Senior Backend Engineer - Data Integrations | Checkr

As a Senior Software Engineer on the MVR (Motor Vehicle Records) team, reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will build and evolve the distributed systems that power Checkr's driver screening platform. You will own the full engineering lifecycle of core MVR services—from ordering and retrieving records across diverse third-party data providers to normalizing, processing, and delivering real-time screening results in customer reports. Partnering closely with Data Supply Chain, Supply Chain Operations, Product, and Business Operations, you will architect resilient backend pipelines that handle inconsistent or delayed external data, lower turnaround times, and scale alongside Checkr’s rapid growth.

Key Responsibilities

Backend Architecture & System-Level Strategy

• End-to-End Ownership: Lead the complete software development lifecycle for complex MVR features—from initial scoping and technical design to coding, deployment, and ongoing operational maintenance.
• Architectural Scaling: Define technical strategy for MVR services, identifying architectural improvements that elevate system reliability, reduce screening turnaround times, and simplify domain extensibility.
• Data Integration & Resilience: Design and build high-performance backend pipelines that integrate with third-party data sources, handling incomplete, inconsistent, or delayed external API responses with accuracy and fault tolerance.
• AI-First Tooling Execution: Adopt an AI-first engineering mindset, leveraging AI-assisted coding tools, models, and workflows to accelerate feature delivery and raise software quality.

Engineering Excellence & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Operational Reliability & Incident Response: Proactively monitor and audit systemic risks across data pipelines, leading incident response, root-cause analysis (RCA), and implementing permanent technical remediations.
• Cross-Functional Synergy: Partner with Product, Supply Chain Operations, and Business Operations to translate complex data supply realities and client requirements into scalable platform solutions.
• Technical Mentorship: Mentor software engineers across the team and broader organization, elevating engineering standards across code reviews, architecture docs, and testing frameworks.

Requirements

Technical Depth & Backend Engineering Foundations

• Senior Backend Track Record: 5+ years of professional experience designing, building, and operating scalable backend systems.
• Language & Database Fluency: Strong proficiency in at least one modern backend programming language (e.g., Ruby, Python, Go, Java), backed by a deep understanding of relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL), ORMs, and RESTful API architecture.
• Distributed Systems Design: Proven track record architecting and maintaining high-availability distributed systems, microservices, asynchronous message queues, event-driven architectures, and modern CI/CD pipelines.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to reason about complex platforms end-to-end, evaluating architectural trade-offs to build solutions that remain stable under shifting data volumes and product requirements.
• Third-Party API Integrations: Demonstrated experience integrating external data feeds and third-party APIs into mission-critical pipelines.
• Communication & Ownership: Full-cycle ownership mindset with exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining technical decisions to non-engineering stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building software in Ruby on Rails, Go, or microservice environments.
• Prior exposure to background checks, compliance-heavy platforms, mobility/transportation tech, or logistics ecosystems.
• Familiarity with event-driven data streaming tools (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ) and distributed caching frameworks (e.g., Redis).
• Experience working with high-volume third-party API data normalization pipelines.

Total Rewards & Benefits

• Compensation & Equity: Location-based base salary ($185,000 – $218,000 USD in SF) + competitive equity compensation + career advancement opportunities.
• Healthcare Coverage: 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums.
• Family & Parental Support: Up to $25,000 USD reimbursement for fertility, adoption, and parental planning services, plus flexible parental leave policies.
• Hub Perks & Commute: Daily catered lunches (5 days/week in office), commuter stipends, relocation allowances (for eligible hub relocations), and stocked office snacks/beverages.
• Time Off & Wellness: Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO), monthly wellness stipends, and dedicated learning and development allowances.