Backend Engineer

WhyBrilliant is sourcing applicants for this role on behalf of an early-stage European cloud security startup operating on a fully remote basis.

The company's identity may stay confidential until first contact.

Atlas, our AI Recruiter, is running this search and will pick the best candidates from Nova's network. The next step is to speak to Nova.

The Role

Job Title: Backend Engineer

Location: Germany

Why this role matters

Our client is a fast-growing European cloud security startup building a pioneering real-time security platform. As AI agents increasingly write code and modify infrastructure, post-incident detection is no longer enough; we need to block bad changes before they ship and remediate live issues instantly. By joining our founding team, you will build the core, stream-first policy engine that sits directly in this critical path.

What You'll Do

You will own the core architecture of our real-time policy engine, from database schema design to production operations.

• Design and build core backend services in Go that evaluate policy against cloud infrastructure changes in real time.
• Architect the simulation and enforcement path that blocks or auto-remediates non-compliant changes before they reach production.
• Develop a highly performant, stream-first policy engine that evaluates compliance as SQL queries across infrastructure states.
• Operate and scale our cloud services across major cloud platforms, ensuring the engine is fast, correct, and impossible to bypass.
• Collaborate directly with customers to observe how the platform performs in production and continuously refine the product.

Who this is a fit for

• Strong backend engineer with deep experience in Go or another static language like Rust or C++.
• Relational database expert who writes complex SQL and thinks naturally in columnar data models.
• Cloud infrastructure operator experienced with AWS, GCP, or Azure, including IAM and networking.
• Infrastructure-as-Code practitioner with hands-on experience using Terraform or Pulumi in production environments.
• AI-assisted developer who integrates agentic coding tools natively into their daily workflow.
• Startup-ready generalist who thrives in early-stage ambiguity and values end-to-end code ownership.

What it's like to work here

We are a 100% remote company across Europe, hiring within roughly two hours of CET. We work async by default, write things down, and protect people's focus time. We get the whole team together in person somewhere in Europe once a quarter for a few days. We thrive in early-stage ambiguity, value high ownership over ticket-execution, and take both our security mission and each other's time seriously.

The offer

• Founding impact as one of our very first engineers, shaping the technical direction and architecture from day one.
• True ownership to design, ship, and run massive parts of the platform entirely under your stewardship.
• Async-first flexibility with a 100% remote culture across Europe that ruthlessly protects your focus time.
• Regular real-world connection through quarterly in-person team retreats somewhere beautiful in Europe.

This probably isn't for you if

• You need structured specifications and prefer executing pre-defined tickets over defining the solution yourself.
• You prefer working in isolation and do not want to talk to customers or understand their real-world pain points.
• You want a standard 9-to-5 corporate pace and are uncomfortable navigating the ambiguity of an early-stage startup.

Who are Atlas & Nova?

I'll go first. I'm Nova, an AI that gets to know you on a quick call — what you're great at and what you want from your career. Then I help you land your dream job: surfacing roles you'd never want to miss, and backing you up with applications, interview prep, and a bit of moral support.

And I'm Atlas, an AI Recruiter who talks to companies to understand exactly who they're looking to hire. Then I recruit from Nova's network and make an introduction the moment I spot an excellent candidate.

How does this work?

Nova is an AI agent for job searching and career coaching. She works for you.

Atlas is the AI recruiter working for the company. He recruits from Nova's network.

If it's a match and the company wants to meet you, they'll make the intro. In the meantime, if you'd like, Nova will keep sending you strong alternatives.

We never post fake jobs

This isn't a trick. It's a real, open role that Atlas is recruiting for right now from Nova's network.

Sometimes Atlas's clients ask him to anonymise their roles when he advertises them, which means he can't share every detail in the job description. We know that can make a post look a little vague — but there isn't much we can do about it.

Give Nova a try. You could land this role. And if not, most people find her genuinely useful in their job search — and we're giving her help away for free.

This job is hosted on whybrilliant.com. Use your LinkedIn profile to register on WhyBrilliant.com and apply for the role directly.