Sr./Staff Backend Engineer

Favorited • Santa Monica, CA

80d • $150,000 - $230,000

About The Position

At favorited, we believe that digital communities should be more than just spaces to watch content. Our platform is a place to connect, engage, and play, and empowers creators by enhancing audience participation and fostering deeper connections. Our work culture is intense and isn’t for everyone. But, if you’re a self-starter eager to shape the future of social interaction with a team that holds itself to the highest standards, this is the place for you. We value open, yet respectful communication and real-time feedback to help each other grow quickly. If you’re passionate about gaming and have a knack for gamifying everyday life, you’ll thrive in our fast-moving, collaborative environment.

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional backend development experience.
• Passion for gaming, live streaming, and building systems that enhance interactive digital experiences.
• Strong expertise in event-driven architectures (e.g., Pub/Sub or similar message queues).
• Hands-on experience with GCP services (Cloud Functions, Spanner, BigQuery, Cloud Run, etc.).
• Deep understanding of real-time media streaming technologies (WebRTC, HLS, low-latency audio/video).
• Proficiency in backend optimization techniques to ensure high performance.
• Experience with microservices architecture and API design.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).

Nice To Haves

• Experience with machine learning and AI-driven media processing.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and optimize scalable backend services and APIs powering real-time livestreaming experiences.
• Design, implement, and maintain high-performance systems using TypeScript, Node.js, and GCP services (Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, Pub/Sub, Cloud Spanner, BigQuery).
• Work with Kubernetes, Spark, and related platforms to support 24/7 real-time operations.
• Integrate third-party platforms into the backend ecosystem.
• Collaborate with frontend, mobile, and infrastructure teams for seamless integration and feature delivery.
• Ensure reliability, scalability, and maintainability with proactive monitoring, alerting, and rigorous testing.
• Understand the gaming ecosystem and game mechanics, applying these insights to livestreaming, mobile, and MMO environments while anticipating possible gamification and interactive features that could be built in the future.
• Debug complex issues, identify performance bottlenecks, and provide sustainable solutions for high-traffic consumer apps.
• Participate in architecture reviews, code reviews, and mentor junior engineers to foster technical excellence.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation to support team knowledge sharing.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, frameworks, and best practices to improve backend infrastructure.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO & paid company holidays.
• 401(k) plan with company matching to invest in your future.
• Comprehensive health insurance to support your well-being.
• Stipends for learning, fitness, and books.
• Competitive salary that values your expertise and contributions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior