Lead Backend Engineer

Lead Backend Engineer (Python, Go) Location: Bangalore (Office) Experience: 4-7 years (Senior-level) Role Type: Full-time (Tech Lead) About TestZeus TestZeus is pioneering the next generation of autonomous software testing with AI agents. We're the team behind Hercules, the world's first open-source testing agent. We combine large language models, multi-agent orchestration, and retrieval pipelines to deliver zero-maintenance testing for web and API workloads. We are seeking a Lead Backend Engineer who can own the engine that powers Hercules: distributed microservices, event-driven pipelines, and reliable APIs. You'll lead a small backend/DevOps pod, balance Python agility with Go performance, and ensure our platform is robust, observable, and scalable. Key Responsibilities1. Backend Architecture & Microservices - Design and build production microservices in Go (high-throughput workloads) and Python (FastAPI/Flask for developer-friendly APIs). - Define and maintain gRPC/REST contracts, authentication/authorization flows, and rate-limiting strategies. - Own database migrations and schema evolution for services in production. 2. Eventing & Data Layer - Implement and operate Kafka or RabbitMQ pipelines for job queues, ingestion, and telemetry. - Design and optimise PostgreSQL schemas, indexes, and queries for performance and reliability. - Use Redis (or similar) for caching, rate limiting, and ephemeral data patterns. 3. DevOps, Reliability & Observability - Containerise services using Docker and orchestrate them using Kubernetes (Helm/Kustomize). - Set up and maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar) and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform). - Establish observability: metrics, logs, and traces via Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/EFK or equivalents. - Define SLOs, alerts, and incident playbooks, and lead post-mortems in a blameless manner. 4. Scalability, Security & Cost - Plan and implement horizontal scaling, blue-green/rolling deployments, and capacity management. - Manage secrets, TLS, and secure configurations, working with cloud-native security best practices. - Conduct cost, performance, and capacity reviews to keep the platform efficient as it grows. 5. AI/Agent Platform Integration - Expose and consume backend endpoints for LLM evaluation, vector search (Pinecone/Weaviate/mem0), and feedback loops. - Collaborate closely with AI engineers to integrate agents with backend services and event pipelines. - Ensure backend systems are agent-ready: idempotent, observable, and robust to retries and failures. 6. Leadership, Mentorship & Collaboration - Lead 2–3 backend/DevOps engineers through design docs, code reviews, and technical decision-making. - Drive post-mortems and architectural discussions, fostering a blameless, learning-first culture. - Partner with frontend and AI teams to deliver user-visible features end-to-end. - Communicate clearly with founders and product stakeholders on trade-offs, timelines, and risks. Qualifications & SkillsEducation - B.E./B.Tech/M.S. in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience - 4–7 years of total experience, strongly back-end-centric. - Experience in leading projects or mentoring engineers (formal or informal leadership). Must-Have Skills - Backend Engineering - 4–5 years building production microservices in Go and Python (FastAPI/Flask or similar). - Proven delivery of at least one high-concurrency, production-facing service. - Event & Data Stack - Hands-on experience with Kafka or RabbitMQ for queues and event pipelines. - Strong PostgreSQL design skills (schemas, indexing, performance tuning). - Practical usage of Redis (or equivalent) for caching and transient data. - DevOps & Reliability - Solid experience with Kubernetes & Docker for deploying and managing services. - Ownership of CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar). - Familiarity with monitoring & observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/EFK. Nice-to-Have - Experience integrating with LLM services or vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector, mem0, etc.). - Exposure to compliance-heavy or multi-region systems (data residency, failover, etc.). - Prior experience in high-scale, SaaS, or developer-tools companies. Why Join TestZeus? - Impact & Ownership - Power thousands of autonomous tests daily by owning the backend core of Hercules. - Influence architecture, tooling, and engineering culture from an early stage. - Competitive Compensation & Equity - Market-aligned salary with meaningful stock options. - Growth & Learning - Deep exposure to Kubernetes, cost-optimised cloud infra, AI integrations, and event-driven architectures. - Support for conferences, learning budgets, and open-source contributions. - Collaborative Culture - Work in small, focused squads with direct access to founders. - Health cover, PTO, and a Bangalore workspace optimised for high-bandwidth collaboration. Application Process To apply, please share the following details with us: - Your CV - Your Current and Expected CTC - Years of experience in Backend Engineering (specifically with Python and Go) - Links to Public Work (e.g., GitHub, Medium, personal website) Submit all the above to: hiring@testzeus.com - We're excited to hear from you