Software Engineer (Backend)

Level: Middle to Senior backend software engineer.

Skills: Production experience with Clojure, JavaScript, and/or TypeScript; strong backend development abilities; and familiarity with machine learning, compiler theory, or modern big data infrastructure is beneficial.

Tasks: The candidate should be comfortable delivering major features end to end across JavaScript and Clojure codebases, solving complex backend issues, and making product decisions focused on excellent user experience.

How would you design a backend API for creating, querying, and sharing Metabase questions and dashboards?

I would define clear resource boundaries, validate inputs, enforce authorization, and return consistent error responses. The API should support pagination, filtering, versioning where needed, and efficient database access while preserving a simple user experience.

How would you implement a parameterized query safely in Clojure?

I would use parameter binding rather than string concatenation, validate parameter types and allowed values, and ensure the query execution layer handles escaping appropriately. I would also add authorization checks and tests covering malicious and unexpected inputs.

What are the main challenges of supporting multiple databases in a BI application?

Different databases have varying SQL dialects, type systems, connection behavior, and feature sets. I would isolate database-specific behavior behind a common abstraction, use capability detection, and test queries against representative database engines.

How would you diagnose a slow backend query used by a dashboard?

I would inspect application metrics, request traces, generated SQL, database execution plans, and connection-pool usage. Depending on the cause, I might add indexes, optimize query generation, reduce unnecessary data retrieval, introduce caching, or improve asynchronous execution.

How would you design caching for frequently accessed dashboard results?

I would define cache keys using the question, parameters, user permissions, and relevant database identity, then apply a suitable expiration or invalidation strategy. The cache must not expose data across users or permission boundaries, and stale data behavior should be explicit.

How would you structure a Clojure service to keep it testable and maintainable?

I would separate pure domain logic from side effects such as database access, HTTP calls, and configuration. Dependencies should be passed explicitly or managed through clear system components, with unit tests for pure functions and integration tests for external boundaries.

What considerations are important when building asynchronous jobs for data synchronization or query execution?

Jobs should be idempotent, observable, retryable, and protected against duplicate execution. I would define timeouts, backoff policies, failure handling, and limits on concurrency so that a problematic job cannot exhaust system resources.

How would you secure a backend endpoint that returns analytical data?

I would authenticate the caller, authorize access to the database and specific collections or questions, and enforce row- or field-level restrictions where applicable. I would also validate inputs, avoid leaking sensitive error details, audit access, and apply rate or resource limits.

How can TypeScript improve reliability in a JavaScript frontend communicating with a Clojure backend?

TypeScript can model API request and response contracts, reducing runtime errors caused by mismatched shapes or optional fields. Shared schemas, generated types, and contract tests can further ensure that frontend and backend changes remain compatible.

How would you approach implementing a query transformation or SQL generation feature?

I would represent the query as a structured intermediate model rather than manipulating raw SQL strings whenever possible. The transformation should preserve semantics, validate supported operations, handle database-specific differences, and include tests for correctness, security, and edge cases.

Metabase is an open-source business intelligence company helping organizations turn data into clear, actionable insights. As a Backend Software Engineer, you’ll build major features end to end, solve complex backend challenges, and contribute across the Clojure, JavaScript, and TypeScript codebase. This is a full-time, globally remote role with a salary not disclosed. It’s an exciting opportunity to shape an elegant data product used by tens of thousands of companies while working on meaningful, user-focused technology.