Position Name : Senior Backend Developer
Location: New Delhi
Employment Type : Full Time
Who we are
We at CivicDataLab, work with the goal to use data, tech, design and social science to strengthen the course of civic engagements in India. We work to harness the potential of the open-source movement to enable citizens to engage better with public reforms. Our work is centred around building data strategy, data platforms and data science applications to push data-driven decision-making at scale. Moreover, we work closely with governments, non-profits, think tanks, media houses, academia and more to build overall data and tech capacity.
What we are looking for
A Senior Backend Developer with a minimum of three years to help support our various interventions through data platforms and tools, focusing on development to infrastructure management. This position requires a developer who can help us scope, build and scale our backend stack that powers our data platforms.
This position will be based out of New Delhi [Need basis travel to other states within India will be required based on project commitments]
About the role
We need a team player who can coordinate in person and virtually with internal and external stakeholders with diverse backgrounds to refine their requirements into user stories and pull them into the current project roadmap and deliver on them.
Design, build, and maintain scalable backend systems that process large-scale data from diverse sectors and geographies.
Develop and enhance monitoring, evaluation, and observability of backend infrastructure.
Work with large-scale data inflows and outflows, ensuring efficient data handling and performance optimisation.
Develop and maintain data pipelines capable of processing both big and small datasets, with programmatic scheduling and monitoring.
Design and implement scalable APIs that serve key sectors and integrate seamlessly with various open-source solutions.
Build and manage open-source projects, contributing to the wider tech ecosystem.
Ensure security, privacy, and best practices in distributed data systems.
Maintain infrastructure scalability through efficient architecture, orchestration, and automation.
Minimum 5+ years of experience with backend web frameworks and RESTful service development. Our primary stack is Python (Django/Flask/FastAPI), but experience in Golang, Ruby, or JavaScript is acceptable if you're willing to work with Python.
Deep understanding of databases (both relational and NoSQL), including best practices for indexing, querying, normalisation, caching, and performance optimisation.
Solid understanding of Git workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and modern DevOps practices. We use GitHub for project management, so familiarity with its workflow is a plus.
Experience with scalable infrastructure, including microservices, distributed systems, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), load balancing, and cloud-based deployment.
Experience with cloud services, e.g AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.
Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical requirements into actionable development plans. You should be comfortable keeping stakeholders informed and making data-driven decisions.
Prior experience working on open-source projects.
Prior experience in working with Data/Tech communities.
Collaborating with government or research-based organisations on past projects.
Prior experience of working remotely.
Familiar with Docker and Kubernetes ecosystems.
Basic knowledge of queuing mechanisms with Redis/RabbitMQ/Celery
A good sense of humour.
How we work
CivicDataLab is based out of Delhi and has the presence of project teams located in Assam and Himachal Pradesh. We follow a hybrid model where our bandhus work out of the office for a minimum of 12 days per month (i.e.) 3 days a week. We use open-source tools and agile methodologies in organising our work.
Perks of Working with Us
At CivicDataLab, we always emphasise the wellness of our bandhus. This includes any Expenditure done for Wellness Setup, except any financial instrument, any expense that can be claimed as a deductible expense under Income Tax rules, any goods and services that attract a combined tax, cess or duty of more than 28%. If you're interested in taking classes that enhance your overall physical or mental well-being, you have an INR 60,000 annual stipend to do so. For some people, that might mean a monthly massage. Some take photography lessons or learn a musical instrument, or buy a gym membership. It's up to you; the point is to learn something that you feel enriches you as a person.
At CivicDataLab, we encourage everyone to take up things that help one grow professionally, and you get an annual kitty of INR 60,000 to do so. This includes attending or speaking at conferences and workshops, taking courses, acquiring hardware or software licenses or even joining summer schools. We feel that learning a skill should never be a hurdle to solve important problems for the community.
Cost to Organisation(CTO) range
Under 12 LPA (including Perks) (Depends on the Interview)
Please note: This figure includes both fixed remuneration, perks and Incidental components such as salary, statutory benefits, professional development, wellness, travel infrastructure, and other operational support costs incurred by the organisation.
Our Commitment to Diversity
We are committed to inclusive hiring and strongly encourage applicants from diverse and underrepresented gender and caste identities and/or sociocultural backgrounds to apply for this role. Our organisational policies are gender-neutral, including the POSH policy and leave policy. We provide 6 months of paid time off as parental leave for the primary caregiver and 6 weeks of paid time off for the secondary caregiver, including adoption.
Note: We appreciate your interest in joining CivicDataLab. Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity. Due to the volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the selection process.
If you are shortlisted, you can typically expect to hear from us within 5 to 7 working days from the date of your application.
