Backend Engineer

Bandung, Indonesia · Full-Time

About the Role

Solve Education! is hiring a Backend Engineer to build and own the services behind our mission: helping young people everywhere reach their potential through accessible, AI-powered learning. This is a high-ownership role for an engineer who writes clean, well-tested code, thinks in systems, and wants their work to directly power a global learning platform.

You'll design, build, and operate backend services across our stack, working heavily with AI coding tools (especially Claude Code) - which means you'll direct that work, review it critically, and take full ownership of correctness and quality. You'll work with a high degree of autonomy and hold a high bar for reliability and code.

Our stack: Node.js + Express (TypeScript) · Python (FastAPI) · Next.js server-side (route handlers / server actions) · MongoDB · Redis · Git + CI/CD. These are deliberate choices - all are stacks AI coding tools handle well, so you can move fast and still review confidently.

Before You Apply

This role carries real ownership of production services learners depend on. You'll handle ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and ship reliable, well-tested code in a fast-moving environment - including code that an AI agent drafted and you made correct. We value engineers who practice disciplined testing, take full accountability for what they ship, and hold a high standard without close supervision.

If you want a role where your work has visible impact, where engineering quality is core rather than optional, and where your work directly supports a mission that matters, we'd love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

API & Service Development

• Design, build, and maintain backend services and APIs in Node.js/Express and Python/FastAPI, plus server-side logic in Next.js for our web app.
• Own services end-to-end, from design to production, within a microservices architecture.
• Translate product requirements into well-structured, scalable solutions.

AI-Assisted Development & Oversight

• Direct Claude Code and other AI tools to build features fast - writing clear specs and prompts.
• Review and refine AI-generated code; you are accountable for correctness, security, and maintainability, not the AI.
• Set conventions and tests that keep AI output consistent and safe to ship.

Data & State Management

• Design and optimize data models, indexes, and queries in MongoDB.
• Use Redis for caching, sessions, and performance-critical paths.
• Keep data integrity and access patterns sound across services.

Quality, Reliability & Delivery

• Practice test-driven development; write unit and integration tests as part of delivery.
• Maintain quality through reviews and clear patterns, and keep CI/CD deployments fast and safe.
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize services; take part in incident response to minimize downtime.

Collaboration & Documentation

• Work with the Product & Technology team to define requirements, APIs, and system behavior.
• Keep clear technical docs, API specs, and operational standards up to date.

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years building backend services in production.
• Strong backend fundamentals with proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript (Node.js/Express) and/or Python (FastAPI) - comfortable working across both, and in Next.js server-side code. (Depth in one plus willingness across the others is fine; you don't need to be an expert in all three.)
• Solid MongoDB (data modeling, indexing, query optimization) and hands-on Redis (caching or sessions).
• Disciplined testing - TDD and automated tests as a habit, not an afterthought.
• Experience designing or operating microservices, plus CI/CD and Git.
• Ability to direct AI coding tools (especially Claude Code) and critically review their output - strong enough to catch what the AI gets wrong.
• Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, accountability, and the ability to operate independently under pressure.

Bonus Points If You Have

• Containerized deployments (Docker or similar).
• Familiarity with message queues or event-driven architectures.
• API security and auth patterns (OAuth, JWT).
• A real knack for prompt and workflow design with agentic coding tools.
• Experience in mission-driven or non-profit organizations.

Why Join Us?

You'll be joining a team with a bold mission to transform education. We don't expect perfection, but we do expect creativity, ownership, and a strong learning attitude. If you're looking for a conventional engineering role, this may not be the right fit. But if you're ready to lead with technology, build solutions that matter, and create real-world impact - we'd love to hear from you.