Backend Developer job description
A Backend Developer builds and maintains the server side of a product: APIs, business logic, databases and integrations. A business needs one so that its app stays fast, correct and safe as usage grows.
Why the role exists
The Backend Developer owns the code that runs behind the screen. In a typical Indian startup or product team, this person works with frontend and mobile developers, a product manager and a QA engineer. They turn product requirements into services that store data, apply rules and talk to payment gateways, SMS providers and other systems.
What the person does
- Design and build REST or GraphQL APIs that the web and mobile apps call for everyday features.
- Model data in relational or document databases and write queries that stay fast as tables grow.
- Write unit and integration tests for every service change before it goes for review.
- Review teammates' pull requests and give clear, specific feedback on logic, naming and edge cases.
- Integrate third-party services such as payment gateways, SMS and email providers, and KYC or mapping APIs.
- Investigate production errors using logs and monitoring, then fix the cause and note what was learned.
- Plan and run database migrations carefully so releases do not interrupt customers.
- Estimate tasks in sprint planning and flag technical risks to the product manager early.
Skills and tools
- One backend language in depth, such as Java, Python, Node.js, Go or PHP
- Frameworks such as Spring Boot, Django, FastAPI, Express or Laravel
- SQL with PostgreSQL or MySQL, and some exposure to MongoDB or Redis
- API design, authentication with OAuth or JWT, and versioning
- Git workflows, code review and branching habits
- Basic use of AWS, Azure or GCP services for hosting and queues
- Message queues and background jobs, for example with Kafka, RabbitMQ or SQS
- Clear written communication in tickets, pull requests and design notes
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Preferred: a degree in computer science, IT or a related field, or equivalent experience shown through shipped work.
- Preferred: experience building and running at least one production service end to end.
- Candidates from bootcamps, diplomas or self-taught routes are welcome if they show working code.
- Preferred: familiarity with the domain, such as fintech, e-commerce or SaaS, though this can be learned on the job.
How the work is judged
- Quality of delivered code, seen in review comments and the number of defects found after release.
- Reliability of the services the person owns, including how quickly incidents are understood and fixed.
- Predictability of delivery against sprint commitments and honest early warnings on delays.
- Test coverage and the health of the codebase the person touches, including clean-up of old shortcuts.
- Collaboration with frontend, QA and product teammates, judged through feedback from those teams.
Where the role can lead
- Senior Backend Developer, owning larger services and mentoring newer developers.
- Tech Lead or Engineering Manager, guiding a small team and its delivery.
- Solutions Architect or Staff Engineer, shaping system design across several products.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Describe an API you designed. How did you decide on its endpoints, error responses and versioning?
- A query that was fast last month is now slow in production. How do you find the cause and fix it?
- How do you handle a payment gateway callback that arrives twice or not at all?
- Walk us through a bug in production that you traced to your own code. What changed afterwards?
- How would you add a new column to a large live table without stopping the application?
- Tell us about a time you disagreed with a teammate on a design. How did it end?
Hiring tips for this role
- Give a small take-home or live task such as a simple API with a database. Ask the candidate to explain the choices, not just show it works.
- Check depth in one language rather than a long list of tools. Candidates who list ten frameworks often know none of them well.
- Ask what the candidate personally built in past projects. Team credit is common in resumes, so probe for their own part.
- Do not judge only by the college or the last employer. Test debugging and database thinking, which predict success better than brand names.
Questions about hiring a backend developer
A Backend Developer focuses on servers, databases and APIs. A Full-Stack Developer also builds the screens users see. Smaller teams often prefer full-stack people, while products with heavy data or traffic need dedicated backend depth.
Choose the language your team already uses, so the new person can contribute early. A strong developer in one language can pick up another, but expect a short learning period if the stack differs.
It depends on the work. A junior can handle defined tasks under review. Someone who must design services alone usually needs several years of production experience. Match the level to how much guidance your team can give.
Yes. GullyHR supports permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer stage. You make the final selection.
Hiring a backend developer?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.