Backend Software Engineer

Backend Engineer - DevEx Team

Location: Waltham, MA (hybrid- 3 days In-Office)

ERGO NEXT's mission is to help entrepreneurs thrive. We're doing that by building the only technology-led, full-stack provider of small business insurance in the industry, taking on the entire value chain and transforming the customer experience. Simply put, wherever you find small businesses, you'll find ERGO NEXT. Since 2016, we've helped hundreds of thousands of small business customers across the United States get fast, customized and affordable coverage. We're backed by industry leaders in insurance and tech, and we still have room to grow — that's where you come in.

We are looking for a talented Software Engineer to lead our Platform Engineering presence in the US. As the primary technical anchor for the Platform Engineering group in the US, you will serve as the "face" of the group for our local teams, bridging the gap between global infrastructure initiatives and the specific needs of our US-based engineers. As part of this leadership capacity, you will take a key part in shaping our strategy we are currently embarking on: Building an Agentic (AI-based) Software Development Life Cycle. We want to move beyond simple automation to a future where AI agents assist in each and every step of the SDLC, including designing, coding, testing, and deploying our services. To achieve this, you will apply your deep coding expertise to the world of Platform Engineering and Infrastructure, ensuring our US teams are at the forefront of this AI-driven evolution.

In addition, our Platform Engineering Group is the architect and owner of NEXT's cloud-only infrastructure at Next Insurance. You'll leverage your expertise to treat our platform as a product, working across the full spectrum of Cloud and Applicative infrastructure. Using a wide variety of advanced technologies and tools, programming languages and cloud services, you will help us understand the challenges that our platform needs to resolve, then plan and execute projects that will improve the developers day to day and help them innovate and bring value to the business.

What You'll Do:

• Shape the Future of SDLC: Take a key leadership role in building our Agentic (AI-based) Software Development Life Cycle, moving beyond automation to a world where AI agents assist in designing, coding, testing, and deploying.
• Bridge Coding & Infrastructure: Apply your deep coding expertise to the world of Platform Engineering, ensuring our IL-based teams are at the forefront of the AI-driven evolution.
• Platform as a Product: Act as the architect and owner of our cloud-only infrastructure, treating the platform as a core product that serves the entire engineering organization.
• Full-Spectrum Engineering: Work across the full spectrum of cloud and applicative infrastructure to solve complex challenges using a wide variety of advanced technologies and cloud services.
• Empower Developers: Identify friction points in the developer experience, then plan and execute strategic projects that improve the day-to-day workflow of our R&D teams.
• Drive Business Value: Partner with the business to understand their needs, ensuring our platform enables fast-paced innovation and delivers tangible value through engineering excellence.

What We Need:

• At least 6 years of experience as a Software Developer in a fast-paced cloud oriented organization.
• B.Sc. in Computer Science or equivalent
• Proven record of initiating, designing, implementing and leading meaningful projects
• A solid experience with at least one of the following languages: Java / Kotlin / JS / TS / bash / Python
• Experience with improving development processes and developer experience in general
• Must be a people person, accessible, be a proficient problem solver, which quickly adapt to new technologies
• A self-driven engineer with a deep curiosity to research and master AI technologies
• Understanding in CI/CD methodologies with a hands-on development experience of Jenkins pipelines - a major advantage
• Solid orientation to Cloud/Infrastructure-As-Code concepts - a major advantage.
• Understanding in Kubernetes & Containers - a major advantage
• Knowledge in build tools, e.g. Maven/Gradle/npm/nx - an advantage
• Familiarity with software test methodologies and tools - an advantage
• Familiarity with observability tools - monitoring, logging, tracing - a major advantage
• Experience with Internal Developer Portal/Platform and self serve tools (e.g. Backstage) - a major advantage

Note on Fraudulent Recruiting We have become aware that there may be fraudulent recruiting attempts being made by people posing as representatives of ERGO NEXT Insurance. These scams may involve fake job postings, unsolicited emails, or messages claiming to be from our recruiters or hiring managers. Please note, we do not ask for sensitive information via chat, text, or social media, and any email communications will come from the domain @next-insurance.com or @ nextinsurance.com . Additionally, Next Insurance will never ask for payment, fees, or purchases to be made by a job applicant. All applicants are encouraged to apply directly to our open jobs via the careers page on our website. Interviews are generally conducted via Zoom video conference unless the candidate requests other accommodations. If you believe that you have been the target of an interview/offer scam by someone posing as a representative of Next Insurance, please do not provide any personal or financial information. You can find additional information about this type of scam and report any fraudulent employment offers via the Federal Trade Commission's website ( ), or you can contact your local law enforcement agency.

The range displayed on this job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire base salaries for the position in the location(s) listed. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including, without limitation, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. ERGO NEXT employees are also potentially eligible for our annual performance-based incentive program, in addition to our benefits package, consisting of our partially subsidized medical plan, fully subsidized vision/dental options, life insurance, disability insurance, 401(k), flexible paid time off, parental leave and more.

US annual base salary range for this full-time position:

$163,000 - $220,000 USD

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some underrepresented people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At ERGO NEXT, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

One of our core values is 'Play as a Team'; this means making sure everyone has an equal chance to participate and make a difference. We win by playing together. ERGO Next Insurance is an equal opportunity employer and prioritizes building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants of any type and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job-related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state, and local laws. ERGO Next's policy is to comply with all applicable laws related to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.