Backend Architect (Python)

Photon is seeking a Backend Architect to define and drive the architecture, scalability, and modernization of large-scale cloud-native backend platforms for enterprise e-commerce and loyalty ecosystems within the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) domain. This role focuses on architecting highly scalable APIs, distributed event-driven systems, cloud-native microservices, and enterprise integration platforms using Python (FastAPI) and AWS-native technologies. The Backend Architect will provide strategic technical leadership across backend engineering programs, ensuring scalable, resilient, secure, and business-aligned platform capabilities supporting digital ordering, loyalty, identity, payments, and customer engagement journeys. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in distributed backend systems, cloud-native architectures, event-driven platforms, enterprise integrations, and large-scale digital ecosystems, with strong exposure to QSR, retail, or consumer-facing commerce platforms. Required Qualifications 12+ years of backend engineering and architecture experience with strong expertise in Python-based backend ecosystems. Deep expertise in FastAPI, REST API architecture, asynchronous programming, and distributed systems design. Proven experience architecting and leading large-scale event-driven platforms and cloud-native microservices ecosystems. Strong understanding of data structures, distributed computing, event processing, and high-performance backend architecture. Proven experience defining enterprise backend architecture for high-scale distributed systems and customer-facing digital platforms. Strong understanding of e-commerce ecosystems, digital ordering workflows, loyalty programs, identity systems, and customer engagement platforms. Experience defining architecture standards for CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), DevOps, and observability practices. Strong leadership, stakeholder management, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills. Nice to Have Direct experience with Paytronix or similar enterprise loyalty platforms. Experience in QSR, retail, hospitality, or large-scale consumer digital ecosystems. Exposure to Kafka, RabbitMQ, AWS MSK, and enterprise event-streaming platforms. Experience with feature flags, canary deployments, blue-green deployments, and progressive delivery models. Knowledge of OAuth2, JWT, identity federation, and enterprise API security frameworks. Exposure to multi-region cloud architectures, global scalability strategies, and enterprise resiliency patterns. Experience driving enterprise modernization and digital transformation initiatives. #J-18808-Ljbffr Photon