Senior Backend Software Engineer (Rust)

• Department: Engineering
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Experience Level: Senior (typically 6+ years overall, 3+ years Rust)
• Location: Remote (Europe Timezones)

Role Overview

We're hiring a Senior Software Engineer (Rust) to build and evolve the core Directus/Monospace product — a modular, self-hosted data platform. This role is primarily product engineering: shipping features, improving the developer experience, and expanding platform capabilities while keeping the system fast, correct, and maintainable.

You'll collaborate closely with engineering and product partners to turn real user needs into pragmatic, production-grade features.

What You'll Do

• Design and ship product features and platform capabilities in Rust that directly improve the Directus/Monospace developer experience.
• Translate product needs into clear technical plans: clarify requirements, propose UX/API shapes, and iterate with product managers, front-end engineers and design partners. A mature mindset capable of handling ambiguity through pragmatic solutions.
• Build maintainable service and domain architecture that supports rapid iteration: clean boundaries, strong test coverage, and thoughtful abstractions.
• Own features end-to-end: design docs, implementation, reviews, testing, rollout, and post-release iteration based on real user feedback.
• Collaborate in a remote-first team with a strong bias toward clear written communication and asynchronous work.
• Raise engineering standards through code quality, reviews, documentation, and pragmatic technical decision-making.
• Help improve team execution through feedback, pairing, and technical excellence.

What We're Looking For

• Significant backend engineering experience, with meaningful production experience in Rust (typically 3+ years).
• Strong fundamentals in systems engineering: concurrency, memory/performance trade-offs, distributed systems concepts, and API design.
• Demonstrated ability to design and evolve architectures that are resilient and maintainable over time.
• Ability to communicate clearly about trade-offs and propose pragmatic solutions.
• Experience working in distributed, remote-first teams (or a strong preference for that style of collaboration).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Nice to Have

• Experience with data-intensive systems (databases, streaming pipelines, search, caching layers, or storage engines).
• Experience with APIs and developer platforms (public-facing or internal platform tooling).
• Familiarity with performance profiling and optimization in Rust.
• Exposure to building "product-led" platform features: turning ambiguous product needs into shippable technical plans.

What We Offer

• High-impact work on a widely used, developer-focused product used by teams running in production (self-hosted and cloud SaaS hosted).
• A remote-first environment with flexible working hours.
• A small, high-ownership team where you can influence architecture and direction.
• Competitive compensation and equity participation.

Application Process

Our interview loop is collaborative and focused on real senior engineering skills (not "LeetCode-only" interviewing). The process typically includes:

• [30 min] Intro + role/team context + initial fit/values conversation
• [60 min] Rust technical interview (architecture + practical coding)
• [60 min] Product-led engineering / technical thinking session
• [~30 min] Final conversation to cover open questions and ensure mutual fit

Company Overview

Monospace Inc is a venture-backed Data Platform with a passionate community and millions of users worldwide. Modern and completely modular, our core product is comprised of a connection toolkit for developers, and an intuitive no-code App for non-technical users. With the ability to be installed next to any new or existing SQL database, Monospace instantly provides end-to-end data democratization.

Monospace provides the data foundation for internal data tools and omnichannel digital experiences at some of the world's most forward-looking companies, including AT&T, Bose, HTC, Prada, TripAdvisor, and the United States Navy.

We're obsessed with meticulously honing the perfect data platform. Our product-led growth strategy keeps us focused on creating a premium offering, prioritizing innovative solutions over feature bloat, and code quality over technical debt.

Our team and ecosystem are growing at a rapid pace, but we still enjoy the benefits of being a smaller, more "tactical" team. Our organization is filled with do-ers where most wear a few hats, and work with relative autonomy.