Principal Backend Engineer

About the Company

Our client is a seasoned logistics/distribution company, named one of the fastest growing companies in the Chicagoland area. They are known in the industry for their impeccable customer service and friendly demeanor.

As the Principal Back End Engineer, you will play a crucial role in shaping the architecture and execution of the backend systems for a large-scale e-commerce application, ensuring their scalability, resilience, and operational efficiency. You will be responsible for designing and managing cloud-native microservices, driving backend optimization, and ensuring seamless integration across platforms and services. You will take the lead in optimizing backend performance, refining operational practices, and ensuring alignment with industry best practices, fostering continuous innovation and driving performance improvements across the organization.

Platform Evolution & Architecture

• Architect scalable backend services to decouple a monolithic SAP Hybris based system into a cloud-native, API-first commerce platform.
• Design backend systems that support current traffic (~5,000 users/hour) with clear strategies for scaling to significantly higher loads.
• Define architectural standards, patterns, and governance to guide long-term platform evolution.

Service Design & Implementation

• Build and review backend services using Java, Node.js, or TypeScript with clean architecture and cloud-first principles.
• Drive migration from monolithic codebases to containerized services running on Kubernetes.
• Develop high-performance APIs with strong understanding of API gateway patterns and service mesh considerations.
• Implement caching strategies, async processing, and other performance optimizations to reduce latency.
• Identify and address bottlenecks across application logic, databases, caches, and network boundaries.

Scalability, Performance & System Design

• Design systems capable of gracefully handling traffic spikes, increased concurrency, and high transaction throughput.
• Apply advanced knowledge of distributed systems, high-availability patterns, and cloud-native scalability.
• Implement fault-tolerant, resilient architectures that minimize customer-impacting downtime.

Engineering Leadership & Best Practices

• Provide hands-on technical leadership able to design, prototype, and then drive solutions into production.
• Lead platform-wide initiatives that improve deployment hygiene, maintainability, and operational excellence.

MMD Services Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, physical/mental disability, medical condition, military/veteran status, genetic information, marital status, ethnicity, alienage, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.