Purpose of the job:
As a Backend Engineer at VALR, your primary responsibility will be to architect, develop, and maintain robust backend systems that power our platform. You will play a crucial role in ensuring the scalability, security, and reliability of our exchange infrastructure while adhering to industry best practices.
What will you be doing:
- Design, develop, and maintain Kotlin-based backend services.
- Implement and integrate REST APIs and/or WebSockets for seamless communication between different components of the exchange platform, while also extending and improving our API.
- Leverage Google Cloud Platform to deploy and manage scalable infrastructure.
- Incorporate CI/CD concepts, version control, and containerization to streamline the development and deployment processes.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including frontend engineers, designers, and product managers, to deliver high-quality features and products.
- Develop RESTful APIs and microservices to build best-in-class product features, extend our platform's functionality, and enhance user experience.
- Optimise and scale backend systems to handle high traffic volumes and ensure low-latency responses.
- Create troubleshooting tools and participate in code reviews, automated testing, and continuous integration to maintain code quality.
- Implement internal processes and tooling to improve development efficiency and streamline workflows.
- Write easy-to-read, maintainable code and adhere to coding standards and best practices.
What we look for in you:
- Practical experience is more relevant than a formal qualification.
- Extensive experience in backend development with proficiency in Kotlin, Java, or other JVM-based languages.
- 6+ years experience working in production environments.
- Strong understanding of REST APIs and/or WebSockets for building scalable and real-time communication systems.
- Hands-on experience with cloud platforms like AWS and GCP, along with knowledge of associated services and tools.
- Familiarity with CI/CD concepts, version control systems (e.g., Git), and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to tackle complex technical challenges.
- Effective communication skills with the ability to collaborate within cross-functional teams.
- Passion for cryptocurrencies and alternative financial systems.
- A natural inclination to help people and the ability to explain technical details simply.
What can you expect from VALR:
- Competitive salary: Get paid well to work in an exciting industry.
- Leave: Compliance with statutory leave required by individual countries, in addition to flexible leave.
- Remote work: You can work from wherever you like. However, to work effectively remotely, employees must ensure that there is secure, stable internet connectivity.
- Home office setup: A Mac laptop and a discretionary allowance to buy all the extras needed to work happily from home—all of it yours to keep after three years. Terms and Conditions will apply.
- Learning fund: An annual upskilling budget of R20,000 per employee, which will be converted to the respective currency of the employee's payment, in addition to scheduled VALR training.
- Performance bonus: When you contribute to VALR’s success, you’ll be rewarded with discretionary bonuses.
- Regular get-togethers outside of work.
- Annual company retreats.
What We Do
VALR bridges the gap between our traditional financial system and the new world of cryptocurrencies. Here's why:
There is a socio-financial transition taking place in the world. The organisation of our world into nation-states no longer ministers to the needs of humanity. Humanity yearns to be unified; yet our structures continue to divide us.
Money is one of those structures, predominantly defined by the nation-state. The divisions and frictions caused by our antiquated nation-state system have permeated our financial system. These frictions license financial intermediaries to extract financial value from humanity’s cross-border relationships, often at exorbitant rates.
“It is expensive to be poor” is truer in the financial industry than any other. We need a new organisational paradigm for society that transcends the nation-state. This in turn will remove some of the frictions in our financial system.
But our political systems are mired in vested interests that a deliberate transition by those in power to a system that puts the whole ahead of its constituent parts seems unimaginable, propagating the financial frictions.
In the absence of a societal paradigm that eliminates these man-made frictions, cryptocurrencies (and crypto assets in general) have emerged and rise above national borders.
Cryptocurrencies hold the promise of being the most frictionless asset class humanity has ever seen. Yet the process to access these assets from our traditional financial system remains difficult.
Our mission is to usher in a new financial paradigm.
Join us in building a financial system that recognises the oneness of humanity.
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