Backend Software Development Engineer - Level 3

Backend Engineering Lead / Staff / Principal Engineer

About Lokal

In 2018, we began with a WhatsApp group with a simple hypothesis: people in tier-2/3 towns weren’t really using the internet meaningfully yet. We believed that if we started with local content in their own language, they’d come back every day; once there was a habit and trust, that same space could naturally grow into classifieds and, eventually, something they used for almost everything online.This spark became Lokal. Our first instinct was to put everything in one place & one app - local updates, classifieds, jobs, matrimony and more. It worked, till it stopped working. Users gave us the insight - when one use case outweighs the others, everything else seems like noise. We listened. Like how Craigslist quietly seeded a generation of focused companies & marketplaces, we began unbundling and verticalising.

Today, Lokal is a house of focused apps, many products, one mission:

To connect Tier-2/3+ India to the Knowledge, opportunities, tools and experts they’ve always deserved.We now operate dozens of live apps across categories like:

• Edutainment & Skill Learning – practical skills and learning in regional languages (GyanTV)
• Matrimonial Matchmaking – hyperlocal, compatibility-first partner search (Lokal Matrimony)
• Agri Consulting – farmer-first advisory in local languages (AgriLokal)
• Local Jobs – blue- and grey-collar opportunities close to home (Lokal Jobs, Sahi Jobs)
• Social & Community – Place to find & post social updates (Lokal app)
• Emotional Well-being & Peer Support – safe spaces to talk and feel heard (Dostt & Eaze)
• Astrology & Guidance – instant access to trusted Astrologers via chat and voice (AstroLokal)
• Advisory Services – early bets in legal help, financial guidance, career counselling, and more

Under the hood, Lokal is a discovery and access platform: local-language internet + deep Bharat insight+ AI. When someone opens a product we’ve built, they don’t wade through clutter; they get a straight line to what they came for.This is the story new teammates walk into:
A company that started as a whatsapp group, became a family of focused apps, and kept one belief at the centre — access changes lives.We ship fast. We learn fast. We build for Bharat.We are backed by leading global and domestic investors including Y Combinator, Sony, Global Brain, India Quotient, and 3one4 Capital

Why Join Us?

We’re scaling fast with strong fundamentals, on a mission to empower millions through AI and access. At Lokal, you’ll take ownership from day one, build for real impact, and help redefine the roadmap of how Bharat connects to opportunities, knowledge, and experts.

What You'll Do

• Design and implement scalable, high-performance backend solutions to meet business needs.
• Lead system design discussions and drive decisions on architecture and technology.
• Mentor junior developers, fostering technical growth and collaboration.
• Take ownership of end-to-end project delivery, including design, development, and deployment.
• Optimize backend systems and databases for reliability and performance at scale.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business objectives.
• Continuously improve code quality, processes, and development practices
• Examples of Product-Specific Responsibilities you can expect to work on
• Develop and implement effective algorithms for content matching in user feeds, personalized recommendations, and executing campaigns using cohort calculations, ensuring adaptability to diverse behaviors.
• Design, develop and maintain WebSocket-based systems to enable low-latency, real-time video and audio communication with high reliability.
• Strong expertise in SQL database modeling and crafting highly efficient queries optimized for scalability and performance in large-scale systems.

Requirements

Experienced Professional: At least 6+ years of experience in backend development with a proven track record of delivering scalable solutions.

Technical Expert:

• Python proficiency is preferred, but a solid foundational knowledge is the minimum requirement.
• Strong grasp of architectural patterns like microservices and event-driven systems.
• Expertise in database optimization (SQL/NoSQL) and API performance tuning.
• Expectation: It doesn't matter what language or stack you are comfortable with, but you should have explored it in depth. You should know the benefits, limitations, alternatives, and scope for improvement in your code.

Problem-Solver at Scale: Skilled in addressing complex challenges and optimizing systems for high-volume, high-availability environments.

Leader and Mentor: Able to guide junior developers, review designs, and drive technical excellence.

Adaptable Innovator: Open to exploring new tools and technologies while balancing long-term vision with immediate goals.

Bonus Points For:

• Experience with DevOps practices, such as CI/CD pipelines, Kubernetes, and infrastructure as code.
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) for large-scale systems.
• A history of driving significant technical initiatives or system migrations.
• Experience with WebSockets and video streaming use cases will be a significant plus.

Experience Level

Senior Level