Senior Backend Engineer

Summary

We’re looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join HeyCharge and help build the systems powering our globally scalable EV charging platform. You’ll architect and build the systems that bridge digital and physical worlds — connecting chargers, cloud, and user interfaces into one seamless platform. From low-level communication protocols to the APIs that power mobile and web experiences, you’ll help define how HeyCharge operates at global scale — online or offline.

This role sits at the intersection of backend, systems, and product architecture — ideal for engineers who love building elegant, scalable systems that power real-world devices, not just web apps.

About HeyCharge

HeyCharge is a Munich-based startup on a mission to make EV charging more accessible, reliable, and affordable. While hardware is required for EV charging, it’s incidental to our core offering: our powerful platform simplifies the entire lifecycle of EV charger management. From installation and billing to monitoring and load management, HeyCharge enables property operators to offer EV charging as an amenity without the complexity.

As a full-service Charge Point Operator (CPO) in Germany, we work with leading property owners and asset managers to deliver turnkey charging solutions. At the same time, our patented SecureCharge technology powers a global platform, allowing other CPOs and OEMs to build their own services with offline-capable, cost-effective, and secure charging infrastructure. With backing from leading investors (including Y Combinator) and a growing international footprint, HeyCharge is scaling rapidly across Europe and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement core backend systems for a distributed, real-world platform connecting thousands of real estate sites, chargers, and users.
• Design data and messaging flows between chargers, apps, and cloud services with resilience and efficiency at the forefront.
• Drive architectural decisions for APIs, databases, and event pipelines that scale globally.
• Champion best practices in security, observability, and fault-tolerant design — balancing pragmatism with rigor.
• Collaborate with hardware, mobile, and product teams to translate physical interactions into digital experiences.
• Lead by example in code reviews, CI/CD, and automation — helping the team move fast without breaking reliability.

Qualifications

• Strong background in TypeScript/NestJS/Node.js.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and especially Firebase.
• Experience with databases (SQL and NoSQL), event-driven systems, and microservice design.
• Demonstrated track record of designing and delivering complex systems.
• Knowledge of API security, encryption, and authentication patterns.
• Focus on automation, scalability, and maintainability.
• Proven ability to move from architecture to implementation — not just drawing boxes, but making them real.

Bonus Points (or, “What Makes You a Great Fit”)

• Understanding of IoT messaging protocols (MQTT, WebSockets, BLE, etc.) and secure device onboarding.
• You’ve built or scaled systems that connect the physical and digital worlds (IoT, smart home, energy, mobility, etc.). In particular, ZIgbee and/or Bluetooth-based products.
• You thrive in early-stage environments where architecture, automation, and shipping coexist.
• Development with Rust, front end in Angular
• Familiarity with EV charging, energy systems, or connected consumer products.
• Deep curiosity about connected products, embedded systems, or real-world user interaction.

Personal Characteristics

• Builder mindset: You create order, structure, and systems that make life easier.
• Ownership mentality: You take responsibility and see things through without being asked twice.
• Automation-first: You seek out ways to streamline repetitive tasks and free up time for higher-value work.
• Relationship builder: You inspire trust, build strong relationships, and represent HeyCharge with warmth and professionalism.
• Adaptable: You’re comfortable in a high-growth, ever-changing environment, and not afraid to jump into whatever task is needed.

Impact

• Your work will directly shape how millions of EV drivers interact with charging infrastructure.
• You’ll influence the system design of one of the most secure, offline-capable platforms in the energy transition.
• You’ll help define the future of connected energy systems — not maintain what already exists.

Why HeyCharge

• Build something tangible: what you design is installed in the real world, not just deployed to a cloud.
• Join a team where backend, hardware, and product intersect daily.
• Work with founders who code, prototype, and debate architecture at the same depth as strategy.
• Work directly with the founding team of a Y Combinator-backed, award-winning startup building the future of EV charging.
• Be part of a small, ambitious team that values clarity, ownership, and clever solutions (and knows when to laugh at itself).

If you’re ready to build backend systems that literally power the future, we’d love to meet you!