Product Engineer - Backend

Company Overview Promise modernizes how government agencies and utilities support people in financial difficulty. We build technology that makes it simple for residents to receive benefits, engage with assistance programs, set up flexible payment plans, and stay on track—while helping agencies increase efficiency, recover revenue, and deliver services with dignity. Our mission is to transform public systems so they work better for everyone, especially the most vulnerable. Our team includes experts from companies like Palantir, Google, Stripe , and esteemed government leaders. We work hard and believe deeply in what we do. We're looking for excellent people to build innovative, resilient technology. Backed by over $50 million in funding from top investors – such as Reid Hoffman, Howard Schultz, Michael Seibel, Y Combinator, 8VC, The General Partnership, First Round Capital, Kapor Capital, XYZ Ventures, and Bronze Investments – Promise has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies of 2022,” “Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2024,” and Y Combinator’s #1 GovTech startup. ABOUT THE ROLE At Promise, we’re building technology that helps families stay afloat—offering flexible, affordable payment solutions that turn financial stress into stability. As a Product Engineer, you’ll design and scale the systems that make this mission possible. You’ll spend most of your time hands-on with code, crafting robust microservices and distributed systems, while also mentoring teammates and shaping our engineering culture. This is a role for someone who loves to solve complex problems at scale, thrives in collaborative environments, and wants their work to have real-world impact. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Build with impact: Architect and implement scalable backend services that power our payments and financial products. - Code forward: Write and ship clean, maintainable, production-ready code. - Keep systems strong: Monitor, debug, and optimize distributed systems to ensure reliability and high availability. - Level up the team: Mentor engineers and contribute to a culture of learning, ownership, and engineering excellence. - Collaborate deeply: Work with infrastructure, product, and frontend teams to deliver reliable end-to-end solutions. WHAT WILL HELP YOU SUCCEED - Experience: 3+ years developing production software with a focus on backend systems. - Systems expertise: Passion for building and debugging large-scale distributed systems. - Cloud fluency: Familiarity with AWS, GCP, or similar cloud platforms. - Mindset: Curious, autonomous, and accountable—with a drive to own problems end-to-end. - Bonus: Experience in payments or fintech environments. WHO THRIVES AT PROMISE YOU’LL LOVE IT HERE IF: - You are energized by big, complex challenges and the opportunity to solve them. - You want your work to have a real, measurable impact on people’s lives. - You take ownership and run toward problems, not away from them. - You value clear, candid, and constructive communication. PROMISE IS NOT FOR YOU IF: - You prefer hierarchy and rigid structures. We operate with freedom and responsibility. - You are uncomfortable with change. We move fast, adapt often, and expect agility. - You want a typical corporate culture. We are mission-driven, ambitious, and direct. - You believe efficiency means “doing less.” We believe efficiency means doing better. HOW WE SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE At Promise, we invest in our team’s well-being, growth, and sense of ownership. - Equity for All: All full-time employees receive stock options to share in our company’s success. - 100% Paid Health Coverage: We cover 100% of base medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees and their dependents. - Hybrid Work: We collaborate in the office at least four days a week to stay connected and aligned as a team. - Flexible Time Off: Self-managed FTO and 12 paid holidays — we trust you to balance your work and your life. Please note: Benefits are reviewed p