Senior Backend Developer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values-Trust, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacity-guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. Trust is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

The Nuclear Company is hiring a Backend Engineer to build the server-side systems behind NOS modules and applications. You will report to the Director of Product Engineering and work in the Product Engineering squad. NOS is the software platform behind one of the largest nuclear buildouts in the United States, and this role builds the APIs, services, and data access the products run on. 

This is a hands-on engineering role. You will design and build backend services and APIs for NOS applications, model and access data, and make sure the server side is reliable, secure, and fast. You work with the Staff Software Engineer and product engineers on the applications and with the platform squad on shared services. 

You will write production code, review pull requests, debug production issues, and build backends that hold up in a regulated, safety-critical setting. 

Responsibilities

• Build backend services and APIs. Design, build, and maintain the server-side systems behind NOS modules and applications. 

• Model and access data. Design schemas, queries, and data access patterns that are correct and performant. 

• Keep the backend reliable and secure. Build for uptime, handle errors well, and follow security and access-control requirements. 

• Integrate with the platform. Use shared platform services, data, and integrations rather than rebuilding them. 

• Support the full lifecycle. Write tests, wire services into CI/CD, and support what you ship in production. 
• Partner with product and platform engineers. Work across the squads so backends fit the applications and the platform. 

Required Experience

• 5+ years building production backend systems and APIs. 

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent production experience. 

• Strong skills in at least one backend language (Python, Go, Java, TypeScript, or similar). 

• Experience designing APIs and working with relational and/or non-relational databases. 

• Experience with at least one major cloud (AWS preferred) and modern CI/CD. 

• A solid grounding in testing, security, and reliability practices. 

• Good written and verbal communication. 

Preferred Experience

• Experience in a regulated or safety-critical industry (nuclear, aerospace, defense, energy, medical). 

• Experience with event-driven systems, streaming, or real-time data. 

• Experience with OT/IT integration or industrial data. 

• Experience building backends for mobile or in-field applications. 

Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages
• 401k with company match
• Medical, dental, vision plans
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays

Estimated Starting Salary Range
The estimated starting salary range for this role is $121,000 - $165,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company's discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role. 

EEO Statement
The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.