Sr. Backend Engineer, Canada

Who are we?

NovoEd is an enterprise learning platform that helps organizations build critical capabilities at scale through collaborative and experiential learning. Founded in 2012 out of Stanford’s Social Algorithm Laboratory, NovoEd has grown into a trusted partner for many of the world’s leading companies, executive education providers, and training organizations.

Today, NovoEd powers a modern learning ecosystem built around three core experiences: Learning, Mentoring, and Practicing. Our platform enables organizations to deliver cohort-based learning, structured mentorship, and real-world skill application in a single integrated environment—helping employees move beyond passive learning to actively develop and apply new skills.

AI is now a core part of the NovoEd platform. AI helps course creators generate and structure learning content more efficiently, provides learners with personalized insights and feedback, and supports interactive learning experiences such as guided practice, coaching, and role-playing scenarios. These capabilities help organizations scale high-quality learning experiences while maintaining engagement and practical skill development.

By combining collaborative learning design, AI-powered capabilities, and enterprise-grade technology, NovoEd connects global learners, mentors, and leaders in high-impact programs that drive measurable business outcomes. Organizations rely on NovoEd to develop leadership capabilities, accelerate transformation initiatives, and build the skills their workforce needs to succeed in a rapidly evolving world.

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Backend Engineer with strong expertise in backend development and a passion for building reliable, scalable systems. This role plays a key part in delivering high-quality backend services and driving technical excellence across our platform. You will work closely with engineers across frontend, backend, AI and infrastructure to design and implement solutions that support product growth and maintain a strong focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability.

As a Senior Engineer, you will combine deep technical skills with collaborative leadership—contributing to system design, and helping raise the overall engineering bar. You will also work with modern development workflows, including AI-assisted coding tools, to improve development efficiency while maintaining high standards for code quality and system design.

Key Responsibilities

Architect and Build Scalable Systems

• Design and implement robust, scalable, and maintainable backend systems, primarily using Ruby on Rails. Contribute to building well-architected solutions with a focus on performance, security, and long-term maintainability. Work on both new feature development and refactoring of legacy systems to ensure the platform remains scalable and efficient.
• Use modern developer workflows—including AI-assisted coding tools—to accelerate development, explore implementation approaches, and improve productivity while maintaining high standards for code quality and reliability.

System Integrations & API Development

• Develop and integrate APIs that enable secure, efficient, and reliable communication between backend services and external systems. Work on integrating third-party services into the system, managing data flow, security, and performance.
• Collaborate with frontend engineers to ensure seamless integration with backend systems and deliver a consistent experience to end users. Use modern development tooling—including AI-assisted workflows—to help improve development speed, documentation, and testing.

Database Design & Optimization

• Design, develop, and optimize relational databases with a focus on availability, scalability, and performance. Ensure database schemas and queries support the needs of complex applications, and troubleshoot performance bottlenecks when they arise.
• Use modern diagnostics and tooling—including AI-assisted analysis where appropriate—to investigate performance issues and improve database efficiency.

Technical Debt Management & Feature Development

• Take ownership of backend features and functionality, contributing to development from design through deployment. Identify and address areas of technical debt to keep the system maintainable and performant while continuing to deliver new capabilities.
• Leverage automation and development tools—including AI-assisted refactoring and code generation—to help improve code quality and maintainability.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with cross-functional teams including product managers, frontend developers, and DevOps engineers to ensure backend systems align with business goals and customer needs.
• Participate in technical discussions and contribute ideas that improve system design and development practices.

Process Improvement & Best Practices

• Contribute to improving development processes such as code reviews, CI/CD pipelines, and testing strategies. Follow and help reinforce best practices in backend development to maintain high standards of code quality, testability, and security.
• Explore new tools and techniques—including AI-assisted development tools—that improve engineering productivity and system reliability.

Problem Solving & Troubleshooting

• Troubleshoot complex backend issues by analyzing logs, debugging systems, and resolving production problems. Help maintain the availability and reliability of backend services by proactively identifying and addressing potential issues.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of software development experience with a strong foundation in backend development, including experience building and maintaining scalable systems.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with Ruby on Rails in building and maintaining backend applications.
• Experience with Sidekiq/Celery for background job processing and Redis for caching and queuing systems.
• Proven experience in database design and optimization, particularly with relational databases such as SQL and PostgreSQL.
• Experience in API development (REST, GraphQL) and integrating with third-party systems or services.
• Proficiency using Docker for containerization and familiarity with AWS cloud infrastructure for deployment and scaling.
• Experience managing technical debt while continuing to deliver new features.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing strategies, and backend development best practices.
• Solid understanding of system architecture, infrastructure, and deployment strategies with Docker and AWS.
• Must have Computer Science or Engineering degree
• Experience using modern AI-assisted development tools (such as coding assistants or AI code generation tools) to improve development productivity while maintaining strong engineering standards.

AI-Native Engineering Culture

Our engineering team embraces AI as a productivity multiplier while maintaining strong engineering fundamentals. Principal engineers play a key role in shaping how AI is used responsibly and effectively across the organization.

In this role, you will:

• Integrate AI-assisted development tools into daily workflows (code generation, debugging, refactoring, documentation, and testing).
  
  
• Demonstrate strong judgment when evaluating AI-generated code and system designs.
  
  
• Help define best practices for the use of coding agents and AI tooling within the engineering organization.
  
  

Identify opportunities where automation or AI can meaningfully improve developer productivity and system quality.

Soft Skills

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot backend issues and identify performance bottlenecks.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and communicate technical ideas clearly.
• Self-motivated and capable of working independently, taking ownership of assigned backend projects.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering maintainable, high-quality solutions.
• Comfortable learning and incorporating modern development tools—including AI-assisted engineering workflows—into daily development practices.

Bonus Skills

• Experience with modern frontend frameworks such as React or Angular, and an understanding of how frontend systems integrate with backend services.
  
  
• Familiarity with containerization and infrastructure tooling such as Docker and related DevOps practices.
  
  
• Experience with DevOps workflows, infrastructure automation, or improving deployment and operational processes.
  
  
• Demonstrated ability to influence engineering practices and advocate for technical excellence across teams.
  
  
• Experience experimenting with or adopting AI-assisted development tools, engineering automation, or developer productivity improvements.

Why Join Us?

At NovoEd, you will help shape the technology behind a platform used by some of the world’s leading organizations to develop talent and drive meaningful business outcomes. Our team is passionate about building products that make learning more collaborative, practical, and impactful.

As part of our engineering team, you’ll work on complex technical challenges across a platform that supports global programs, large-scale collaboration, and increasingly AI-powered learning experiences. You’ll collaborate with thoughtful teammates, contribute to systems that power real-world learning and development, and have the opportunity to influence the evolution of a growing multi-product platform spanning Learning, Mentoring, and Practicing.

We value curiosity, craftsmanship, and a culture of continuous improvement. Engineers at NovoEd are encouraged to explore new ideas, adopt modern tools and practices, and build solutions that deliver long-term value for our customers.

If you’re excited about building meaningful software, working with talented colleagues, and helping organizations develop the skills needed for the future of work, we’d love to hear from you.

NovoEd is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruiting.