Backend Software Developer

Job purpose

The Backend Software Developer is responsible for maintaining, improving, and expanding the server-side applications supporting the company's FourSquare Solutions warehouse automation platform.

The FourSquare applications are functional today and operate primarily as unattended server applications responsible for executing business logic, system coordination, pathing, and other functions within a larger logistics solution. This position will focus on the continued development, performance, reliability, and maintainability of these applications. User visualization and web interfaces are supported separately by the company's web development team.

This hands-on individual contributor role will work within a Microsoft development environment utilizing DevOps practices and Microsoft SQL Server. The position will collaborate with internal software developers, web developers, automation resources, operations personnel, and other subject matter experts to translate operational requirements into reliable software solutions.

An understanding of logistics, warehousing, material movement, automation, or related operational environments is highly valuable, as the software ultimately supports the movement and management of physical inventory within warehouse operations.

Duties and responsibilities

• Maintain, enhance, and expand existing backend applications supporting the FourSquare platform and related logistics solutions.
• Develop reliable server-side software designed to operate continuously and unattended in production environments.
• Design, develop, test, troubleshoot, and maintain application services, business logic, system processes, and integrations.
• Diagnose and resolve software defects, performance issues, processing failures, and other production application issues.
• Develop software with an emphasis on reliability, maintainability, recoverability, logging, monitoring, and effective error handling.
• Work with Microsoft SQL Server to design and maintain database interactions, queries, stored procedures, and other data-access functionality.
• Participate in the company's DevOps development processes, including source control, code review, build, testing, deployment, and release management.
• Support and improve pathing and routing logic used by the FourSquare platform. Experience with A* or other graph search, pathfinding, routing, or optimization algorithms is beneficial.
• Develop and maintain interfaces between FourSquare applications and other internal, customer, automation, or third-party systems.
• Collaborate with the web development team to define and support the services and data required for system visualization and user-facing applications.
• Work with operational and technical personnel to understand warehouse processes and translate real-world logistics requirements into effective application behavior.
• Develop appropriate automated tests and technical documentation to support reliable software operation and future development.
• Participate in application architecture and technical design decisions as the FourSquare platform continues to evolve.
• Support production implementations and troubleshooting, including occasional travel to project or customer sites when on-site support is necessary.
• Continually identify opportunities to improve application performance, scalability, reliability, and development practices.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline preferred; equivalent professional software development experience will be considered.
• Professional experience developing backend or server-side applications using Microsoft development technologies.
• Strong proficiency with C#, VB and the .NET development environment.
• Experience developing applications and services designed for reliable unattended operation.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server, relational database concepts, SQL, and data-access technologies.
• Experience with modern software development and DevOps practices, including source control, automated builds, testing, deployment, and release processes.
• Strong understanding of object-oriented software development, application architecture, debugging, and software design principles.
• Experience developing and troubleshooting integrations, APIs, services, or other system-to-system communications.
• Experience with A*, graph algorithms, pathfinding, routing, optimization, or similar algorithmic problems is beneficial.
• Experience with multithreaded, asynchronous, event-driven, or high-availability applications is beneficial.
• Experience with logistics, warehouse management, warehouse automation, material handling, robotics, inventory management, or related systems is strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to understand both software behavior and the real-world processes the software controls or supports.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with software developers, technical resources, operations personnel, and other subject matter experts.
• Strong attention to software quality, reliability, maintainability, and documentation.
• Remote candidates may be considered but must be willing and able to travel to company, project, or customer sites when required.

Physical requirements

• Ability to work for extended periods at a computer workstation in a software development environment.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with team members in both remote and on-site environments.
• Ability to occasionally access warehouse, industrial, and automation environments for implementation, testing, troubleshooting, or operational observation.
• Ability to safely work in active warehouse and industrial environments while following applicable safety requirements.
• Ability to travel occasionally to company facilities, project sites, or customer locations as required.

Direct reports

 No direct reports are expected.