Backend Software Engineer

About the role

What you bring

• 2+ years of professional software engineering experience, including work on backend services.
• Working knowledge of Python and a solid grasp of web application fundamentals.
• An understanding of REST APIs and how backend services communicate with clients and other systems.
• Comfort with Git and common software development workflows, including code review and collaborative development.
• A commitment to writing reliable, tested, secure, and maintainable code.
• Clear communication skills, the ability to manage your own tasks, and a habit of asking for help when you need it.
• What makes you stand out
• Experience with Flask or FastAPI.
• Knowledge of the credit card or payments industry.
• Experience integrating with third-party APIs or external partner systems.
• Experience using agentic engineering tools (e.g., Claude, OpenAI/Codex, Copilot) to speed up development workflows.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience preferred.
• Experience with SQL and relational database design.
• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS preferred), containers (Docker), or message queues.
• Curiosity and a track record of picking up new technologies quickly.
• Personal, professional, or open-source projects that show your backend skills.
• Anticipated salary range for this level position: $105,000 - $130,000 annually. Individual pay and level is based on factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, experience, and other job-related reasons.
• Benefits & Perks
• Generous health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Employer-paid benefits including life, disability, and cost-containment resources
• Gym membership options through ClassPass or monthly reimbursement
• Education reimbursement program
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation bonus to move to Austin
• Referral program
• Company equity in the form of stock options
• Company performance-based bonuses
• Flexible vacation
• Hybrid work arrangement
• Casual dress code
• Team building events and activities
• ERG and inclusion opportunities
• Self Financial requires all employees hired to successfully pass a background check.
• We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• At this time, we are only able to consider applicants who are U.S. Citizens or Green Card Holders for employment opportunities. We appreciate your understanding.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional software engineering experience, including work on backend services.
• Working knowledge of Python and a solid grasp of web application fundamentals.
• An understanding of REST APIs and how backend services communicate with clients and other systems.
• Comfort with Git and common software development workflows, including code review and collaborative development.
• A commitment to writing reliable, tested, secure, and maintainable code.
• Clear communication skills, the ability to manage your own tasks, and a habit of asking for help when you need it.
• What makes you stand out
• Experience with Flask or FastAPI.
• Knowledge of the credit card or payments industry.
• Experience integrating with third-party APIs or external partner systems.
• Experience using agentic engineering tools (e.g., Claude, OpenAI/Codex, Copilot) to speed up development workflows.
• Experience with SQL and relational database design.
• Curiosity and a track record of picking up new technologies quickly.
• Personal, professional, or open-source projects that show your backend skills.
• Anticipated salary range for this level position: $105,000 - $130,000 annually. Individual pay and level is based on factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, experience, and other job-related reasons.
• Benefits & Perks
• Generous health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Employer-paid benefits including life, disability, and cost-containment resources
• Gym membership options through ClassPass or monthly reimbursement
• Education reimbursement program
• Paid parental leave
• Referral program
• Company equity in the form of stock options
• Company performance-based bonuses
• Flexible vacation
• Hybrid work arrangement
• Casual dress code
• Team building events and activities
• ERG and inclusion opportunities
• Self Financial requires all employees hired to successfully pass a background check.
• We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• At this time, we are only able to consider applicants who are U.S. Citizens or Green Card Holders for employment opportunities. We appreciate your understanding.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience preferred.
• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS preferred), containers (Docker), or message queues.
• Relocation bonus to move to Austin

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain backend services and APIs using Python, Flask, and FastAPI, taking on more ownership of your area of the system as you grow.
• Implement REST endpoints consumed by web and mobile clients, learning to design for scalability and long-term maintainability.
• Work with relational databases (PostgreSQL/MySQL) to model data, write efficient queries, and contribute to schema and indexing decisions.
• Build and support integrations with third-party partners and services, including handling data exchange, error cases, and monitoring to keep them running smoothly.
• Write clean, maintainable code, take part in code reviews, and use reviewer feedback to improve your work.
• Follow and help uphold the team’s best practices for testing, security, performance, and safe releases.
• Collaborate with Product, Design, Frontend Engineering, QA, and your engineering manager to scope and ship user-focused improvements.
• Debug issues, explore unfamiliar parts of the codebase, and build your understanding of Self’s backend architecture.
• Contribute to team rituals, documentation, and continuous improvement.