Engineer, Backend

About Zapier and AI

At Zapier, we build and use automation every day to make work more efficient, creative, and human. Using AI tools responsibly and transparently during your application is encouraged. Please refer to Zapier’s guidance on How to Collaborate with AI During Zapier’s Hiring Process for best practices when using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or others.

Location

NAMER

The External Platform Zone and Partner Solutions Team

Zapier's External Platform Zone focuses on empowering external parties—SaaS partners, developers, and AI agents—to build on Zapier. This zone unifies APIs, SDKs, and embedded experiences, enabling partners to leverage Zapier as a connected infrastructure within their own products and systems.

Within this, the Partner Solutions team specifically makes Zapier's automation and integration capabilities accessible through commercial APIs, embedded experiences, and solution-focused products. We are seeking a Backend Engineer to significantly contribute to the future of partner-powered automation via the Powered by Zapier API and other related services. These offerings allow companies to embed native automation directly into their products, eliminating the need to re-invent core workflow, trigger, and integration infrastructure.

If you are passionate about designing developer-centric APIs, scaling robust backend systems, and growing Zapier's partner ecosystem, we encourage you to apply.

Team Mission

The Partner Solutions team's mission is to make Zapier's automation and integration capabilities accessible to partners through commercial APIs, embedded experiences, and solution-focused products. We design and maintain the external interfaces and programs that empower partners to build with Zapier and offer automation to their customers. Our scope includes the Workflow API, embedded workflow experiences, account provisioning, promotions, and reporting.

Our goal is to help partners integrate Zapier, support their customers, and unlock new revenue and growth. We proactively design ways for partners to deliver value through our APIs, envisioning a future where Zapier is the preferred integration and automation platform for partners. By externalizing core capabilities such as APIs, embedded experiences, promotions, and developer tools, we enable partners to drive adoption, retention, and product-led growth across the ecosystem.

Things You’ll Do as an Engineer, Backend

• Design and build new partner-facing APIs that power automation and integration directly within partner platforms.
• Expand and improve the Powered by Zapier platform, ensuring reliability, scalability, and exceptional developer experience.
• Enhance partner developer tools and documentation, creating seamless onboarding and implementation experiences.
• Balance internal and external needs, ensuring systems are ergonomic and scalable for both Zapier’s engineering teams and external developers.
• Collaborate across teams including Platform, Infrastructure, and Product Engineering to ensure smooth integration and interoperability.
• Lead technical initiatives, mentor teammates, and contribute to architectural decisions that set long-term direction for the product.

About You

We are looking for experienced backend engineers who possess a blend of technical depth, customer understanding, empathy, and adaptability.

You Have

• API Development Experience: You’ve built and maintained APIs, gateways, and integration points that serve real-world production traffic.
• Language Proficiency: You’re fluent in Python, with strong experience using Django and ideally the Django REST Framework.
• Authentication Knowledge: You’re familiar with OAuth, API keys, JWTs, and other authentication patterns used in secure API systems.
• Scale and Reliability Mindset: You design systems for performance, resilience, and maintainability, carefully considering how features reach customers.
• Developer Experience Focus: You care deeply about usability, feedback loops, and how external developers interact with your APIs.
• Collaborative Spirit: You thrive in cross-functional environments, engaging openly with product managers, designers, and fellow engineers.
• Remote-Ready Discipline: You communicate clearly in writing, work autonomously, and thrive in an asynchronous, distributed team.
• Adaptability: You’re comfortable navigating ambiguity and enjoy evolving your tools and practices as the team and platform scale.

Nice to Have

• OpenAPI & Code Generation: Experience designing or maintaining OpenAPI specifications or exploring SDK generation pipelines.
• AI Development Familiarity: You’ve experimented with AI-powered development tools, or are excited to learn how AI can enhance automation and developer workflows.
• Partner Ecosystem Experience: You’ve worked with external partners or developer platforms, helping teams integrate APIs or automation into their products.
• Front-End Experience: Familiarity with React and Next.js is a plus, especially for understanding embedded partner experiences and improving developer tools.

Key skills/competency

• API Design
• System Scalability
• Python
• Django
• Django REST Framework
• OAuth
• Developer Experience
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Asynchronous Communication
• Automation Infrastructure