Backend Lead Developer (Node.js / PostgreSQL / Google Cloud)

Compensation: 2.0% – 2.25%

About Dancify

Dancify is a mobile-first festival platform for the global social dance community. We help dancers discover events, connect with other dancers, verify festival access, and plan their festival experience.

Currently pre-launch with an existing community, waitlist, and pilot festivals being prepared.

This is the MVP build phase targeting the first pilot festival release within 13 weeks.

The Role

You will lead the backend architecture, infrastructure, security, database design, and production delivery of Dancify’s MVP.

You will work alongside a second Backend Developer focused on product-domain implementation, plus a separate React Native / Expo developer building the mobile application in parallel.

This is a hands-on equity-first contractor role focused on fast execution, technical ownership, code review, and milestone-based delivery.

You are expected to write production code, not only manage architecture.

Compensation includes milestone-linked vesting equity.

The role also includes a predefined deferred settlement cap of up to €8,000 EUR that may optionally be used in the future when the company secures funding or sufficient operating revenue.

Any future settlement remains entirely at company discretion and would only apply in exchange for reducing or repurchasing an agreed portion of vested equity.

Contractors are not co-founders and do not receive governance or voting rights.

What You Will Build

1. Node.js / Express API using TypeScript strict mode
2. PostgreSQL architecture, Prisma schema, migrations, indexes, constraints, and transactions
3. Firebase Phone Authentication with Firebase Admin ID-token verification
4. Backend authorization for guest, registered, verified attendee, and event-scoped staff roles
5. Google Cloud Run API infrastructure
6. Cloud SQL PostgreSQL staging and production environments
7. Cloudflare R2 private file storage with signed uploads and downloads
8. Ticket verification and event-scoped attendee entitlement architecture
9. Staff permissions and ticket check-in architecture
10. OpenAPI contracts and shared backend API standards
11. GitHub Actions CI/CD and controlled production releases
12. Google Secret Manager and secure credential handling
13. Structured logging, monitoring, alerts, backups, and recovery
14. Rate limiting, security controls, auditing, and production hardening
15. Load testing and pilot-readiness support
16. Technical review of shared backend changes and database migrations

Milestones and Equity Schedule

M1: Foundation Deliverables: Backend foundation, PostgreSQL/Prisma architecture, Cloud Run/Cloud SQL, CI/CD, Firebase Auth, authorization foundation, R2 architecture, staging Weeks: 1-3 Equity Vesting: 0.50%

M2: Events & Tickets Deliverables: Ticket verification architecture, entitlements, audit model, event security, review shared event/ticket schemas Weeks: 4-6 Equity Vesting: 0.45%

M3: Matching & Connections Deliverables: Shared data/security review, notification architecture, abuse protection, database integrity Weeks: 6-8 Equity Vesting: 0.35%

M4: Festival Hub & Planner Deliverables: Schedule/planner architecture review, permissions, performance, infrastructure and cross-module integration Weeks: 8-11 Equity Vesting: 0.55%

M5: Staff & Launch Deliverables: Staff permissions, scanning/check-in, security, production deployment, observability, backups, load testing and launch readiness Weeks: 11-13 Equity Vesting: 0.40%

TOTAL: Backend Lead ownership 13 weeks 2.25%

Requirements

1. 5+ years building production backend systems with Node.js / TypeScript
2. Strong PostgreSQL skills
3. Strong relational database and schema-design experience
4. Experience with transactions, concurrency, constraints, indexes, and migrations
5. Experience designing authentication and authorization systems
6. Production cloud infrastructure experience
7. Comfortable with Docker and CI/CD pipelines
8. Experience designing REST APIs and API contracts
9. Strong Git and pull-request workflow
10. Able to review and guide another backend developer
11. Strong security and data-integrity mindset
12. Self-directed and milestone-driven
13. Strong written English
14. Able to communicate risks before they become deadline problems
15. Available for regular backend/mobile integration calls during the 13-week build

Strong Advantage

Experience with: Google Cloud Run Cloud SQL Prisma Firebase Admin Cloudflare R2 or S3-compatible object storage OpenAPI GitHub Actions Workload Identity Federation Ticketing systems Multi-tenant or event-scoped authorization

Intellectual Property & Ownership

All project-specific work produced under the engagement, including code, infrastructure, systems, documentation, schemas, configurations, and technical implementations, will be governed by Dancify’s written contractor and intellectual-property agreements.

Dancify owns and controls the production repositories, cloud accounts, infrastructure accounts, billing relationships, domains, and production credentials.

Contractors are not co-founders and do not receive governance rights, voting rights, or executive authority through equity compensation unless separately agreed in writing.

Application

Send:

1. Relevant GitHub or production code samples
2. Brief overview of similar backend systems you have shipped
3. Examples of PostgreSQL/database architecture you personally owned
4. Brief overview of your cloud/infrastructure experience
5. Your realistic weekly availability for the next 13 weeks
6. Confirmation of availability for a short technical trial

NDA will be signed before confidential technical details are shared.