Senior Backend Software Engineer

Senior Backend Software Engineer

Hours: Full-time

Location: Molg HQ in Sterling, VA (Northern Virginia)

Salary: $120-150k range, including 401k, equity, and full healthcare benefits

OUR MISSION

To tackle the growing e-waste problem, Molg enables circular manufacturing with robotics and design. Its robotic microfactories can autonomously disassemble complex electronic products, and the team partners with leading manufacturers to design electronics with reuse in mind — ensuring one product’s end is another’s new beginning.

Molg combines advanced robotics and intelligent software to transform how electronics are manufactured and recovered. Working with partners like HP, leading hyperscalers, and industrial companies such as ABB and Stanley Black & Decker, Molg’s solutions recover valuable materials from existing devices while helping create the next generation of products optimized for circularity. This dual focus on recovery and design innovation drives Molg’s mission to keep materials in use and reduce waste.

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL:

Join a talented cross-functional team of software, mechanical, electrical, and robotics engineers to develop production-grade software that powers Molg's robotics and microfactories. As a Senior Backend Software Engineer, you will:

• Lead the design and implementation of scalable backend systems and microservices architecture that power Molg’s robotics and assembly intelligence platforms.

• Own the development lifecycle from system design through deployment, ensuring reliability, maintainability, and performance in production environments.

• Architect and deploy containerized applications (e.g., Docker, Docker Compose, Kubernetes) with a focus on scalability and fault tolerance.

• Build production-grade code with strong coding hygiene, automated testing, monitoring, and QA/QC processes.

• Define and improve CI/CD pipelines to enable rapid iteration cycles while maintaining system stability.

• Collaborate closely with robotics, mechanical, and software teams to integrate backend services into complex robotic systems.

• Solve large-scale architectural challenges, applying a thoughtful, systems-oriented approach to backend design and data management.

• Participate in sprint planning, technical reviews, and architectural discussions, while mentoring junior engineers on backend best practices.

• Drive innovation by evaluating new backend technologies and frameworks that can improve Molg’s development speed, scalability, and reliability.

You’ll have the opportunity to build alongside an incredible team, develop innovative solutions, and grow in a fast-paced environment that values autonomy and impact.

WHO YOU ARE:

A senior-level software engineer with a strong track record of architecting and maintaining production backend systems. You bring a systems mindset, practical experience in deploying and scaling applications, and the ability to guide technical decisions. Specifically, you have:

• 5+ years of industry experience developing, deploying, and maintaining production-grade backend systems.

• Proven experience designing and architecting microservices-based systems and RESTful APIs.

• Strong proficiency in at least one high-level object-oriented language (Python preferred; Ruby, Go, or JavaScript also valuable).

• Deep understanding of release management, backend web architecture, and distributed systems.

• Demonstrable experience with containerization (Docker, Docker Compose; Kubernetes a plus) and CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or similar).

• Proficiency with Unix systems, shell scripting (sh, bash, zsh), and modern software development practices (OOP, version control, testing frameworks).

• Familiarity with front-end integration and software-defined networking is a plus.

• Ability to work in-person at Molg HQ in Sterling, VA.

• Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to articulate trade-offs, align on architectural decisions, and mentor others.

WHO WE ARE:

We spend our days building robotic systems, developing complex assembly intelligence software, and designing the next generation of circular products for our customers. Given the importance of working hands-on with physical systems, we are a 100% in-person team collaboratively working in our industrial space in Sterling, VA, down the road from the largest data center market in the world. Our facility includes a variety of robots, CNC milling machines, 3D printers, and all the tools needed to build and test our products. It is important to us that anyone on our team that is interested in learning how to use our various pieces of equipment and machinery is taught and can gain the skills and appreciation for making physical things.

THINGS TO KNOW:

• We’re a small collaborative team with big ambitions, and there’s a good amount of context-switching. We expect people to be autonomous and drive their own work to completion.

• We are a profitable business that is primarily funded from customer revenue, which means we are scrappy and looking to build a great sustainable company for years to come.

• As a growing company and startup, priorities may shift as customer or business requirements change. We strive to empower individuals with context and decision-making power to meet this need.