts of data. Share any relevant experiences or projects that highlight your enthusiasm for data integrity and reliability.

Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to reflect the specific skills and experiences mentioned in the job description. Highlight your experience with Node.JS, Rust, and any high-throughput data processing systems you've worked with to catch our eye!

Be Clear and Concise:We appreciate straightforward communication. Keep your application clear and to the point, focusing on your most relevant experiences. Avoid jargon unless it’s necessary to showcase your expertise in distributed systems.

Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!

How to prepare for a job interview at Wearefounders

Know Your Tech Stack

Make sure you’re well-versed in Node.JS and Rust, as these are key for the role. Brush up on your experience with Kafka, PostgreSQL, and Redis too, as they’ll likely come up during technical discussions.

Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills

Prepare to discuss specific challenges you've faced in building scalable systems. Think about how you’ve tackled issues related to data integrity and reliability, and be ready to share examples that highlight your thought process.

Understand Distributed Systems

Familiarise yourself with the principles of designing distributed systems. Be prepared to talk about how you choose the right tools for different tasks, and demonstrate your understanding of high-throughput data processing.

Emphasise Your Ownership Experience

This role offers end-to-end ownership of the ingestion pipeline, so be ready to discuss any previous experiences where you’ve taken full responsibility for a project. Highlight how you’ve managed to deliver results quickly and effectively.