Back End Engineer

📍 Location: Remote (USA or Canada-based)
💼 Type: Full-time
💰 Compensation: $110,000 - $250,000 (subject to qualifications and experience) + equity + premium benefits

At Files.com, backend engineering is where scale and craft intersect. The Backend Ruby Engineer is responsible for systems that execute hundreds of millions of API calls every day, powering mission-critical data movement for more than 4,000 enterprise customers worldwide. This is not about tinkering at the edges — it’s about building production-grade systems where performance, resilience, and reliability are non-negotiable.

Ruby is at the heart of our stack, but this role goes far beyond Rails. Engineers here work in an advanced Ruby ecosystem that includes an internal framework, a distributed job system, Redis, Elasticsearch, and deep integrations with providers like S3 and Azure. The challenges span distributed systems, large-scale search, versioning, and security — the kind of work where Ruby shines when paired with thoughtful engineering. And for those who want to broaden their craft, there’s plenty of opportunity to contribute in Golang, Python, Java, and across the stack.

This is backend engineering at its sharpest: high-impact, high-autonomy work where the code written directly supports some of the world’s most recognizable brands.

 You’ll work with a flat, engineering-first team led by a CEO who is himself an engineer, still deeply involved in technical decisions. You’ll collaborate with peers across infrastructure, frontend, and product — and you’ll have the authority to dive into any layer of the stack when it makes sense.

And unlike siloed roles in big enterprises, you’ll bounce across projects, own meaningful outcomes, and contribute to open-source efforts. Files.com is a flat, high-trust culture where initiative is rewarded and engineers have the freedom to shape their craft.

Who We Are

We’re Files.com, a profitable, founder-led SaaS company powering secure file transfer and automation for 4,000+ brands you know: Marc Jacobs, GrubHub, Michelin, Hot Topic, Stamps.com, Planet Fitness, KFC, and more.

We’ve built a $35M+ business with just 70 people by hiring smart, disciplined, high-output teammates who act fast and own outcomes. Backed by $46.5M from Riverwood Capital, we’re scaling intentionally — and this role is a critical part of that growth.

What Makes This Role Different

⚡ Beyond Rails: While we started as Ruby on Rails users, our stack is built today on a custom Ruby framework, a custom-built job system (similar to Resque), Redis, Elasticsearch, and integrations with providers like S3 and Azure. You’ll push Ruby to its limits and beyond.

🚀 Serious CI/CD: We use GitLab for CI/CD with a sophisticated deployment pipeline on AWS. Engineers ship with confidence, speed, and reliability.

🧪 Testing Built for Velocity: Our Ruby stack is wired for productivity. We rely on Bundler for dependency management, RSpec and Minitest for robust testing, and Factory Bot for clean, reliable data setup. Everything is designed to give you speed and confidence in shipping — testing here accelerates, not slows you down.

📚 World-Class Training & Documentation: Our internal Engineering Training Guide is nearly a million words long, and everything we build is thoroughly documented. You’ll never be stuck without guidance.

🛡 Scale + Reliability: You’ll work on systems that handle hundreds of millions of API calls a day, moving data for thousands of enterprise customers. Testing, reliability, and maintainability aren’t afterthoughts — they’re the foundation.

🤝 Engineer-First Culture: You’ll have an entire engineering team at your back. Files.com is built for engineers, by engineers. Every tool, every system, every process is designed to make you more productive.

🌱 Proven Growth Path: Our engineering managers all grew from within. Many engineers here expand beyond backend into mobile, infrastructure, or platform ownership. The growth path isn’t just open — it’s expected.

Some Examples of Projects Our Developers Have Recently Completed

• Universal Metadata Extractor: Built a scalable pipeline that extracts and normalizes metadata from dozens of file types so customers can search, tag, and audit files with precision.
• Streaming File Previews: Delivered a system for on-the-fly video and audio previews that stream instantly in-browser.
• Job Orchestration Engine: Built a distributed Ruby job system to handle large-scale, parallel file processing with reliability guarantees.
• Cross-Cloud Automation: Extended our orchestration engine to support real-time workflows across SharePoint, Box, and Google Drive.

Some Projects Our Developers Will Tackle in the Next 6–12 Months

• AI-Powered Content Discovery: Implementing semantic file search using vector embeddings for meaning-based file discovery.
• Zero-Trust File Sharing: Designing ephemeral file access links with advanced device posture and geolocation constraints.
• Next-Gen Sync: Rebuilding our sync layer to support multi-directional, conflict-aware synchronization at petabyte scale.
• Observability at Scale: Rolling out a monitoring framework with distributed tracing for real-time visibility into file flows and API calls.
• Policy as Code: Enabling IT teams to define and enforce security and retention rules in version-controlled code.

What You’ll Actually Do

• Ship Production Code in Ruby, Golang, Java, Python, and JavaScript: Write performant, maintainable Ruby that scales.
• Own Features End-to-End: Design, implement, deploy, and support services.
• Push Beyond Rails: Work with microservices, Redis, Elasticsearch, proprietary infrastructure, and large-scale integrations.
• Collaborate Across Teams: Partner with infrastructure, frontend, and product to deliver cohesive systems.
• Elevate Quality: Contribute to code reviews, documentation, and standards that make the team stronger.
• Optimize Performance: Identify bottlenecks and build systems that are resilient, fast, and reliable.

Who Thrives in This Role

✅ Engineers who want to solve hard scale problems (hundreds of millions of API calls daily).
✅ Builders who care about clean, maintainable code — not just getting something to “work.”
✅ Polyglot thinkers who love Ruby but also want to explore Golang, Python, or full-stack projects.
✅ People who thrive in high-trust, flat teams where initiative is rewarded, not managed away.
✅ Engineers who enjoy engaging with open-source and pushing the ecosystem forward.

Your Growth Path

Backend Engineers at Files.com don’t stagnate. Many start in Ruby, then expand into:

• Technical Leadership — owning major services and mentoring others.
• Infrastructure/Platform Engineering — working on orchestration, observability, and deployment systems.
• Staff/Principal Tracks — tackling company-wide architecture challenges.
• Open-Source Impact — contributing upstream improvements back to the ecosystem.

Every single engineering manager at Files.com was promoted internally. Growth isn’t a promise here — it’s a proven track record.

Perks & Benefits

🩺 100% Paid Health, Dental & Vision (75% for family)
💸 401(k) with 4% Company Match
📈 Equity Grants for Every Employee
🍼 Paid Parental Leave
🌴 20 PTO Days + 11 Holidays + Full Company Winter Break
💰 $1,000 Signing Bonus + Modern Apple Laptop + Anniversary Gifts
✈️ Team Travel to NYC, Austin, Nashville, Miami, and more

👉 Bottom Line: This is a high-visibility, high-leverage engineering role where your work shapes the backbone of a platform used by thousands of enterprises every day. If you want daily variety, the freedom to explore beyond Ruby, and a fast-growth environment that rewards ownership, this is your seat.