Backend Engineer

Staff Backend Engineer

Join us at Sardine.

We are a leader in fraud prevention and AML compliance. Our platform uses device intelligence, behavior biometrics, machine learning, and AI to stop fraud before it happens.
Today, over 300 banks, retailers, and fintechs worldwide use Sardine to stop identity fraud, payment fraud, account takeovers, and social engineering scams.
We have raised $145M from world-class investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Activant, Visa, Experian, FIS, and Google Ventures.

• We have hubs in the Bay Area, NYC, Austin, and Toronto. However, we maintain a remote‑first work culture. #Work From Anywhere
• We hire talented, self‑motivated individuals with extreme ownership and high growth orientation.
• We value performance and not hours worked. We believe you shouldn't have to miss your family dinner, your kid’s school play, friends get‑together, or doctor's appointments for the sake of adhering to an arbitrary work schedule.

As a backend‑focused Staff Software Engineer, you will own and lead the development of our compliance and financial crime prevention platform. This pivotal role involves designing, building, and maintaining critical systems that power KYC onboarding, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting capabilities.
This multifaceted position involves developing new features at scale, driving technical strategy, refining internal tooling and processes, mentoring engineers, and assuming broad ownership across the platform.
You will operate as a technical leader with influence beyond your immediate team, partnering with stakeholders across the organization to solve complex problems in a highly regulated domain.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record in building highly available APIs, robust data integrations, and leading technical initiatives from conception to delivery. Prior experience in the AML/CFT compliance domain is a plus, but not required.

• Architect, design, and implement robust, efficient, and reliable backend services for KYC workflows, sanctions screening engines, and alert management systems
• Build and optimize case management and alert creation pipelines that enable investigators to efficiently review and disposition suspicious activity
• Develop and maintain integrations with regulatory reporting systems, including SAR filing and GoAML submissions
• Collaborate closely with compliance stakeholders, product teams, and other engineering teams to translate regulatory requirements into scalable technical solutions
• Contribute to developing new features and capabilities that enhance detection accuracy, reduce false positives, and streamline investigator workflows
• Craft and maintain technical documentation for compliance systems, ensuring auditability and facilitating regulatory examinations
• Play a pivotal role in shaping our company's engineering culture, ensuring the maintenance of high engineering standards across the organization

• A minimum of 7 years of proven experience as a Software Engineer specializing in web backend development and complex system integrations
• A track record of successfully delivering high‑quality production services, particularly those involving high‑throughput data processing and real‑time screening
• Proficiency in Golang is a significant advantage
• Proficient in English—from casual chats to formal reports

• Experience in regulated industries such as financial services (AML/KYC), healthcare (HIPAA), background screening, payment security (PCI‑DSS), or similar compliance‑driven environments
• Familiarity with SAR/STR filing processes and GoAML or similar regulatory reporting formats
• Experience with case management systems, alert workflows, and investigation tooling

• Generous compensation in cash and equity
• Early exercise for all options, including pre‑vested
• Work from anywhere:
  Remote‑first Culture
• Flexible paid time off and Year‑end break
• Health insurance, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents - US and Canada specific
• 4% matching in 401k / RRSP - US and Canada specific
• Mac Book Pro delivered to your door
• One‑time stipend to set up a home office — desk, chair, screen, etc.
• Monthly meal stipend
• Monthly social meet‑up stipend
• Annual health and wellness stipend
• Annual Learning stipend

Join a fast‑growing company with world‑class professionals from around the world. If you are seeking a meaningful career, you found the right place, and we would love to hear from you.

To learn more about how we process your personal information and your rights in regards to your personal information as an applicant and Sardine employee, please visit our Applicant and Worker Privacy Notice.

Mid‑Senior level

Full‑time

Engineering and Information Technology