Backend Engineer (Python, Java)

About the Company

Bestow is a pioneering technology platform dedicated to transforming the life insurance industry. Recognizing the complexities and outdated processes that have historically hindered the distribution and modernization of life insurance products, Bestow aims to streamline and accelerate these processes through innovative solutions. As a leading vertical technology provider, Bestow serves some of the largest and most forward-thinking life insurers by unifying fragmented legacy systems into a cohesive, scalable platform. Our solutions enable carriers to launch new products in weeks rather than years, leveraging cutting-edge AI and automation technologies to enhance speed, efficiency, and customer reach. Backed by prominent investors and trusted by major industry players, Bestow is committed to building infrastructure that empowers the entire industry to move faster, reach more people, and fulfill the promise of life insurance with greater impact. Our team is driven by purpose, precision, and a passion for industry transformation, offering flexible remote and hybrid work options, meaningful benefits, equity, and substantial growth opportunities for our employees.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Staff Software Engineer to join our Implementation & Platform Configuration (IPC) Engineering team. In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping the technical architecture and operational excellence of our core platform services that facilitate digital life insurance enrollment for our carrier partners. You will work closely with cross-functional teams—including Product Managers, Underwriters, and external partners—to develop, maintain, and scale modular backend services written in Python, Go, and Java. Your leadership will ensure that our platform remains reliable, scalable, and adaptable to accommodate the onboarding of new carriers, product launches, and evolving configuration needs. As a key technical leader, you will set strategic direction, drive architectural decisions, and mentor engineering team members to uphold high standards of code quality, maintainability, and operational excellence. Your expertise will help ensure our platform’s robustness and agility in a rapidly growing industry landscape.

Responsibilities

• Own and define the technical architecture for IPC services, balancing delivery speed with long-term maintainability
• Design, develop, and operate backend services utilizing Python, Go, Java, and PostgreSQL
• Lead cross-team technical initiatives, coordinating with other engineering teams to ensure seamless platform integration
• Drive scalability and flexibility of platform capabilities to support growing carrier partnerships and product launches
• Mentor and guide engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and pairing to elevate team technical standards
• Ensure production reliability by defining SLOs, enhancing observability, and sharing on-call responsibilities
• Implement AI-assisted development practices, leveraging agentic AI tools to improve workflow efficiency
• Communicate complex technical concepts, decisions, and project statuses effectively in an asynchronous, remote environment

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional backend software development experience, with proven experience at the Staff or Senior level
• Strong proficiency in Go and Python; Java experience is a plus
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, and API design (Protocol Buffers, OpenAPI)
• Experience with relational databases, particularly PostgreSQL, at scale
• Hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Docker, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or equivalent
• Proven track record in building, deploying, and troubleshooting production services end-to-end
• Proactive problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks and propose effective solutions
• Excellent coding practices, emphasizing maintainability, testing, and high-quality standards
• Experience with agentic AI coding tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot integrated into daily workflows
• Strong communication skills, capable of articulating technical decisions and trade-offs clearly in written form

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity package
• Flexible work arrangements including remote and hybrid options
• Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, and vision, fully paid by the company
• Lifestyle stipend supporting physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing
• Paid parental leave and flexible paid time off policies
• State-of-the-art office in Dallas' Deep Ellum for in-person work preferences
• Participation in employee-led diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
• Award-winning workplace recognized for its culture and support for working parents