Senior Backend Engineer
Platform & Infrastructure
Location: Remote — anywhere with reliable internet Overlap: 4+ hours daily with Central European Time (CET/CEST) Travel: Biannual team summits in Europe, fully funded Reports to: Founder / CTO
The Opportunity
We're looking for a senior backend engineer who wants to own systems end-to-end — from database schema through API design to Kubernetes deployment — and who thrives with the autonomy to make real architectural decisions, not just implement tickets.
Nuvolos is a platform that gives research institutions and financial regulators full control over their computing environments. Think of it as the anti-cloud: instead of hoping a hyperscaler will keep your data safe and your bill predictable, our clients run sovereign workspaces on dedicated infrastructure, with the ability to reproduce any result years from now. You'll build the backend systems that make this possible.
This is a high-impact, high-autonomy role on a small team. You'll ship features that are used by central banks, research labs, and universities. The founder will know your name, your opinions will shape the product, and your code will run in production the same week you write it.
About Nuvolos
Nuvolos (nuvolos.com) is the Unified Workspace for Sovereign AI & Science, built by ALPHACRUNCHER in Europe. We give institutions total control over their intelligence infrastructure — from data storage to AI model execution — while making the experience as seamless as a modern SaaS platform. Our clients operate in environments where data residency, auditability, and long-term reproducibility aren't nice-to-haves; they're regulatory requirements.
We're a focused team solving hard problems at the intersection of distributed systems, scientific computing, and institutional governance. If you've ever wished you could work on infrastructure that actually matters to people who do important work, this is it.
What You'll Do
- Design and build core backend systems. You'll architect and deliver complex services end-to-end: from technical design and data modelling through implementation, testing, and production deployment. Our backend is Python (Flask), with PostgreSQL as the primary datastore and Redis/Celery for distributed task pipelines.
- Own the database layer. Schema design, migrations (Alembic), performance tuning, and custom database logic (triggers, functions, constraints). You'll make decisions about data modelling that affect the platform for years.
- Operate Kubernetes infrastructure. We run bare-metal Kubernetes clusters built on Talos Linux and Cozystack. You'll deploy workloads, manage resources, build observability, and troubleshoot at the cluster level. This is not managed EKS — when something breaks, you'll see the real error, not an abstraction of it.
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines. Automated PR workflows, Docker image builds, secrets management, release publishing — all via GitHub Actions. You'll own the developer experience for the whole team.
- Translate business requirements into technical designs. You'll work directly with the founder to understand what clients need, design multi-phase implementation strategies, and deliver production-grade systems.
- Use AI tools effectively. We use AI coding assistants (Claude, Antigravity) daily. You'll be expected to leverage these tools for generating, validating, and documenting code — while maintaining the judgement to know when the AI is wrong.
You Might Thrive Here If…
- You've designed and shipped complex backend systems, and you can point to specific architectural decisions you made that are still running in production. We care about demonstrated ownership, not years on a resume.
- Python is a strong language for you. You've built APIs with Flask or FastAPI, structured applications for maintainability, and know when to reach for an ORM versus raw SQL.
- You have real Kubernetes experience. You've deployed, debugged, and operated workloads on Kubernetes clusters in real environments. You're comfortable with Helm, multi-environment deployment strategies, and the realities of running containers in production.
- PostgreSQL is your kind of database. Schema design, migration tooling, query optimisation, and custom logic. You understand transactions, isolation levels, and why indexing strategy matters.
- You operate well with high autonomy. You don't wait for detailed specifications. You ask the right questions, make reasonable assumptions, design a solution, build it, and ship it — then tell everyone what you did in clear, written documentation.
- You're comfortable on Linux. Shell scripting, source-code management (git), and managing your own development environment. You don't need IT support to set up a dev box.
You'll Stand Out If…
- You've worked with CephFS or other distributed filesystems and understand the operational challenges of storage at scale.
- You have experience with bare-metal or self-managed Kubernetes (as opposed to managed cloud services).
- You've built multi-tenant SaaS platforms where isolation, resource metering, and tenant-specific configuration were real engineering challenges.
- You have exposure to education technology, data science platforms, or scientific computing — domains where reproducibility and long-term data integrity matter.
The Stack
Backend: Python, Flask, Celery, Redis Database: PostgreSQL (with Alembic for migrations) Infrastructure: Kubernetes, Talos Linux, Cozystack, Helm, CephFS, Restic Frontend: Vue.js (you won't own it, but you'll collaborate on APIs) CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Docker, container registries Payments: Stripe Observability: Prometheus, Grafana
How We Work
We are a remote-first team. This is not remote-friendly or remote-tolerated — our processes, decisions, and communication are designed for distributed work from the ground up.
- Async by default. Most collaboration happens in writing: design docs, PR reviews, and structured discussions. We value clear thinking over fast typing.
- Overlap with CET. Our core team operates in the Central European timezone. We ask for a minimum of 4 hours of daily overlap with CET (roughly 9:00–18:00 CET) for real-time pairing, code reviews, and the rapid back-and-forth that backend development sometimes requires.
- Biannual team summits. We gather in person twice a year, typically in Budapest or elsewhere in Europe, for 4–5 days of sprint planning, technical deep-dives, and team bonding. Travel and accommodation are fully funded.
- Small team, big scope. There are no layers of management between you and the product. Your work ships fast, your feedback loop is short, and your impact is visible.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive base salary: Depending on experience and what you bring to the table. Our compensation is benchmarked against European infrastructure startups.
- Meaningful equity: Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). You're joining a team small enough that your contributions directly affect the company's trajectory. We want your incentives to reflect that. Details shared in initial conversations.
- Hardware budget: Your choice of equipment, fully covered.
- Learning & conferences: Annual budget for professional development and conferences.
- Flexible time off: We trust you to manage your own schedule. No artificial caps.
How We Hire
Four stages, typically completed within 2–3 weeks:
- Application review. Send us your CV and a short note about what interests you and what you've built. We read every application personally.
- Founder conversation (45 min). An open conversation with the founder/CTO about your background, the platform, and mutual fit. We'll answer every question you have about the company, the technology, and the team.
- Technical session (90 min). A collaborative coding and design exercise based on a real problem from our domain. We'll look at how you think through a backend system: data modelling, API design, error handling, deployment strategy. This isn't a trick-question gauntlet — it's a structured conversation about how you build things. Bring your laptop and your preferred IDE.
- Team conversation (30 min). Meet the people you'd work alongside.
Decision within 5 business days. If it's not a fit, we'll tell you why.
A Note on Applying
If you're reading this list and thinking "I can do most of this but not all of it," please apply anyway. We'd rather talk to someone with strong fundamentals and genuine curiosity than someone who ticks every box but isn't excited about the work.
We welcome candidates from all backgrounds. Some of the best backend engineers we've worked with came from physics, mathematics, self-taught paths, or industries you wouldn't expect. What matters is what you can build and how you think about systems.
Ready to build backend systems that power sovereign science? Apply via email at careers@alphacruncher.com