Lead Software Engineer

Toptal

full-time

Posted on: 10/4/2025

Location Type: Remote

Location: Remote • 🇩🇪 Germany

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Senior

AWSCloudGoGoogle Cloud PlatformGraphQLJavaJavaScriptKubernetesMicroservicesNode.jsPostgresReactRedisRuby on RailsTypeScript

About the role

Collaborate daily with product, design, and compliance in a lean, cross-functional team.
Drive product decisions end-to-end, moving from concept to code to production in days, not months.
Contribute to technical excellence: architecture reviews, RFCs, and open feedback - building practices that scale.
Influence not just the codebase, but the direction of the platform itself - shaping how millions of people will move money globally.
Design and operate systems that move billions in payments globally with near-zero downtime, ensuring sub-100ms latency under peak load.
Build fault-tolerant APIs and microservices (Node.js/TypeScript), scaling to millions of transactions with observability (metrics, tracing, automated alerts) from day one.
Embed compliance by design: KYC/AML, fraud detection, and audit trails that don’t slow users down.
Integrate and secure stablecoin and fiat rails - wallets, orchestrators, on/off-ramps - so anyone, anywhere can send and receive money instantly.
Ensure backend and frontend choices enhance the user experience, not just the codebase.
Lead initiatives from design to rollout, balancing ambition with global regulatory realities to deliver reliable systems users can depend on daily.

6+ years building transaction-heavy systems in production, scaling to millions of transactions.
Deep backend expertise in Node.js (or Java/Go), REST/GraphQL microservices at scale.
Strong experience with PostgreSQL and Redis.
Full-stack capability: backend first, but proven ability to ship React/TypeScript frontend features.
Cloud & infra: AWS/GCP, Kubernetes, CI/CD, IaC.
Proven ability to meet strict SLAs (99.99% uptime) and latency target (<100ms). *Experience in regulated fintech/payments: compliance, security and UX as one flow.

Benefits

Founding role - build the architecture, standards, and codebase future engineers will inherit.
Move fast, no bureaucracy - high-trust environment, maximum autonomy.
Career-defining opportunity - build a payments platform from scratch as stablecoins go mainstream.
Transparent, supportive culture - feedback flows freely, the best ideas win, and you’ll have the freedom to experiment, learn, and grow.

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Node.jsTypeScriptJavaGoRESTGraphQLPostgreSQLRedisCI/CDInfrastructure as Code (IaC)

collaborationinfluenceleadershiptechnical excellencedesign thinkingproblem-solvingcommunicationinitiativescalability focususer experience enhancement