Back‑End Developer (Python, Node.js)

Back‑End Developer (Python, Node.js) | Help Build the Future of Autonomous Tech at SkyBound

Location: Remote‑first, with one day per month in Southampton (SO19)

SkyBound is growing, and we’re looking for a Back‑End Developer who enjoys solving complex engineering problems and wants to work on technology with real‑world impact. If you like building scalable systems, working with modern tools, and seeing your work make a visible difference, this is an opportunity to join a team that’s moving quickly and building something that matters.

About SkyBound SkyBound is an innovation‑led tech startup on a mission to transform public safety and emergency response. Our platform automates drones so they can reach incidents faster, deliver real‑time situational awareness, and ultimately help protect lives. It’s meaningful work with genuine impact - and we’re only just getting started.

We’re now beginning the next major version of our system. This is a ground‑up rebuild with new architecture, new ideas and new capabilities. You’ll be joining early enough to influence how everything is designed, built and scaled, working closely with our CTO on decisions that genuinely shape the future of the product.

Why this role stands out SkyBound isn’t a place where you get lost in a huge engineering department or spend your days maintaining legacy systems. You’ll be one of the core developers driving a new product initiative, with real autonomy to make decisions, propose improvements and influence how our backend evolves.

You’ll work across a modern, evolving backend ecosystem that includes: Node.js Real‑time data processing IoT integrations Multi‑device synchronisation Event‑driven architecture Opportunities to explore edge computing, mapping systems and drone telemetry A backend codebase you’ll help shape, scale and optimise If you enjoy building scalable systems, solving hard problems and working with emerging tech, you’ll feel right at home here.

What you’ll be doing Designing, building and evolving the backend of our autonomous drone platform Developing robust, scalable RESTful APIs for real‑time operations Architecting systems that handle live telemetry, video feeds and mission‑critical workflows Working closely with front‑end and product teams to deliver seamless end‑to‑end experiences Influencing architectural decisions and long‑term backend strategy Leading backend feature development and technical initiatives Ensuring performance, reliability and scalability across the platform Writing clean, maintainable, well‑documented code Participating in code reviews and raising engineering standards Troubleshooting complex issues across distributed systems Bringing fresh ideas and exploring new technologiesCollaborating with product, design and engineering teams This role suits someone who enjoys variety, ownership and building systems that matter.

What you’ll bring Required 5+ years of commercial backend development experience Strong JavaScript skills Deep experience with Node.js (Express, Fastify or similar) Solid understanding of REST APIs and backend architecture Experience with databases such as MongoDB, PostgreSQL or MySQL Experience building scalable, production‑ready backend systems Git proficiency Strong problem‑solving and communication skills Ability to work autonomously and make sound technical decisions

Nice to have TypeScript GraphQL Experience designing distributed or event‑driven systems Exposure to solutions architecture principles Microservices or modular monolith experience Caching strategies (Redis, Memcached) Message queues (Kafka, RabbitMQ, SQS) DBA‑level skills (indexing, optimisation, schema design) Time‑series or geospatial database experience Data modelling for real‑time systems Database migrations/versioning tools Cloud experience (AWS, Azure, GCP) Docker or containerisation CI/CD pipelines Infrastructure as Code Monitoring and observability tools Real‑time systems (WebSockets, MQTT) Exposure to drones, robotics or IoT Understanding of telemetry, mapping or sensor data

What SkyBound offers Competitive salary and benefits The chance to work on genuinely innovative technology Ownership of backend features end‑to‑end A modern tech stack with opportunities to explore IoT, mapping and real‑time systems A small, ambitious team where your work has immediate impact Remote‑first culture with monthly meet ups in Southampton A collaborative, supportive environment Real opportunities for growth and professional development

If this feels like your kind of challenge, we’d love to hear from you.