Senior Platform Engineer

WE ARE

StartupSoft connects top Ukrainian engineers with world-class startups from Silicon Valley and EU. Our developers work directly on the product as an integral part of the startup team.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Established in 2018 in San Francisco, this animation-focused tech company provides a robust platform for creating and sharing lightweight, scalable animations. With a fully remote team of over 80 professionals, it supports a global user base that spans hundreds of thousands of businesses. The company offers a unique suite of tools that streamline the animation workflow and integrate seamlessly with popular design environments.

STACK

JavaScript, React, TypeScript, Node.js, GraphQL Yoga, EdgeDB, Playwright, Vitest, Jest, ThorVG, WebGL

STAGE

live product

REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years of software engineering experience, with Senior/Senior+ level ownership and the ability to work independently.
• Strong hands-on experience with GraphQL Federation, including working with federation servers and distributed GraphQL architectures. Basic GraphQL API experience alone is not sufficient.
• Strong knowledge of authentication and identity protocols, particularly for building and maintaining auth/identity services.
• Strong experience with GraphQL and database query optimization.
• Hands-on experience with profiling, performance optimization, and troubleshooting, with the ability to identify bottlenecks and guide others on optimization.
• Strong general database knowledge; PostgreSQL experience is a major plus.
• Professional experience with at least one compiled/system programming language, such as Go, Rust, C, C++, or Zig.
• Strong Node.js and TypeScript experience, particularly for backend and authentication services.
• React + TypeScript experience; frontend work is a smaller but important part of the role.
• Ability and willingness to transition from Node.js toward Go or another compiled language as the backend evolves.
• Good understanding of system-level concepts and backend performance.
• AWS and Kubernetes experience is a plus, but not mandatory.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment, with the ability to contribute from day one without hand-holding.
• Strong problem-solving skills, ownership mindset, and ability to learn and adapt quickly.

NICE TO HAVE

• PostgreSQL
• AWS
• Kubernetes
• Experience migrating or optimizing Node.js services
• Experience building high-performance backend services in Go/Rust/C++/C/Zig
• Experience mentoring or guiding other engineers on performance and optimization

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, develop, and maintain GraphQL Federation services and backend APIs.
• Own authentication and identity services, ensuring secure and scalable implementations.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks through profiling, query optimization, and service-level optimization.
• Optimize GraphQL queries and database performance, particularly across PostgreSQL and other data stores.
• Develop and optimize backend services using Node.js/TypeScript, with a transition toward Go or other compiled languages.
• Contribute to React/TypeScript frontend development where needed.
• Collaborate with the team on architecture, technical decisions, and performance improvements.
• Take ownership of technical tasks and deliver independently in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Guide other engineers on optimization, performance, and engineering best practices.

YOU WILL GET:

• Competitive financial reward and other social benefits;
• Possibility to work with minor supervision and low-bureaucracy;
• Flexible schedule and friendly working atmosphere;
• Tight-knit team with an inclusive and transparent culture.