Back End Developer

Backend Engineer (Full-Time, Remote)Join EssentiallySports – Where Fandom LivesAt EssentiallySports, we go beyond headlines to deliver stories fans truly care about. As a top-10 U.S. sports media platform with 30M+ monthly users and over 1B annual pageviews, we combine audience insights with cultural trends to engage underserved fans worldwide.We’re a lean, high-energy team fueled by data, experimentation, and a strong culture of ownership.Our Values- Focus on the fan — everything else follows- Hire for intent, not just experience- Bootstrapped = freedom to serve fans, not investors- The internet unlocks niches- Bias to action, integrity, strong communication, and responsibility- High agency winsWhat You’ll Do- Own and optimize AWS infrastructure (EC2, S3, RDS, CloudFront, Lambda, Kinesis) for resilience, scalability, and cost efficiency.- Engineer the backend (Node.js, Python) that powers our Next.js / Vercel platform—prioritizing speed and reliability.- Drive web performance optimization—debug bottlenecks, fine-tune APIs, manage caching / CDN, and deliver consistently fast experiences worldwide.- Evolve our WordPress CMS pipelines to ensure content delivery is robust and scalable.- Take ownership of uptime, infra budgets, SLAs, and monitoring alerts, working closely with DevOps and product leads.What You Bring- Advanced AWS skills with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform / CDK) and proven cost optimization at scale.- Experience running high-traffic platforms with real-world debugging and performance tuning.- Strong backend expertise : Node.js, Python, modern database systems.- A product mindset—balancing speed vs. polish while keeping fan experience top of mind.- 4+ years in software development (consumer products preferred).- Curiosity and adaptability with Next.js and Vercel (or intent to learn).- Collaborative spirit, problem-solving mindset, and ability to thrive in fast-paced, startup-like environments.Why Join Us?- Fully remote with flexible working hours- Freedom to own problem statements and ship impactful solutions- Direct impact from Day 1—release features to millions instantly- Cutting-edge stack with automated CI / CD and no bureaucratic blockers- Work with leaders from Amazon, Zomato, Booking, Expedia, and more- Bi-annual offsites described by the team as “epic”- Mentorship, coaching, and the freedom to experiment“Very flexible and open, can ask anything anytime. Real mentorship and coaching. Superb energy in the whole ES team.” — Team memberOur Tech Stack- Frontend : Next.js (React-based), hosted on Vercel- Backend : AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, Kinesis, CloudFront)- CMS : WordPress powering global content pipelinesIf you want to build high-scale products, solve exciting infra challenges, and leave a mark on how millions of fans experience sports—this is your shot.