Senior Backend Engineer - Content
$146k - $182k USD
ABOUT onX
We’re a team of builders, adventurers, and risk takers using technology to help people confidently explore the outdoors. Driven by our mission to awaken the adventurer inside everyone, we build products that optimize every outdoor experience and inspire confidence to get out and go further.
We’re a high-growth tech company. The pace is fast, the work takes grit, and ambiguity is part of the job. As the world changes around us, we adapt - continuously evolving how we build, prioritize, and deliver.
Our business moves quickly, and there’s real opportunity to shape what we build next. Each of our verticals - Hunt, Offroad, Backcountry, and Fish - is at a different stage of maturity, which means the challenges you encounter and the impact you have will vary depending on where you sit and what the business needs most.
We operate with an experimentation mindset, continually iterating and improving how we solve problems. We expect our people to use the latest tooling, including AI, thoughtfully and responsibly, pairing human judgment with technology to increase quality, speed, and impact.
Our impact comes to life through the products we build, in the stories of our customers, and in our growing commitment to land stewardship and recreational access.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
onX is seeking a talented Senior Backend Engineer to join our Content Delivery team. In this role, you will build the backend infrastructure that powers offline map experiences for millions of outdoor enthusiasts. You will work on high-performance data pipelines, map tile generation and delivery systems, and large-scale geospatial data processing -- turning terabytes of cartographic data into fast, reliable, offline-capable map content across onX's suite of apps.
We practice data-driven decision making and emphasize experimentation. Engineers on our team have ownership and autonomy to create, develop, and analyze their work in the context of greater company objectives. This is a great opportunity to solve hard problems at the intersection of geospatial technology, large-scale data processing, and outdoor recreation.
This position reports to a Software Engineering Manager III.
TECHNOLOGIES WE USE
Our backend engineers primarily work in Go running in Kubernetes on Google Cloud Platform. The Content Delivery team works extensively with geospatial technologies (PostGIS, vector/raster tile processing, GEOS), GCP data services (Cloud Storage, Dataflow, Cloud Functions, Firebase), and CDN/caching infrastructure for map tile delivery. Experience with large-scale ETL pipelines and offline-first content synchronization patterns is particularly relevant.
As an onX Senior Backend Engineer, your day to day responsibilities would look like:
(Essential Job Duties)
- Build and maintain scalable services to support new features and products across the onX suite of apps
- Build high-performance backend services and data pipelines for map tile generation, compression, caching, and delivery
- Design and implement systems for processing terabytes of cartographic and geospatial data using distributed architectures
- Develop and optimize offline-first architecture and content synchronization patterns across mobile platforms
- Architect CDN strategies and caching layers for efficient tile delivery at scale
- Write unit, integration, and acceptance tests
- Participate in and drive architectural decisions involving geospatial data services and delivery infrastructure
- Collaborate effectively with cross-functional team members and stakeholders
- Leverage and extend existing onX platform services and patterns
- Design and instrument systems to monitor key performance indicators for data pipelines and tile delivery
- Participate in an on-call schedule to support backend services
- Lead by example -- embody onX's company values, fostering a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and collaboration
LOCATION
onX has created a thriving distributed workforce community across several US locations. This position can be performed from an onX corporate office, “Basecamp,” or “Connection Hub".
- Corporate Offices: onX was founded in Montana with offices in Missoula and Bozeman. If you prefer to work in an office at least part of the time this is a great option.
- Basecamps: Basecamps are established virtual workforce communities where a sizable number of distributed team members group for work, volunteering, socializing, and adventure.
- Our current Basecamps are located within a 90-mile radius of the following: Austin, TX; Charlotte, NC; Denver, CO; Kalispell, MT; Minneapolis, MN; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; and Seattle, WA.
- Connection Hubs: Connection Hub locations are smaller, emerging communities of distributed team members.
- Our current Connection Hubs are located within a 60-mile radius of the following: Boise, ID; Charleston, SC; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Phoenix, AZ; Richmond, VA; Spokane, WA; and Vermont.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
- B.S., M.S., or equivalent experience in computer science or a related field
- Six or more years of professional software development experience, with API development or backend data infrastructure as a primary focus for at least three of those years
- Strong Go development experience for high-performance backend services and data pipelines
- Experience with large-scale data processing -- handling terabytes of data with distributed systems
- PostgreSQL database design and performance optimization
- Experience building and debugging distributed, scalable microservices architecture
- Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code technologies such as Terraform
- Strong computer science foundation
- You evaluate technologies and solutions based on merit, stability, performance, and the ability to debug
- You believe that your profession is a craft and you're driven to improve every day
- You are an advocate for the customer and their experience
- You take ownership and get stuff done
Preferred Qualifications
Though not required, we would be thrilled to consider candidates with any of the following:
- Geospatial technologies: vector/raster tile processing, PostGIS, GIS concepts, GEOS
- Map tile architecture: tile generation, compression, caching strategies, CDN optimization
- GCP expertise: Cloud Storage, Dataflow (ETL), Cloud Functions, Firebase
- Experience with offline-first architecture and content synchronization patterns
- Familiarity with geospatial concepts such as quadtrees, spatial indexing, and coordinate systems
- Experience with Elixir or other functional programming languages
- Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform beyond core services
- Experience working with a distributed team
- Interest in mentoring junior engineers and being mentored by senior engineers
COMPENSATION
onX is committed to compensating all employees fairly and equitably for their contributions. For this position, applicants can expect to make between $146,000 to $182,000 upon hire. The pay range will vary based on experience, skills, certifications, and education among other factors as required in the job description. In addition, full-time onX employees are eligible for a grant of common share options with a vesting schedule and a potential annual bonus of 10% based on company performance.
WHAT WE ARE OFFERING YOU
- Competitive salaries, annual bonuses, equity, and opportunities for growth
- Comprehensive health benefits including a no-monthly-cost medical plan
- Parental leave plan of 5 or 13 weeks fully paid
- 401k matching at 100% for the first 3% you save and 50% from 3-5%
- Company-wide outdoor adventures and amazing outdoor industry perks
- Annual “Get Out, Get Active” funds to fuel your active lifestyle in and outside of the gym
- Flexible time away package that includes PTO, STO, VTO, quiet weeks, and floating holidays
PERFORMANCE ESSENTIALS
In this role, success is driven by cognitive abilities such as concentration and problem-solving, essential for our computer-centric tasks. onX will explore reasonable accommodations to ensure that individuals with diverse abilities can fully engage in and contribute to the essential physical and mental functions of the job. If you need assistance or accommodation, please contact us at PS@onxmaps.com.
Position open until filled.
#LI-Remote
At onX, we believe that unique perspectives make us stronger. By bringing together people with different experiences, ideas, and viewpoints, we fuel innovation and move closer to our mission of awakening the adventurer in everyone. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to fairness not only in hiring, but also in development, compensation, and promotion. Our goal is to build an inclusive community where every team member can show up authentically and thrive. Together, we win as one team. Come join us!
onX Maps will never ask for credit card or SSN details during the initial application process. For your digital safety, apply only through our legitimate website at onXmaps.com or directly via our LinkedIn page.
onX does not sell any Personal Information, but we may transfer employment related records to our service providers or third parties that provide business services to onX or as required by law. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.
As part of our interview process, your conversation may be recorded for documentation purposes to allow interviewers to focus fully on the discussion. Recordings are confidential and accessible only to authorized personnel. Please note, onX respects all applicable laws regarding recording consent, and you will have an opportunity to opt-out if preferred.