Backend Software Engineer

About Self Financial

Self Financial is a venture-backed, high-growth FinTech company with a mission to increase economic inclusion and financial resilience by empowering people to build credit and build savings.

We challenge the status quo of the credit industry by giving people accessible tools to take control of their credit, with a focus on the 100 million+ Americans who have no or low credit. We're looking for people who share our passion, tackle challenges, find solutions, and make the financial space better for the communities we serve.

Title

Backend Software Engineer

Team

Credit Card Team. Builds and supports the systems behind Self's credit card products, including the services and APIs that power the card experience in our mobile app and web platforms, and the integrations with the third-party partners our card products depend on.

Location: Austin, TX

Work Arrangement: Austin – Hybrid or Remote

About the Role

You'll help build and maintain the backend services and APIs behind Self's credit card experience, working alongside a high-performing team of engineers. Much of the work involves integrating with third-party partners and platforms, so you'll learn how external systems connect with ours and how to make those integrations reliable and secure. This is a strong fit if you have a solid backend foundation and want to grow, take on more ownership over time, and learn from experienced engineers in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with frequent releases.

What you'll do:

• Build and maintain backend services and REST APIs (Python, Flask, FastAPI) used by web and mobile clients
• Model data and write efficient queries in PostgreSQL/MySQL, contributing to schema and indexing decisions
• Build and support third-party integrations, including data exchange, error handling, and monitoring
• Write clean, tested code and grow through code review
• Uphold team best practices for testing, security, performance, and safe releases
• Partner with Product, Design, Frontend Engineering, QA, and your manager to ship user-focused improvements

What You Bring

• 2+ years of professional software engineering experience, including work on backend services
• Working knowledge of Python and a solid grasp of web application fundamentals
• Understanding of REST APIs and how backend services communicate with clients and other systems
• Comfort with Git and collaborative workflows, including code review
• A commitment to reliable, tested, secure, and maintainable code
• Clear communication, strong self-management, and a habit of asking for help when needed

What Separates You

• Experience with Flask or FastAPI
• Knowledge of the credit card or payments industry
• Experience integrating with third-party APIs or partner systems
• Experience using agentic engineering tools (e.g., Claude, OpenAI/Codex, Copilot) to speed up development
• SQL and relational database design experience
• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS preferred), containers (Docker), or message queues
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Curiosity and a track record of picking up new technologies quickly; personal or open-source projects that show your backend skills

Base Salary Range

$105,000 – $130,000 annually. Individual pay and level are based on factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, experience, region, and other job-related reasons.

Benefits & Perks

• Generous health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Employer-paid benefits including life, disability, and cost-containment resources
• Hybrid work arrangement
• Flexible vacation
• Company performance-based bonuses
• Paid parental leave
• Company equity in the form of stock options
• Education reimbursement program
• Relocation bonus to move to Austin
• Gym membership options through ClassPass or monthly reimbursement
• Lunchdrop stipend
• Paid parking
• ERG and inclusion opportunities
• Casual dress code
• Team building events and activities
• Referral program

Equal Opportunity Employer

Self Financial is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to an inclusive environment. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under applicable law. If you need an accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.

Work Authorization

We can only consider candidates who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card holders). We are unable to offer visa sponsorship of any kind, now or in the future. All new hires must successfully pass a background check.

AI Integrity Policy

Self Financial is an AI-forward company. Our interview process is designed to understand your own career experience, technical acumen, and communication skills. Please do not use AI tools to generate or assist with your answers during interviews unless we explicitly invite you to. If we have reason to believe AI was used in a way that misrepresents your own abilities, we may remove you from the interview process and from consideration for future opportunities at Self.