Associate Lead- Backend Developer

Who we are We at CivicDataLab, work with the goal to use data, tech, design and social science to strengthen the course of civic engagements in India. We work to harness the potential of the open-source movement to enable citizens to engage better with public reforms. Our work is centred around building data strategy, data platforms and data science applications to push data-driven decision-making at scale. Moreover, we work closely with governments, non-profits, think tanks, media houses, academia and more to build overall data and tech capacity. What we are looking for An Associate Lead Backend Developer with a minimum of five years of experience to help support our various interventions through data platforms and tools, focusing on development to infrastructure management. This position requires a developer who can help us scope, build and scale our backend stack that powers our data platforms. This position will be based out of New Delhi [Need basis travel to other states within India will be required based on project commitments] Requirements About the role We need a team player who can coordinate in person and virtually with internal and external stakeholders with diverse backgrounds to refine their requirements into user stories and pull them into the current project roadmap and deliver on them. Key Responsibilities; Lead the design and architecture of scalable, resilient backend systems that process large-scale, multi-sector, multi-geography data. Drive best practices in backend engineering, ensuring high-quality code, performance optimisation, and system reliability across teams. Oversee monitoring, evaluation, and observability systems for backend infrastructure, ensuring proactive issue detection and continuous improvement. Guide the development of robust data pipelines, capable of handling diverse datasets with automated scheduling, monitoring, and fault tolerance. Architect and implement APIs that power large-scale platforms and integrate with Open Source Solutions and external systems. Mentor and support backend engineers, conducting reviews, providing technical direction, and fostering a high-performing team culture. Champion open-source development, building and managing projects that contribute to the broader tech ecosystem. Ensure security, privacy, compliance, and governance across distributed data systems and backend architecture. Collaborate cross-functionally with product, data, and platform teams to align backend capabilities with organisational goals. Drive infrastructure scalability efforts, including orchestration, automation, and cloud architecture modernisation. Skill sets & Requirements; 5–8 years of experience in backend engineering, including leadership or mentorship responsibilities. Strong proficiency with Python and backend frameworks such as Django, Flask, or FastAPI; experience in Golang, Ruby, or JavaScript is welcome, with a willingness to work primarily in Python. Deep understanding of databases (relational + NoSQL), including indexing, normalisation, query optimisation, caching strategies, and data modelling at scale. Solid experience with Git workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and modern DevOps practices. Familiarity with GitHub-based project management is a plus. Hands-on experience with scalable, distributed architectures, microservices, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), load balancing, and production-grade cloud deployments. Proficiency with cloud environments such as AWS, GCP, or Azure. Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to break down complex technical requirements, align stakeholder expectations, and influence decision-making. Demonstrated ability to take ownership, lead initiatives, and deliver high-impact backend solutions. Good to have Experience contributing to or maintaining Open Source projects. Experience collaborating with government, civic-tech, research, or community-driven organisations. Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and container orchestration. Basic understanding of message queues such as Redis, RabbitMQ, or Celery. A healthy sense of humour and a collaborative mindset. Benefits Perks of Working with Us Wellness Allowance At CivicDataLab, we always emphasise the wellness of our bandhus. This includes any Expenditure done for the purpose of Wellness Setup, except any financial instrument, any expense that can be claimed as a deductible expense under Income Tax rules, any goods and services that attract a combined tax, cess or duty of more than 28%. If you're interested in taking classes that enhance your overall physical or mental well-being, you have an INR 60,000 annual stipend to do so. For some people, that might mean a monthly massage. Some take photography lessons, learn a musical instrument or buy a gym membership. It's up to you; the point is to learn something that you feel enriches you as a person. Professional growth and development Allowance At CivicDataLab, we encourage everyone to take up things that help one grow professionally, and you get an annual kitty of INR 60,000 to do so. This includes attending or speaking at conferences and workshops, taking courses, acquiring hardware or software licenses or even joining summer schools. We feel that learning a skill should never be a hurdle to solving important problems for the community. Our Commitment to Diversity We are committed to inclusive hiring and strongly encourage applicants from diverse and underrepresented gender and caste identities and/or sociocultural backgrounds to apply for this role. Our organisational policies are gender-neutral, including the POSH policy and leave policy. We provide 6 months of paid time off as parental leave for the primary caregiver and 6 weeks of paid time off for the secondary caregiver, including adoption. Our Hiring Process The entire hiring process averages between 3-4 weeks and consists of the following simple steps: You can submit your application with your detailed portfolio through our website's career page. Link to page is here https://jobs.civicdatalab.in/jobs/Careers If you are shortlisted, we will have an Introductory discussion to know better and check your fitment and interest Based on how our discussion goes, we’ll give you a take-home assignment, and you will have a week to follow up with your submission. Assignment Discussion: Here, you’ll share your screen and collaborate with our team to further enhance your assignment outcomes. The discussion typically runs for 60 to 90 minutes. Based on the inputs from the team, we will make a decision in 1–2 days. If all goes well, we’ll have a final ‘Culture Discussion’ round, and you get to meet the rest of the team Note: We appreciate your interest in joining CivicDataLab. Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity. Due to the volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the selection process.