Lead Software Engineer - Backend

<p>At Freshworks, we don’t just ship software—we shape it to be fast, reliable, and refreshingly simple. As a <strong>Lead Backend Engineer</strong>, you’ll build the scalable systems that drive our global products—and do it with clarity, ownership, and a sharp eye for design. You’ll lead backend modules end-to-end, influence architecture across teams, and raise the bar on performance, stability, and code quality.</p><p>If you obsess over time and space complexity, love breaking down tough problems, and take pride in helping others level up—you’ll feel right at home.</p><p><strong>Responsibilities</strong></p><ul><li>Architect and build scalable backend services that handle millions of transactions reliably.</li><li>Own the full development lifecycle: from high-level design to deployment and debugging.</li><li>Write clean, modular, and testable code—optimized for both readability and performance.</li><li>Apply deep OOPS concepts and design patterns to solve real-world engineering problems.</li><li>Ensure systems are tuned for high availability, fault tolerance, and observability.</li><li>Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product, Frontend, SRE) to deliver customer value fast.</li><li>Lead code reviews, mentor 2–3 engineers, and drive engineering best practices across the team. Elevate overall code quality.</li><li>Troubleshoot performance bottlenecks in production and drive long-term stability improvements.</li><li>Influence platform direction through architectural reviews and roadmap planning.</li></ul><p><strong>Requirements</strong></p><ul><li>6 to 8 years of experience building and scaling backend systems in fast-paced product teams.</li><li><strong>Data Structures &amp; Algorithms (DSA)</strong>: Expertise in selecting optimal data structures and developing efficient, optimized code including time/space complexity trade-offs. Deep knowledge of REST APIs.</li><li><strong>Problem Solving &amp; Logical Analysis</strong>: Ability to clearly articulate thought processes, decompose complex problems, and engineer effective solutions.</li><li><strong>Object-Oriented Design (OOD)</strong>: Strong command of OOP principles, designing extensible code, and applying SOLID principles.</li><li><strong>System Design (High-Level Design - HLD &amp; LLD)</strong>: Proven ability to design scalable, highly available, and fault-tolerant end-to-end systems, including APIs, schema, and data models.</li><li>Exposure to RDBMS, caching strategies, distributed queues, and microservices.</li><li>Exposure and experience with AI tools and technologies to improve efficiency</li><li><strong>Leadership &amp; Collaboration</strong>: Demonstrates strong ownership, collaborates effectively, and shows potential for mentoring.</li></ul> <ul><li>Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.</li><li>You’re skilled at balancing fast delivery with long-term scalability.</li><li>You think clearly in code and architecture diagrams.</li><li>You’ve shipped features at scale and supported them in production.</li><li>You love working in collaborative, agile teams—and mentoring others along the way.</li></ul><p><strong>Please note: This is a hybrid role that will be based in San Mateo, CA or Bellevue, WA and requires an in-office presence three days per week (Tuesday - Thursday).</strong></p> <p>The annual base salary range for this position is $168,300 - $207,900.&#xa0;<br> <br> Compensation is based on a variety of factors including but not limited to location, experience, job-related skills, and level. Bonus/equity may be available.<br> <br> Freshworks offers multiple options for dental, medical, vision, disability and life insurances. Equity + ESPP, flexible PTO, flexible spending, commuter benefits and wellness benefits are also offered. Freshworks also offers adoption and parental leave benefits.</p><div sr-tagline=""></div><p>At Freshworks, we have fostered an environment that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpos ... (truncated, view full listing at source)