Job description
About Urban SDK
Urban SDK is shaping the Future of Smart Cities. We are pioneers in geospatial AI technology, providing public leaders with insights and automation for mission-critical decisions. We equip critical public services with geospatial AI, enabling precise, data-driven decisions with efficiency and confidence.
Our Commitment to People
We are committed to aligning business growth with professional outcomes for every employee. Our commitment has been recognized by Jacksonville Business Journal and Will Reed as a noted Best Places to Work.
About the role
We are hiring a Senior Backend Engineer to design and build scalable data-intensive systems using Python and modern big data tooling. You will work on data pipelines, APIs, and backend services that process large datasets using dataframes, Parquet, and Databricks, enabling analytics and visualization products at scale. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working close to data, cares deeply about performance and reliability, and can own backend systems end-to-end.
Responsibilities
Design, implement, and maintain backend services and data pipelines using Python
Work extensively with dataframes (Pandas, PySpark, or similar) to process large datasets
Build and optimize data pipelines using Parquet and columnar storage formats
Develop and maintain workflows on Databricks
Optimize performance for large-scale, distributed data processing
Design and maintain APIs that support data-heavy applications
Collaborate closely with front-end, data, and product teams
Ensure data quality, reliability, and observability
Participate in architectural decisions and technical planning
Mentor other engineers and lead code reviews
Required Qualifications
5+ years of backend or data engineering experience
Strong proficiency in Python
Deep experience with dataframes (Pandas, PySpark, Dask, or similar)
Hands-on experience with big data processing and distributed systems
Strong experience working with Parquet and columnar data formats
Experience using Databricks in production environments
Solid understanding of data modeling, performance tuning, and memory optimization
Experience building and maintaining APIs (REST and/or gRPC)
Strong debugging, testing, and problem-solving skills
Nice to Have
Experience deploying and operating systems on AWS
S3, EC2, EKS, Lambda, IAM, etc.
Experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
Experience with containerization and deployment (Docker, Kubernetes)
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automated deployments
Experience with streaming systems (Kafka, Kinesis)
Background in analytics, geospatial data, or data platforms
Compensation
Location: Jacksonville, FL (Town Center Area) or Remote
Type: Full-time
Reports to: Director of Engineering
Salary Based on Experience
Annual Bonus
Medical, Vision, Dental, 401(k)
21 Days Vacation
Office Lunch provided Daily
Originally posted on Himalayas
Who can apply
Eligible countries: United States. Accepted UTC offsets: UTC-10, UTC-9, UTC-8, UTC-7, UTC-6, UTC-5, UTC+14. Review the full description for employer-specific work authorization, residency and schedule requirements.