Back to jobs

Backend Developer

New York, NY

About Daylight

Daylight is building a decentralized electric utility. We're building technology that enables homes to generate, store, and share energy with their neighbors, turning passive consumers into active participants in a smarter, more sustainable grid.

Our team brings together energy and crypto veterans who believe in a future where communities power themselves. Backed by a16z, Framework, and other industry-leading investors, we're building the infrastructure to make that vision a reality. Learn more at www.godaylight.com

 

The Role

As a Senior Backend Developer at Daylight, you'll play a crucial role in developing our Django APIs and backend services that support our mobile app and partner integrations. You'll build functionality that helps homeowners monitor, control, and optimize their energy usage while participating in our decentralized energy network.

We're an early-stage startup, so this role goes beyond just writing code. You'll have significant input on architecture decisions, user experience, and product direction. As we scale, there will be opportunities to grow into a leadership or management position, mentoring junior developers and shaping our mobile development strategy.

This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about crypto and clean energy, values craftsmanship in their code, and thrives in dynamic startup environments where your work has a direct impact on the product's success and the company's mission.

This role is in-person in our New York City office.

 

Responsibilities

  • GraphQL & REST API Development
    • Design and build robust GraphQL queries and mutations that power our mobile app and are tailored for mobile performance
    • Architect, develop, and maintain scalable API endpoints that support vendor/partner integrations
    • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define, design, and ship innovative features
    • Continuously monitor performance and resolve bottlenecks and bugs across all endpoints
    • Champion code quality, automation, and comprehensive testing practices
  • CRM & Internal Tools Development
    • Leverage and extend Django’s admin interface to build a feature-rich internal CRM and administration portal
    • Customize the Django admin site to meet evolving business and workflow needs
    • Work with stakeholders to refine internal processes and drive user-friendly administrative solutions
  • Technical Architecture & DevOps
    • Contribute to architecture planning and drive technical design decisions that ensure scalability and security
    • Optimize the application stack for maximum speed and reliability
    • Embrace CI/CD methodologies and infrastructure-as-code practices to streamline deployments
    • Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies that enhance our backend ecosystem

 

What we’re looking for

| Must Haves

  • 3+ years of experience developing APIs and backend services
  • Strong understanding of API Development and best practices
  • Experience with Python, Django, PostgreSQL and Redis
  • Proficiency in writing clean, readable, and well-documented code
  • Experience with REST APIs, GraphQL, and network request handling
  • Familiarity with version control systems, particularly Git
  • Knowledge of backend performance profiling and optimization techniques
  • Experience with testing and managing AWS infrastructure and Kubernetes
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing requirements
  • Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

| Nice to Haves

  • Experience with Celery, Django admin sites, integrating with smart contracts
  • Familiarity with crypto and related infrastructure, specifically EVM
  • Experience with continuous integration and delivery processes
  • Contributions to open-source projects
  • Understanding of energy markets and renewable energy systems

 

What we offer

  • Competitive salary and equity package
  • Opportunity to shape a category-defining product from the ground up
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Wellhub membership
  • Monthly wellness stipend

Daylight values diversity and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. We're building technology that serves everyone, and we believe diverse perspectives make our team and our product stronger.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


Education

Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Daylight’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.