Senior Backend Developer / Technical Operations Lead — Trusted Technical Advisor to Founder

We are looking for a strong, hands-on **Senior Backend Developer / Technical Operations Lead** to take ownership of a soon-to-launch platform and become a trusted technical advisor to the founder. This is a **technical-first role** for someone with deep backend ability, strong judgement, and the confidence to help guide a business through launch, stabilisation and growth. The right person will not just be handed tickets. You will be expected to understand the platform, challenge weak assumptions, stabilise what exists, improve the technical foundation, and help shape the next stage of the business. This is ideal for someone who has the ability and maturity to operate at a higher level, but has perhaps not yet been fully given the chance to step into real technical ownership. --- ### The Role You will report directly to the founder and have real input into important technical decisions. You will help turn a working but imperfect platform into something stable, documented, scalable and production-ready. You will be responsible for: * Taking ownership of the backend and API side of the platform * Reviewing existing code, architecture and data flows * Supporting handover from the previous backend developer * Identifying what is working, unfinished, fragile or undocumented * Stabilising the platform for launch * Reviewing database structure, data integrity and backend logic * Reviewing API push/pull flows and integrations * Debugging issues safely and methodically * Supporting deployment and launch readiness * Creating clear technical notes, SOPs and handover documents * Advising the founder on technical risks, priorities and sensible next steps * Helping create a technical roadmap after the system is stable --- ### Core Technical Skills You should be strong in: * Backend development * Node.js / JavaScript / TypeScript * API development and integrations * Database design and data-flow logic * PostgreSQL / Supabase / similar databases * Strapi or headless CMS experience * Git / GitHub workflows * Server / VPS / hosting basics * Production deployment basics * Environment/configuration management * Redis / caching concepts * BullMQ / queues / background jobs * Cron jobs / scheduled tasks * Logs, error tracking and troubleshooting * Reading and taking over existing codebases * Technical documentation and handover You do not need to know every tool from day one, but you must be technically strong enough to investigate properly, learn quickly, make sensible decisions and avoid guessing. --- ### Helpful Additional Experience Useful but not essential: * Digital signage / DOOH systems * Android player/device support * WordPress * Cloudflare / DNS / CDN basics * CRM or customer-data integrations * Sports, events, venue or scheduling data * Small business systems * Working directly with founders * Stabilising messy or poorly documented projects before launch --- ### The Person We Want We are looking for someone who is: * technically strong * commercially aware * honest * practical * reliable * calm under pressure * confident enough to challenge weak decisions * careful with live systems * strong at debugging * good at written communication * able to explain technical issues simply * willing to document properly * comfortable taking ownership * ready to step into a trusted technical leadership role We want someone who can see the path forward, not just wait for instructions. This role suits someone who wants real impact, founder-level visibility, and the chance to become the technical backbone of a growing business. --- ### Commitment & Mindset This is a serious role in a bootstrapped business, so results matter. We are looking for someone who can fully commit during agreed working hours, deliver consistently, and grow with the business. The mindset should be: * deliver first * stabilise the platform * protect the business * help the team * grow the company * earn trust and rewards through results This is not for clock-watchers, negative personalities, or “jack of all trades” candidates who claim everything but cannot truly own anything. It is for a strong backend developer who is ready for the next step: real ownership, real influence, and real responsibility. AI Replies will not get priority. reach out directly with a full response to get interview priority.