Full-Stack Developer for Financial Recommendation Engine

Job Title: Full-Stack Developer — Credit Card Recommendation Calculator Project Type: Hourly (potential for additional work for ongoing maintenance) Project Overview We run a credit card content website and want to build an interactive recommendation tool. We're looking for a full-stack developer (or a small team) who can own this build end to end: front-end workflow, back-end database and recommendation logic, and a secure financial-data integration. Scope of Work 1. Front-end workflow o Clean, mobile-responsive multi-step form/wizard o Results page presenting recommended cards with clear reasoning and comparison against the user's current card 2. Back-end database & algorithm o Database to store card data (rewards rates, fees, categories, signup bonuses, etc.) and, where applicable, user inputs o A recommendation algorithm that scores and ranks cards against user inputs (we'll provide the business logic/criteria; you implement and make it maintainable and tunable) o Admin-friendly way to add/update card data over time o Needs to be built in way that the algorithms used cannot easily be deciphered / scraped by competitors, AI tools etc 3. Secure financial data via Plaid (or similar) o Implement Plaid (or comparable) for secure account linking and transaction retrieval o Map transaction data into the inputs the algorithm needs (e.g., spend by category) o Security and privacy best practices: encryption in transit and at rest, secure token handling, no unnecessary data retention, and compliance-conscious handling of financial data What We'll Provide • Card dataset (or sources for it) and the recommendation criteria/business rules • Branding/design direction and workflow templates • Logic for how to recommend cards Required Skills & Experience • Strong full-stack experience (e.g., React/Next.js front end; Node/Python/etc. back end — open to your recommended stack) • Demonstrated prior work with Plaid or a similar financial data aggregator (Yodlee, MX, Finicity, etc.) • Database design (Postgres/MySQL/MongoDB/PHP or similar) • Experience building algorithm-driven or rules-based recommendation features • Solid grasp of security best practices for handling sensitive financial data • Clear communicator who can explain technical tradeoffs to a non-technical owner Nice to Have • Experience in fintech, personal finance, or credit card/rewards domains • Ability to support ongoing maintenance and feature iteration after launch Deliverables • Fully functional, deployed tool integrated with our site • Source code with documentation • A way for us to maintain card data without a developer • Walkthrough and explanation of code, as well as how to make smaller customizations over time (add new cards, delete old cards etc) To Apply, Please Include: 1. Relevant examples of past work — especially anything involving Plaid (or similar) and recommendation/calculator tools 2. Your recommended tech stack and a high-level approach to this project 3. A rough estimate of timeline and cost 4. How you approach security when handling financial data