Who we are

We are a high-growth tech startup, located in Toronto, helping travellers all over the world. At sherpa°, our mission is to help travellers move freely around the world, and shift the way the world's leading travel providers think about borders. We are enabling travel companies to regain trust in international travel by providing travellers with accurate information, and building the next border crossing experience. We are looking for team members who are excited about our mission, committed to personal growth, and excited to take ownership of their work.

We are focused on creating a positive working environment. We have regular team events, bi-weekly social activities and offer attractive compensation, including equity participation and benefits.

What we're looking for

As a Senior Backend Engineer , you'll architect and build the distributed systems that power global travel for millions of passengers monthly. Sherpa° is seeking an engineer who thrives on solving complex, large-scale challenges in a microservices environment that directly impacts travelers from 193 countries.

You'll be working with a sophisticated Node.js/NestJS microservices architecture deployed on Google Cloud Platform , handling everything from visa applications to real-time document processing. Our backend ecosystem includes:

Microservices at Scale
Build and maintain 15+ specialized APIs (Orders, Documents, Applications, Webhooks, Travellers, Products) each serving millions of requests

AI Integration
Work with Google Cloud Gen AI for document analysis and machine learning pipelines for travel requirement processing

Cloud-Native Infrastructure
Deploy with Google Cloud Run , Pub/Sub messaging , Firestore , PostgreSQL and Firebase Auth across multi-region environments

Event-Driven Architecture
Design resilient systems using Google Pub/Sub , webhooks, and real-time data synchronization

Enterprise Security
Implement robust authentication, API key management, and compliance systems for sensitive travel documents

You'll collaborate directly with product managers, frontend engineers, and designers to deliver features that streamline visa applications for partners like American Airlines , Air Canada , and British Airways . Your code will handle everything from passport document verification to complex travel requirement calculations.

This is backend engineering at its most impactful - where your distributed systems expertise directly removes friction from global travel and helps millions of people explore the world. You'll tackle challenges like real-time document processing, multi-tenant architecture, and building resilient systems that never sleep because travel never stops.

Tech Stack : Node.js, NestJS, TypeScript, Google Cloud Platform, Firestore, Pub/Sub, Docker, Terraform, Firebase, REST APIs, Microservices

What you can expect

• Own backend infrastructure. Co-manage authentication, payments, AI logic, feature management, and data processing systems.
• Architect solutions. Drive technical decisions and system integration approaches.
• Ship quality software. Build performant, reliable systems that serve millions of users.
• Be versatile. Handle diverse tasks from analytics and insights reports to GCP infrastructure with Terraform.

You are a good fit if you

• 5+ years professional software development experience
• Proven track record building complex, user-focused backend systems
• Experience with distributed systems and microservices architecture
• Deep understanding of web technologies and cloud platforms
• Excel in collaborative, fast-paced startup environments
• Strong communication skills

What we offer

• Competitive base salary
• Comprehensive benefits
• Early-stage stock options
• 4 weeks' vacation (Moving towards unlimited vacation plan)
• Flexibility to work from home or office
• Learning and development fund

Ready to build the infrastructure that powers seamless global travel?

Compensation Range: CA$130K - CA$170K