Senior/Lead Backend Engineer - NYC at Modal

New York, New York, United States

Modal Logo
$180,000 – $275,000Compensation
Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Gaming, TechnologyIndustries

Requirements

  • 5+ years of backend engineering experience, with significant time in production environments
  • Strong proficiency in Java and hands-on experience building scalable microservices
  • Deep understanding of RESTful API design and distributed systems
  • Experience with relational databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL (including performance tuning and schema design)
  • Experience building systems that handle thousands of requests per second
  • Comfort with cloud infrastructure (GCP or AWS preferred), CI/CD, and infrastructure as code
  • Strong grasp of system design, architectural patterns, and security best practices
  • Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to drive cross-team projects

Responsibilities

  • Design and develop backend systems and REST APIs that serve millions of users and billions of clips
  • Own features end-to-end: from design and architecture through implementation and deployment
  • Work closely with cross-functional teams across product, ML, and mobile to build cohesive experiences
  • Scale our systems to support growth in users, content volume, and features
  • Lead engineering projects, drive architectural decisions, and mentor junior and mid-level backend engineers
  • Help maintain our cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines
  • Optimize databases, APIs, and services for performance, scalability, and cost
  • Contribute to technical strategy, roadmap, and team-wide best practices

Skills

REST APIs
Backend Systems
Databases
Cloud Infrastructure
CI/CD Pipelines
System Scalability
Low-Latency Systems
System Architecture

Modal

Employee training and skill development platform

About Modal

Modal Learning focuses on improving employee performance through skill development for businesses. Their main product, the Modal Mastery Platform, uses active learning techniques, including live cohort sessions, labs, and one-on-one coaching, to help employees engage with the material effectively. Unlike competitors, Modal Learning offers a subscription model that provides structured eight-week training programs, aligning skill development with organizational goals. The company's goal is to empower employees and help organizations retain talent by providing clear career development paths.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters
2021Year Founded
$30.8MTotal Funding
EARLY_VCCompany Stage
Consulting, EducationIndustries
51-200Employees

Risks

Competition from established players and emerging startups could dilute Modal's market share.
Focus on data and AI may limit appeal to companies seeking broader skill development.
Economic downturns could reduce corporate spending on employee training, impacting revenue.

Differentiation

Modal offers personalized technical skills training with on-demand coaching.
The platform uses cohort-based learning to enhance engagement and retention.
Modal's strategic skills planning aligns training with business goals.

Upsides

Increased demand for personalized learning experiences boosts Modal's market potential.
Growing emphasis on data and AI skills aligns with Modal's course offerings.
Subscription model provides steady revenue and predictable growth for Modal.

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