The Pitch

Slate is building collaboration features that let brand teams work together on content in real time — and we need a Senior Backend Engineer to own the infrastructure that makes it possible. You’ll build the backend systems for real-time collaboration: operational transforms, presence, commenting, version history, and the APIs that tie it all together.

What You’ll Actually Do

Build real-time collaboration infrastructure

• Design and build the backend systems that power real-time document collaboration — conflict resolution, operational transforms or CRDTs, and state synchronisation
• Build presence, cursors, and live activity indicators across Slate’s shared workspaces
• Own the performance and reliability of collaboration features at scale

Enable team workflows

• Build commenting, tagging, and notification systems that support async and real-time team workflows
• Design version history and branching capabilities so teams can collaborate without fear
• Work closely with frontend engineers to define the APIs and protocols they need

Raise the platform bar

• Improve the reliability and scalability of Slate’s existing backend systems
• Define and own the observability and alerting for collaboration features
• Contribute to architectural decisions that affect the whole engineering team

You’d Be a Great Fit If

You have the experience:

• 5+ years of backend engineering experience with a track record of shipping production systems
• Experience building real-time systems (WebSockets, CRDTs, OT, or similar)
• Strong understanding of distributed systems and database design

You’ve done work like this before:

• Built collaborative editing or real-time sync features in a production product
• Designed systems that handle concurrent writes and conflict resolution
• Operated stateful systems with high availability requirements

You work the way we work:

• You own the outcomes, not just the tasks
• You communicate clearly and raise issues early
• You think carefully about correctness and edge cases, but also know when to ship

Tech Stack

Node.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Redis, WebSockets, AWS

The Details

• Location: Remote, anywhere from EST (UTC-5) to UTC+2
• Reporting to: Maciej Kucharek, Head of Engineering
• Compensation: US $170k–200k | Rest of World $95k–140k USD + equity

Benefits

• Equity options
• Unlimited PTO (we actually take it)
• $200/month wellness stipend
• Health insurance stipend
• Home office budget

About Slate

Slate is the creative workspace for brand social teams. We help teams create and ship on-brand content fast with an all-in-one editor, built-in asset management, and seamless creative file workflows, backed by hands-on support from people who have done the job. Teams across top sports leagues and global brands like Amazon and Hoka use Slate every day to elevate their social presence.

Note: We do not sponsor work visas.

Slate is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, regardless of background, identity, or experience.

Compensation Range: $95K - $200K