Suggested rewrite: Led a cross-functional initiative that improved [business outcome] by [measurable result], demonstrating experience relevant to this role...
Senior Backend Engineer
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- Salary
- USD 180k–210k / yr
- Department
- Software Engineering
- Employment
- Full Time
- Experience
- Senior
- Published
- Apply before
- 5 Nov 2026
- Listing views
- 36
- Application actions
- 2
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The role, at a glance.
Eight Sleep seeks a Senior Backend Engineer to build and operate distributed backend systems supporting its sleep-fitness product ecosystem. The role covers data-pipeline integrity at roughly 5 TB per day, availability tooling for approximately 30 microservices, and delivery of backend product features. Candidates need 8+ years of software engineering experience, 5+ years in backend engineering or SRE work, distributed-systems expertise, and deep cloud knowledge. The company emphasizes high ownership, rapid execution, and an intense environment where team members may work 60+ hours weekly.
Role DNA
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Pace & Pressure
5/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
4/5Salary analysis
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Core skills
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Sample interview questions
I would first map the pipeline's critical paths, throughput limits, failure modes, and data-quality checks. I would add idempotent processing, durable queues or checkpoints, schema validation, retry policies with dead-letter handling, and end-to-end observability for latency, freshness, completeness, and error rates. I would then define SLOs and test recovery through controlled failure scenarios.
I would standardize service templates, deployment practices, health checks, dashboards, alerts, and ownership documentation. Each service should have defined SLOs, actionable alerts, safe rollout mechanisms such as canaries or progressive delivery, and runbooks for common incidents. Platform automation should reduce manual operational work while preserving clear accountability for service reliability.
I explicitly account for partial failure, network latency, duplicate delivery, ordering constraints, and eventual consistency. I favor clear service boundaries, idempotent interfaces, observable state transitions, and pragmatic consistency models that match product requirements. I also design for operability from the start through metrics, tracing, structured logs, capacity planning, and tested recovery procedures.
I would start with the service's workload, latency and throughput needs, team expertise, existing platform support, and long-term maintainability rather than choosing a language by preference. For example, I might use a JVM language for a high-throughput service with mature concurrency and ecosystem requirements, while selecting Python for a workflow closely integrated with data science. I would ensure the choice fits shared standards for APIs, observability, security, CI/CD, and operational support.
I use small, reversible changes supported by automated tests, feature flags, monitoring, and staged rollouts. I make risk visible early, communicate tradeoffs clearly, and reserve time to address recurring operational pain through automation and technical-debt work. This enables fast iteration without normalizing avoidable incidents or fragile systems.
About this role.
Join the Sleep Fitness Movement
At Eight Sleep, we’re on a mission to fuel human potential through optimal sleep. As the world’s first sleep fitness company, we’re redefining what it means to be well-rested and building the most advanced hardware, software, and AI technology to make it possible. Our products power peak mental, physical, and emotional performance by transforming every night of sleep into a personalized, data-driven recovery experience. We are trusted by high performers, professional athletes, and health-conscious consumers in over 30 countries worldwide. Recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2019, 2022, and 2023, and twice named to TIME’s “Best Inventions of the Year.” We operate like a high-performance team: fast, focused, and motivated by impact. We don’t just ship; we iterate, refine, and obsess over the details that help our members sleep better and wake up stronger.
Every role at Eight Sleep is a chance to create cutting-edge technology, collaborate with world-class talent, and help shape a future where sleep isn’t passive – it’s a powerful tool for living better. If you’re tired of the ordinary and driven to build at the edge of what’s possible, this is your moment. Join us and lead the movement that’s transforming how the world sleeps and what we’re all capable of when we wake up.
High Standards. No Apologies.
We operate with intensity because our mission demands it. At Eight Sleep, we bring the same mindset as the world’s top performers: focused, relentless, and always pushing to be in the top 1% of our craft. Think Kobe Bryant’s mamba mentality, applied to bold ideas, next-gen tech, and flawless execution. This isn’t a 9-to-5. Our team is deeply committed, often putting in 60+ hours a week –not because we’re told to, but because we’re invested. We’re here to build fast, push limits, and deliver without compromise. If you thrive under pressure and want to do the most meaningful work of your career, you’ll feel right at home. If you’re looking for something easier –this isn’t it.
The Role
Eight Sleep is looking for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to help us expand our product features and our capability to scale. We have distributed back-end systems responsible for critical business logic as well as bridging communications/data flows between our embedded, machine learning, mobile, and business intelligence systems. We are seeking someone who is passionate about designing, implementing, and supporting distributed systems and appreciates the impact they have on all aspects of the member experience. We look for people who dig under the hood and understand what the technology is doing, so we can make wise decisions about how our technology should solve and evolve.
What You’ll Help Build
Maintain and improve the integrity of our data processing pipeline (5Tb per day)
Develop tools to guarantee the availability of our services (~30 microservices) and automate their operation
Contribute to the development of back-end services and product features
What You’ll Need to Succeed
8+ years of software engineering experience
5+ years of experience as a backend engineer/SRE
Language polyglot, advanced experience with at least 2 out of Java (Scala or Kotlin), C# (or F#) (.NET core), Python, NodeJS+TypeScript,
Experience with distributed systems
Deep understanding of cloud services
Why join Eight Sleep?
Innovation in a culture of excellence
Join us in a workplace where innovation isn’t just encouraged – it’s a standard. Our flagship product, the Pod, is a testament to our culture of excellence, beloved by hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide. At Eight Sleep, you will be part of a team that continuously pushes the boundaries of technology in sleep fitness.
Immediate responsibility and accelerated career growth
From your first day, you’ll take on substantial responsibilities that have a direct impact on our core business and product success. We are a small team that empowers you to own your projects and see the tangible effects of your efforts, enhancing both your professional growth and our company’s trajectory. Your path will be challenging but rewarding, perfect for those who thrive in fast-paced environments aiming for high standards.
Collaboration with exceptional talent
Work alongside other bright minds like you: at Eight Sleep exceptional intelligence and a passion for breakthroughs are the norms. Our team members are not only experts in their fields but also avid innovators who thrive in our dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Equitable compensation and continuous equity investment
We extend equity participation to every full-time team member, recognizing and rewarding your direct contributions to our success. This includes periodic equity refreshments based on performance, ensuring that as Eight Sleep grows and succeeds, so do you – perfectly aligning your achievements with the broader triumphs of the company.
Your own Pod – and other great benefits
Every Eight Sleep employee receives the very product that defines our mission: a Pod of their own. If you join us you’ll get your own Pod, along with*:
Full access to health, vision, and dental insurance for you and your dependents
Supplemental life insurance
Flexible PTO
Commuter benefits to ease your daily commute
Paid parental leave
*List of benefits may vary depending on your location
At Eight Sleep we continually celebrate the diverse community different individuals cultivate. As an equal opportunity employer, we stay true to our values by ensuring everyone feels they can flourish and grow. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.
Please note: This role is open to applicants in the US and Canada. The compensation listed is reflective of candidates based in California and New York.
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