Backend Software Engineer II (Remote)

Join us to Improve Health Equity for 5 Million People!
CareMessage is the technology non-profit building the largest patient engagement platform for low-income populations in the United States. Powered by the Health Equity Engine™, the platform enables organizations to combine messaging, data, and interoperability to increase access to care, improve clinical outcomes, and address social drivers of health.
With 20 million patients reached since 2013, CareMessage is the only patient engagement solution proven to improve health equity at scale. The team, many with lived experiences in these communities, leverages a nonprofit model to reinvest revenue into impact. CareMessage is the partner of choice for organizations committed to advancing health equity.
About the Role
As a Backend Software Engineer II at CareMessage, you will work on designing, building, and maintaining scalable backend systems that directly impact health equity across the United States. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams to create high-quality, reliable, and performant software. This role offers the opportunity to work within our preferred tech stack (Ruby on Rails, Postgres, GCP) while solving challenging technical problems that support underserved populations.

Job Responsibilities

• Feature Development & Ownership: Independently work on well-defined and scoped features or projects, taking them from concept to deployment. Collaborate closely with Product and Design teams to create solutions that meet user needs.
• Project Breakdown: Break down medium-complexity problems into manageable tasks and provide reliable estimates, delivering work on time.
• Quality & Testing: Contribute to CareMessage’s high standard of test coverage (99%) by implementing and maintaining tests for your code, following TDD principles where applicable.
• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Engagement: Work effectively with other engineers and cross-functional team members to develop solutions that integrate smoothly with our platform.
• Scalability & Performance Optimization: Identify bottlenecks in the system and implement solutions that ensure scalability, reliability, and performance of the platform.
• Database Management: Develop, optimize, and maintain database schemas and queries to support backend services.
• Automation & Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to reduce manual or repetitive tasks and implement automation solutions that increase team efficiency.
• Operational Support: Participate in on-call rotations to support platform reliability and address issues as they arise.
• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Help onboard new team members, embody CareMessage’s values, and contribute positively to the team culture.

Requirements

• Technical Proficiency:
• At least 2-3 years of experience as a backend engineer, with a focus on Ruby on Rails, Postgres, and GCP.
• Proven ability to design and maintain complex backend systems, including APIs and services.
• Familiarity with distributed systems, event-driven architecture, and database optimization.
• Experience with Test-Driven Development (TDD) and delivering high-quality, testable code.
• Project Management & Problem Solving:
• Skilled at breaking down complex problems, anticipating challenges, and consistently delivering work on schedule.
• Ability to estimate and prioritize tasks effectively within 150% of the estimate, meeting weekly ticket goals.
• Collaboration & Communication:
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working collaboratively in a fully distributed environment.
• Capable of identifying ways to enhance team productivity and supporting peers by sharing knowledge and resources.
• Operational Readiness:
• Previous experience with on-call responsibilities and ability to handle production issues as they arise.
• Familiarity with incident management processes and tools like PagerDuty is a plus.
• Mission-Driven Alignment:
• Commitment to CareMessage’s mission to improve health equity, with an interest in working in the health tech sector.

Within 1 month, you will

• Gain foundational knowledge of CareMessage’s platform, mission, and user base.
• Familiarize yourself with the tech stack, policies, and internal protocols.
• Build relationships with team members and participate in team rituals like Kickoffs, Retrospectives, and Code Reviews.

Within 3 Months, you will

• Gain a solid understanding of our technical environment and our approach to TDD.
• Contribute regularly to project work, demonstrating reliable delivery and minimal