Principal Backend Engineer; Hybrid

See What We’re All About

As the fastest‑growing distributor of restaurant equipment, HVAC and residential appliance parts, we like to do things a little differently. First, you need to understand and demonstrate our Core Values with safety being your first priority. That’s key. But we’re also looking for unique enthusiasm, high integrity, courage to embrace change, and a sense of humor.

Position at Parts Town. We value passionate people with fresh ideas from different backgrounds. Our workplace has been recognized on the Inc. 5000, Crain’s Fast 50, and Chicago Tribune Top Workplace lists.

• Parts Town Pride – virtual tour and culture
• Quarterly profit‑sharing bonus
• Hybrid work schedule
• Team member appreciation events and recognition programs
• Volunteer opportunities
• Monthly IT stipend
• Casual dress code
• On‑demand pay options
• Health insurance, 401(k) with match, employee assistance programs, paid time off, paid sick time, paid holidays, paid parental leave, and professional development opportunities

As a Principal Backend Engineer, you will design, architect, and optimize scalable microservices that power our eCommerce and enterprise platforms. You’ll drive backend architecture and ensure seamless integration across systems such as commerce, CMS, ERP, PIM, and marketing. Champion best practices in modularization, API design, and event‑driven architectures using Node.js, Type Script, Docker, Kubernetes, and serverless technologies.

You’ll own backend engineering policies, CI/CD pipelines, and testing automation to ensure reliable deployments. As a technical leader, you’ll define logging, observability, and disaster recovery strategies, ensuring high availability. Collaboration with frontend, Dev Ops, and data teams will be key to optimizing system performance. Mentoring engineers and contributing to architectural decisions will be central to your role. The position is ideal for someone with extensive experience in backend design and distributed systems.

• Design scalable cloud‑native microservices and ensure interoperability between platforms (eCommerce, CMS, ERP, PIM, marketing)
• Implement with Node.js, Type Script, Docker, Kubernetes, and serverless technologies, advocating for modularization, API‑first, event‑driven, and domain‑driven design
• Establish CI/CD practices, automated testing, and backend tooling standards; drive adoption of best practices for service‑to‑service communication (REST, GraphQL, gRPC)
• Lead disaster recovery strategies and define observability and logging best practices; drive automated testing strategies
• Collaborate with frontend, Dev Ops, and data teams to optimize APIs, caching, and databases
• Mentor engineers and collaborate with other Principal Engineers to ensure engineering excellence

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• 10+ years of experience in backend system design, eCommerce, and distributed applications
• Expertise in Node.js, Type Script, and cloud‑native platforms (Azure preferred)
• Knowledge of databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis), microservices, event‑driven architectures (Kafka, NATS), and API standards (REST, GraphQL)
• Experience with unit, integration, and contract testing (Jest, Mocha, Pact) and CI/CD (Terraform, Pulumi)
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), serverless computing, Kubernetes, and containerization
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and collaborate across teams

Our E‑commerce team is fast‑growing and embraces rapid change. We bring our whole selves to work each day, valuing transparency, collaboration, growth, and work‑life balance.

The salary range for this role is $ – $ annually and is based on qualifications, experience, and geographic location. Parts Town is a pay‑for‑performance company; some roles offer a profit‑sharing program and an annual bonus. Our comprehensive benefits package includes health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with match, employee assistance programs, paid time off, paid sick time off, paid holidays, paid parental leave, and professional development opportunities.

Parts Town welcomes diversity and is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will be considered regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.