Full-Time

Staff Backend Engineer

Posted on 8/26/2025

WillowTree

WillowTree

1,001-5,000 employees

Mobile app development, design, strategy

No salary listed

Boston, MA, USA + 3 more

More locations: Durham, NC, USA | Columbus, OH, USA | Charlottesville, VA, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid role requiring in-office presence on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Requirements
  • Have professional programming experience — we’re thinking 12+ years
  • Inspire others to write code that is durable, secure, scalable, always up and running
  • Have in-depth experience with one server-side programming language — such as Java, Kotlin or other JVM languages; C# or other .NET languages; Python, Go, and perhaps a breadth in others
  • Have in-depth experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases. This could be PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, MongoDB, or another type of document-database. This includes experience with schema design, indexing, querying, and performance tuning
  • Are eager to share your knowledge with teammates through mentorship, code reviews and pair programming sessions
  • Have experience writing apps for Azure, AWS, GCP, CloudFoundry, Heroku, SalesForce, Mulesoft and/or other cloud providers
  • Are well versed in using Cloud Provider utilities such as CLI tools and Consoles (Azure Portal, AWS Console)
  • Have experience developing RESTful APIs and/or Graphql APIs
  • Possess strong debugging and troubleshooting skills
  • Are able to assist teammates with issues by breaking down complex tasks
  • Effectively communicate system architecture and development decisions to clients and teammates
  • Strong appreciation for CI/CD (e.g. CircleCI, TeamCity, AzureDevops) and experience setting up deployment pipelines
  • Demonstrated leadership skills and a passion for fostering an inclusive and innovative work culture.
  • This position requires experience with NodeJS.
Responsibilities
  • Confidently deliver high-quality software by applying critical thinking to products, requirements, and processes
  • Partner closely with clients to influence technical product decisions and business goals
  • You’ll continually stay up to date with the landscape of software engineering best practices, tools, and frameworks
  • Have extensive professional programming experience— we’re thinking at least 12+ years
  • Understanding of various software architectures and can adapt/compose solutions to unique problems with sustainable and reusable solutions
  • Help mentor and coach a project team towards shared goals and outcomes
  • Navigate difficult conversations by providing constructive feedback to teams and clients
  • You’ll identify obstacles to ensure quality, improve our user experience and how we build software
  • Self-aware of limitations, yet curious to learn new solutions while being receptive to constructive feedback from teammates
  • You’ll guide your team to understand and work through changing priorities by bringing positive energy
  • Communicate and simplify complex problems in order to foster understanding across multidisciplinary teams
  • Design and develop 12-factor apps that can efficiently scale in modern cloud environments.
  • Work with relational and non-relational databases to design efficient data models and optimize data access.
  • Design and develop APIs that are well-documented, reliable, and consumable by various clients.
  • Troubleshoot problems in existing code and systems, identify root causes, and autonomously implement remedial actions.

WillowTree helps brands build and grow mobile and digital products. The company guides clients from mobile strategy to launching and growing mobile apps, websites, OTT apps, and voice tech, all through an integrated team that covers strategy, product design, development, testing, launch, and growth. How it works: clients receive strategic guidance aligned with real-world costs and timelines, then WillowTree executes across the product lifecycle—from digital product strategy and design to end-to-end development and ongoing growth initiatives. How it differs: a senior, cross-disciplinary team that operates at the strategic level while delivering concrete, implementable plans and hands-on build work, and a portfolio that includes major Fortune 500 brands. What it aims to achieve: help clients realize the potential of evolving mobile technologies by delivering practical, scalable mobile and digital products that reach users and drive growth.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Charlottesville, Virginia

Founded

2007

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • TELUS International acquisition in January 2023 adds global scale and AI expertise.
  • Integrates ChatGPT into Vocable AAC app on September 28, 2023, advancing conversational AI.
  • Grows to over 1,000 experts across 13 studios in US, Canada, Brazil, and Europe.

What critics are saying

  • TELUS bureaucracy slows WillowTree's agile decisions, alienating specialized clients.
  • Offshore rivals like Toptal undercut $150–$199/hr rates by 40–60%.
  • Post-acquisition cultural clashes drive talent exodus to Huge Inc.

What makes WillowTree unique

  • WillowTree bridges consumer UX with enterprise-grade mobile security for Fortune 500 brands.
  • Leads in field solutions, loyalty programs, payments, and connected devices expertise.
  • Acquired PoaTek in 2021 and Maark on September 15, 2021, expanding engineering capabilities.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Flexible Work Hours

Hybrid Work Options

Paid Vacation

Parental Leave

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Employee Share Purchase Plan

Company News

The Tifton Gazette
Apr 9th, 2026
Brandi AI appoints Liam Darmody as vice president of customer success and go-to-market operations.

