API Engineer

What You’ll Do

• Own the design and implementation of high-scale backend systems and APIs that power DistroKid’s core platform
• Architect and evolve distributed systems on AWS to handle high throughput, reliability, and performance
• Work across backend, infrastructure, and DevOps boundaries from API design to deployment and system operations
• Design and integrate with enterprise-grade systems and external platforms to support complex, high-scale workflows
• Lead technical design decisions for complex systems (data models, service boundaries, scaling strategies, failure handling)
• Write production code and remain deeply hands-on in building and improving systems
• Improve system observability, reliability, and performance at scale
• Partner closely with product and engineering teams to translate business needs into robust technical solutions

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of experience building and scaling backend systems in production environments
• Strong, recent hands-on coding experience (this is not a pure design/management role)
• Deep experience with AWS (compute, storage, networking, scaling, etc.)
• Proven track record designing and operating high-scale distributed systems
• Strong experience with API design and system architecture in complex environments
• Experience working across infrastructure and application layers (DevOps, deployment, reliability, etc.)
• Experience with enterprise integration platforms (e.g., AWS API Gateway, Azure API Management, MuleSoft, Apigee, Kong, or similar) or building/operating large-scale integration layers
• Ability to own systems end-to-end from architecture to implementation to production operation
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and making high-impact technical decisions

What This Role Is NOT

• Not a pure backend feature development role
• Not a role for engineers who haven’t coded in recent years
• Not a narrow specialization (e.g., only APIs or only infra)

We are specifically looking for engineers who operate at the intersection of backend systems, architecture, and infrastructure.

Why This Role

• Work on real-world scale problems: high-volume ingestion, global distribution, and complex financial flows
• Own and shape systems that directly impact millions of creators worldwide
• High degree of autonomy and ownership