Senior Backend Software Engineer

Be yourself at Protolabs
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification.  We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace.  So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply!  You can help make our company even better.  We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself.  We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.

Why Protolabs?
We are the leaders in digital manufacturing. We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit. Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds. We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do. It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home.

We are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join our team!

This is a hybrid role, and we are accepting applications from candidates based in the Netherlands.

The Manufacturing Partner Marketplace is the operational heart of Protolabs Network. We own the full order lifecycle - matching orders to the right manufacturing partners, moving them through production and quality control, and ensuring on-time delivery. Our work is critical to maintaining seamless operations and customer satisfaction.

Within this domain you'll be building systems that power the marketplace - automated auctions, order allocation, supplier tooling, production workflows, global logistics, quality control, and internal ops tools. We are looking for a pragmatic problem solver who will thrive in a dynamic environment and can take ownership of the business problem, not just the technical solution.

Our Tech Stack
Backend: Python 3.11+ with FastAPI, Flask and SQLAlchemy (we also use Celery with RabbitMQ for background tasks and KNative for eventing)
Frontend: Angular 15 with TypeScript
DevOps: Kubernetes on AWS (using EKS), Terraform, GitHub Actions
Data: PostgreSQL (on RDS), Redis (using Elasticache)
Integrations: Retool and Zapier
(Some teams also use Rust, Java, and C++)

Sounds interesting? Apply now!

What you’ll do :
• Lead the design and delivery of features end to end, working cross-functionally with stakeholders to solve complex marketplace problems
• Build APIs and backend systems that power the order lifecycle — from supplier matching to delivery
• Drive architectural decisions and improve the technical foundations of our platform
• Mentor engineers and raise the bar on engineering practices within the team
• Integrate with eventing systems and scale our platform as order volume grows
• Improve the quality of our products through testing, observability, and best practices
• Collaborate with our Backend guild to set standards and improve the state of our backend systems

What you’ll bring :
• 7+ years of experience building web applications and backend services
• Strong proficiency in Python for designing, developing, testing and monitoring production systems
• Experience with relational databases like PostgreSQL
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD environments
• Track record of leading technical projects and mentoring other engineers
• Experience working in an agile team with product managers and designers
• Excellent communication and collaboration skill

Bonus Points For
• Experience with marketplace platforms or operational systems
• Deep understanding of event-based architectures
• Familiarity with Angular

What's in it for you?:
• Part of our incredible journey is clearly down to our amazing team, and we strongly believe in giving people a space to truly, authentically be themselves. We also believe that treating our employees well and sprinkling a great place to work with some nice perks can make work a little sweeter.
• Annual company bonus. We celebrate success together! Employees are not only rewarded for their achievements but also for contributing to the overall success of the business.
• Wellness and well-being with access to OpenUp psychologists, practice mindfulness with Headspace and tons more.
• Doggo-friendly office. We are big pet lovers and fully encourage hanging out with your (and your colleagues’) furry friends in the office
• Daily Lunch and snacks are provided in the office; it's a moment for our teams to connect and recharge. Shared meals strengthen our bonds and fuel collaboration.
• We offer learning and development days to be used for training or on volunteering, money to spend on learning courses, events, trainings, Access to our in-house LEARN platform with diverse courses, training, and workshops, In-house 3D Printing and much more!
• Follow us on Instagram to see what Life at Protolabs is all about!