Senior Back-end Engineer (Fixed-Term, Full-Time Contract)

Location: Calgary, Canada

At Robots & Pencils, we design and build world-class digital products for the world’s leading brands. We’re seeking a Senior Back-end Engineer who combines deep JavaScript/TypeScript expertise with a pragmatic mindset,  someone who can architect scalable Node.js services and translate complex requirements into secure, high-performance backend systems.

This role is based in our Calgary office. It’s a high-impact opportunity for an engineer who thrives on backend architecture, API design, and cloud-native development. You’ll be part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team focused on delivering clean, efficient, and maintainable backend solutions.

About You

You’re passionate about building robust, modern back-end systems using JavaScript and TypeScript. You stay current with Node.js best practices, distributed systems, and performance optimization techniques. You enjoy clean architecture, secure code, and solving real-world problems with scalable, well-tested solutions. You take pride in your work and love collaborating with others to ship great products.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the design and development of scalable backend services and APIs using Node.js and TypeScript

• Architect efficient systems for data processing, integrations, and real-time functionality

• Collaborate with front-end developers, designers, and product managers to ensure cohesive solutions

• Optimize backend performance, reliability, and maintainability

• Apply best practices in testing, code reviews, documentation, and CI/CD

• Contribute to team knowledge sharing and technical direction

What You Bring

• Strong experience with JavaScript and TypeScript in a back-end context

• 6+ years of professional software development experience

• Deep proficiency in Node.js, RESTful API design, and asynchronous programming

• Solid understanding of distributed systems, microservices, and event-driven architecture

• Experience working with SQL and NoSQL databases

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, or GCP)

• Upper-Intermediate English level (written and spoken)

Nice to Have

• Experience with authentication/authorization, message queues, or GraphQL

• Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, or infrastructure-as-code tools

• Understanding of DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines