Tech Lead, Back-End

Summary

Join Collectors, a leading innovator in collectible technology, as a Tech Lead in our CORE team. You will be a hands-on technical leader, setting engineering excellence standards and guiding a high-performing team. Build robust and scalable backend systems supporting our digital transformation and powering Collectors' products and services. Lead from the front, writing high-quality code, leading engineers, driving architectural decisions, and modernizing legacy systems. This role requires a strong bias for action, moving work forward urgently, removing blockers, and accelerating progress without sacrificing quality. Your work will have a broad, company-wide impact, enabling product teams to deliver innovative experiences for our collector community and internal stakeholders. You will report directly to the Director of Software Engineering, Shared Services. Onsite work is preferred for those within a 1-hour commute, but remote or hybrid options will be considered.

Requirements

• 12+ years of software engineering experience building production-grade applications
• 7+ years of experience with Java. Python experience is a plus!
• 3+ years of experience providing technical leadership or mentorship across multiple engineering teams
• Strong grasp of object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, and design patterns
• Experience designing and building scalable APIs (REST, GraphQL, gRPC) and modular, extensible architectures
• Hands-on experience with relational and NoSQL databases (e.g., MSSQL, PostgreSQL, DynamoDB)
• 3+ years of experience with AWS cloud services (e.g., Lambda, RDS, S3, DynamoDB, MSK, SNS, SQS) and infrastructure tools like Terraform and Docker
• Familiar with messaging and event-driven platforms like Kafka for real-time systems
• Experience with AI-powered developer tools such as GitHub Copilot and Claude (Anthropic) to improve productivity and code quality
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and documentation skills, with a bias for secure, observable, and maintainable solutions
• Comfortable working in Agile/Scrum environments with cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, architecture, and delivery of scalable backend systems that power Collectors’ core platforms
• Deliver high-quality code to production as a player-coach, setting a standard for excellence on the team
• Own and implement complex features end-to-end, from concept through deployment and support
• Mentor engineers and drive a high standard of technical quality through code reviews, architecture discussions, and hands-on guidance
• Modernize legacy systems and improve performance, reliability, and maintainability across Shared Services
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, infrastructure, and engineering teams to align on goals and deliver impactful solutions

Preferred Qualifications

Python experience

Benefits

• Health Insurance: All full-time employees are eligible to enroll in Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Additional Benefits: Full-time employees are eligible for fertility, commuter, and educational assistance benefits
• 401(K) Matching Plan: We are proud to offer a competitive 401k matching plan to our employees to support their future financial goals
• Vacation: All full-time employees are eligible for paid vacation
• Holiday Pay: All regular, full-time employees are eligible for ten company paid holidays
• Employee Discounts: Employees receive discounts on select grading services for approved submissions
• Flexible Hours: Many of our teams offer flexible schedules with varying shifts and will work with you to accommodate your needs