Senior Backend Engineer

Position: Senior Backend EngineerLocation: Onsite, Abu DhabiWe are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join a new multi sector AI programme in Abu Dhabi. This is a backend-first, platform-focused role. The emphasis is on building the underlying systems that power AI applications rather than working directly on AI models.You will design, build, and operate scalable services, APIs, event-driven systems, and data infrastructure that support production environments.Core ResponsibilitiesDesign and build backend services, APIs, and platform components that support scalable systemsDefine service boundaries, API contracts, and inter-service communication patternsBuild and operate event-driven architecture (Kafka, Service Bus, or equivalent)Design reliable asynchronous systems with strong schema management and consumer designWork with PostgreSQL at scale, caching, and distributed data systemsDeploy and operate services using Kubernetes and containerisationBuild and maintain CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-codeImplement strong observability practices (logging, tracing, metrics, SLOs)Basic Qualifications7+ years experience in backend or platform engineeringProven ownership of production-grade distributed systemsStrong experience with event-driven systems and messaging infrastructureProficiency in Java AND Python OR GoStrong understanding of cloud infrastructure (Azure, AWS, or GCP)Hands-on experience with Kubernetes and containerised environmentsStrong experience with PostgreSQL at scaleSolid understanding of distributed systems concepts (consistency, retries, idempotency, etc.)