Lead Backend Engineer (Node.js / DevOps / AI)

Dizzaract is a product-driven company operating at the intersection of gaming, digital platforms, and AI. We build and scale multiple products, including FAR Labs & Gamed - each exploring a different space, yet united by a shared approach: moving fast, staying curious, and focusing on things that people actually use.

We operate as a collaborative, non-hierarchical team where ideas are valued based on their impact, not their origin, and where AI is embedded across everything we build, from infrastructure to product decisions.

02. ABOUT THE ROLE

We’re looking for a Lead Backend Engineer to take technical ownership of the backend and lead the backend engineering team.

This is a hands-on engineering role. You’ll still spend a significant part of your time designing systems, writing and reviewing code, while also setting engineering standards, helping the team make technical decisions, and driving delivery.

You’ll work closely with the Tech Lead, Frontend, Game and Product teams on systems serving hundreds of thousands of users.

03. RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own backend architecture and technical decisions.
• Design, build and maintain backend services using TypeScript, Node.js and NestJS.
• Lead the backend team day-to-day and help engineers unblock complex technical problems.
• Review code and maintain strong engineering and quality standards.
• Design systems for high availability, performance and scale.
• Own database architecture and optimisation across PostgreSQL, Redis and MongoDB.
• Build integrations with internal services, external APIs, payment and gaming platforms.
• Improve system reliability, observability and fault tolerance.
• Work with the Tech Lead on CI/CD, deployments and infrastructure.
• Support the integration of AI/LLM capabilities into production products.
• Contribute directly to planning, estimation and technical direction.

04. REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years of backend engineering experience, with strong hands-on coding skills
• Strong production experience with TypeScript and Node.js.
• Experience with NestJS, Express or Fastify.
• Previous experience leading backend engineers and owning technical delivery.
• Strong understanding of system design, distributed systems and event-driven architecture.
• Experience with PostgreSQL, MongoDB and Redis.
• Experience with message brokers/queues such as Kafka, RabbitMQ, SQS or BullMQ.
• Good understanding of Docker and CI/CD.
• Experience designing and operating scalable production systems.
• Strong ownership and ability to work in a fast-moving environment.

05. NICE TO HAVE

• Experience building high-load or real-time systems.
• Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure experience.
• Infrastructure as Code experience with Terraform or Pulumi.
• Experience with AWS, GCP or Azure.
• AI/LLM engineering experience - LLM APIs, RAG, embeddings, vector databases or agents.
• Gaming or player-facing product experience.

07. WHAT WE OFFER

• Real technical ownership and influence over architecture.
• A Lead role where you still build, rather than move into pure management.
• High-load and technically challenging products.
• Exposure to AI/LLM development across our ecosystem.
• Fast decision-making and low bureaucracy.
• Competitive salary + performance-based incentives.
• 24 days annual leave + public holidays.
• Health insurance.
• Modern office at Yas Creative Hub, Abu Dhabi.