Brandi AI appoints Liam Darmody as vice president of customer success and go-to-market operations. PR Newswire Today at 3:15am PDT Experienced revenue and customer success leader to scale Brandi AI's growth and category leadership in AI visibility and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) MCLEAN, Va., April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Brandi AI(TM), the industry's most comprehensive, intelligence-driven platform for enterprise AI visibility and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), today announced the appointment of Liam Darmody as vice president of customer success and go-to-market operations. In this role, Darmody will lead customer success strategy, revenue operations and go-to-market execution as the company expands its position in the rapidly emerging Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) category. The appointment comes as organizations increasingly shift from traditional search strategies to AI-driven discovery, where visibility in generative engines and answer-based systems is becoming critical to brand performance. Brandi AI has established early leadership in this space, with a proprietary framework for generative engine optimization and recent recognition as a G2 High Performer in the Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) category. Brandi AI was also recognized as an Intellyx 2025 Digital Innovator for pioneering the discipline of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Darmody brings nearly 20 years of experience building and scaling customer success, revenue operations and go-to-market functions at high-growth technology companies. He has worked across industries including online commerce, real estate technology, technology consulting nd enterprise data, consistently driving measurable growth and customer retention. "Liam brings a powerful combination of customer-first thinking and operational rigor at exactly the right time for Brandi AI," said Leah Nurik, co-founder and CEO of Brandi AI. "As companies navigate the shift to AI-driven discovery and answer engines, his experience building scalable, high-impact customer success and go-to-market systems will help us translate our category leadership into measurable outcomes for customers." Prior to joining Brandi AI, Darmody held leadership roles at several prominent technology companies. At Homesnap, later acquired by CoStar Group, he helped drive 456% year-over-year direct sales revenue growth. At WillowTree, acquired by TELUS International, he built a recruitment marketing engine from the ground up. At AddThis, acquired by Oracle, he grew engaged enterprise accounts from zero to more than 600 while maintaining a 97% retention rate. Earlier in his career, he joined LivingSocial as employee No. 20 and helped scale the company into a global organization prior to its acquisition by Groupon. Darmody will focus on aligning Brandi AI's customer experience with its go-to-market strategy, ensuring customers can effectively navigate the shift to generative search and maximize their visibility across AI-driven platforms. "AI is fundamentally reshaping how people discover and engage with brands," said Darmody. "Brandi AI is at the forefront of defining how companies succeed in this new environment from Generative Engine Optimization to AI visibility more broadly. I'm excited to help scale a customer-centric organization that enables brands to adapt and win in this next era of search." About Brandi AI Brandi AI(TM) is the leading platform for enterprise AI visibility and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Built on a powerful intelligence layer, Brandi helps organizations stay visible as online discovery shifts from search engines to AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity, revealing where brands stand in this new landscape. Brandi tracks the high-intent questions buyers ask AI and shows whether - and how - a brand is mentioned or cited in AI-generated answers. With this foundation, Brandi provides data-driven guidance and optimization tools to help marketers refine existing web content and create new AI-ready content designed to earn brand mentions and citations in AI answer engines. Used by Fortune 500s, global agencies and mid-market brands across B2C and B2B industries, Brandi supports CMOs and product marketers in defining category strategy and content, and PR, SEO, and digital marketing teams in driving visibility. For more information, visit mybrandi.ai. Follow Brandi AI on LinkedIn. SOURCE Brandi AI This is a paid placement. For further inquiries, please contact PR Newswire directly.

Business Wire
May 2nd, 2024
Everest Group Survey: Majority of Businesses Consider Outsourcing Generative AI Development Amid Concerns Over Data Security, Privacy and Regulatory Compliance

WillowTree was recognized as a notable provider in Forrester's The Innovation Consulting Services Landscape for Q1 2024.

Benzinga
Sep 28th, 2023
WillowTree Transforms Vocable AAC Mobile App with Conversational AI Integration, Giving Voice to Millions

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. , Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- WillowTree, a leading digital experience consultancy, has launched its enhanced version of Vocable AAC with the revolutionary integration of OpenAI's ChatGPT.

GlobeNewswire
Oct 27th, 2022
Telus International Annonce Une Entente Visant L’Acquisition De Willowtree, Un Fournisseur De Produits Numériques À Service Complet

English French. Développement des capacités existantes de conception, de production et de livraison de bout en bout

Cision
Nov 18th, 2021
WillowTree Apps, Inc. acquires PoaTek IT Consulting

WillowTree, a market-leading digital product consultancy serving the world’s most admired brands, today announces its second acquisition of 2021 with its agreement to acquire Poatek, the leading privately-held Brazilian software engineering boutique.

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