Senior Backend Engineer at DuckDuckGo

Join DuckDuckGo - Raise the Standard of Trust Online

DuckDuckGo is an online protection company with a remote first team of over 400 dedicated professionals. Founded in 2008 and profitable since 2014, we serve millions globally with our browser across Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, our search engine, and our subscription services. We also offer private AI tools like Duck.ai, allowing you to chat privately with major AI models. Our culture is built on trust, inclusivity, and empowered project management, where every team member takes full ownership from scoping to execution. If you thrive on end-to-end ownership, we encourage you to apply.

The Role: Senior Backend Engineer

Working within our Backend Functional Team, you will lead complex projects aligned with key company objectives. You will write pragmatic, high-performing, and testable code using Perl (Version 5), Go, and Node.js, while contributing to related projects.

Recent Project Highlights:

• Implementing AI-assisted answers and integrating them into our Search product while strictly adhering to our privacy-first philosophy.
• Delivering enhancements to Duck.ai to make it a competitive AI chat alternative for both free and paid users.
• Building sophisticated data processing pipelines designed to maintain search relevancy.

As a Senior Backend Engineer, you will collaborate remotely with peers to resolve product issues affecting our privacy solution, whether large or small. Over time, you will take on formal mentorship responsibilities, guiding the career growth of other engineers and supporting the overall development of the Backend Team at DuckDuckGo.

What We Look For in You

• Experience: 7 or more years of professional experience, with a strong focus on backend systems that power consumer-facing products.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with AI agent tooling, including evaluation frameworks, Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, and prompt engineering. A fundamental understanding of complex data structures and algorithms, enabling you to confidently navigate and improve existing codebases.
• Analytical Abilities: Data driven analytical skills for effective decision making, stakeholder alignment, and experiment oriented delivery.
• Leadership & Soft Skills: Solid project management abilities and excellent written and verbal communication skills to articulate and validate technical decisions. Previous experience leading and mentoring experienced engineers to unlock their potential.

Compensation and Location Details

This role is offered with transparent compensation, structured on a regional pay scale and paid in local currency, in addition to stock options:

• United States: $190,500 USD annually
• United Kingdom: £134,600 GBP annually
• Canada: C$253,500 CAD annually
• Europe/Rest of World: €157,350 EUR annually

Please note that in Spain, compensation is scheduled to transition to the EUR scale on January 1, 2027, and for other Europe/Rest of World countries, this transition is planned for February 1, 2027. Eligibility for company sponsored health benefits is restricted to team members based in the United States.

Support and Logistics

Our Team Member Support Guide details how we support wellbeing, including paid parental leave, office setup allowances, and co-working allowances.

Important Hiring Notes:

• Work Expectations: While we offer a flexible work arrangement with no set core hours, expect an average commitment of 40 hours per week.
• Travel: Candidates should anticipate traveling at least twice annually for key events, such as our all-hands meetup and a team retreat (each lasting approximately 4-5 days).
• Meetings: Attendance at meetings via video conferencing with cameras on is required.
• Hiring Process: A successful candidate must successfully pass a background check.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

DuckDuckGo is committed to equal opportunity for all applicants and strictly prohibits discrimination or harassment based on race, color, ethnicity, caste, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability status, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. If you require any reasonable accommodation during the application process, please email [email protected].

AI in Hiring Disclosure

We use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist in reviewing and summarizing applications and test projects. This AI supports our hiring team by flagging potential fraud and summarizing applicant experience. However, all final hiring decisions are made by our human team, who review the AI's input alongside other factors. By applying, you consent to the use of AI in our review process, though you may request an alternative process by contacting [email protected].

Apply Now

Ready to join the team? Apply today!