Backend & Cybersecurity Engineer

ATEC is a climate tech company that provides clean cooking solutions to households across the Global South. Our IoT-enabled electric induction stoves and biodigesters replace biomass-fueled cooking in Asia and Africa, while simultaneously generating fully digitised carbon credits and providing households at the base of the pyramid with access to global carbon markets. ATEC is decarbonising cooking through verifiable technology and solving a health problem that affects 1 in 2 people on the planet.

The Backend & Cybersecurity Engineer will lead the development and security of backend services and APIs that power our IoT and carbon credit platforms. This role will focus on building scalable and secure backend applications, implementing best-in-class security measures, and integrating with external services while ensuring robust protections across all APIs and data systems. Ideal candidates have strong experience in backend engineering with secure coding practices, cloud security controls, DevSecOps, and transitioning from monolithic to microservice-based architectures.

This is a remote role and requires a minimum of 4h overlap AEST work schedule (Mo-Fr 9am-5.30pm).

Backend Development:

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems and APIs for various use cases (e.g., public, private, and partner-facing).
• Optimize backend performance for reliability and scalability under diverse workloads.
• Drive the migration from monolithic systems to microservice-based architecture.
• Ensure robust integration between IoT backend systems and secure cloud endpoints.

Cloud Security Implementation:

• Develop and implement comprehensive cybersecurity policy for the business based on audit findings
• Establish and enforce security policies for cloud infrastructure, including Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles, least privilege access, and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Monitor and mitigate security risks using tools like AWS Security Hub, GuardDuty, and CloudTrail.
• Implement secure data storage, encryption (in-transit and at-rest), and backup strategies.
• Perform regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing of APIs and cloud systems.

API Security and Integrations:

• Design and implement secure APIs with authentication, authorization, and rate-limiting mechanisms (OAuth2, JWT, API keys).
• Develop and maintain integrations with external platforms while ensuring data security and compliance.
• Harden APIs against potential threats, such as replay attacks and brute-force attempts.

Monitoring, Logging, and Incident Response:

• Set up comprehensive monitoring and logging systems to detect and respond to security and dropout events promptly.
• Develop and maintain incident response procedures, ensuring swift mitigation of breaches or anomalies.
• Use tools like AWS CloudWatch, Splunk, or ELK stack for real-time monitoring and analytics.

Collaboration

• Work closely with backend, hardware, and data teams to enable reliable device-cloud interaction.
• Coordinate with the Backend & Cybersecurity Engineer on shared infrastructure, service interconnectivity, and deployment workflows.
• Support business and product teams with data infrastructure capabilities.

Other activities as determined by the Chief Technology Officer

Qualifications and Experience:

• Tertiary degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field
• Proficiency in backend programming (e.g., Python, Node.js, Java) with a focus on secure development practices
• Hands-on experience with API security standards (e.g., OAuth2, JWT) and secure integration patterns
• Experience with development and scaling of containerized environments (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes) and their security models
• Solid understanding of encryption protocols, firewalls, and network security controls.
• Experience in monitoring and securing production environments.
• Awareness of DevSecOps principles and integrating security into CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong communication skills and able to interact with technical and non technical stakeholders

Personal Attributes:

• Demonstrate your commitment to our values
• Enjoy working in a fast paced and dispersed work environment
• Open Source contributor a bonus
• High attention to detail
• Proactive approach, be visible and vocal, have an opinion
• Excellent written and verbal communicator, with the ability to translate technical jargon into everyday language
• Driven to help people and communities