Backend Developer

About Meetswap Meetswap is an Abu Dhabi–based startup building a location-based social app that helps people meet others nearby in real life. When two users cross paths, they can connect, chat in real time, join place-based group chats, and earn XP and achievements as they meet new people. The app is live on iOS and Android. About the Role We are looking for a Backend Developer (Node.js) to own and grow the backend that powers Meetswap. You will work on a live production codebase, build new features, keep the platform fast and reliable, and work closely with our Flutter mobile team. This is a hands-on role with real ownership in a small, fast-moving team. Key Responsibilities • Build and maintain backend services using Node.js and Express.js • Design secure, scalable and maintainable REST APIs for the mobile app • Build real-time features such as chat and live updates using Socket . IO / WebSockets • Develop and improve location-based discovery features • Work with SQL databases (MySQL / PostgreSQL) through Sequelize, and optimise queries, indexes and relationships • Use Redis for caching, real-time communication and distributed processing • Build and maintain background jobs and queue-based processing (BullMQ or similar) • Maintain Firebase services and push notification integrations • Integrate third-party services and APIs, including RevenueCat for subscriptions • Build media upload and processing workflows on AWS (S3, CloudWatch) • Implement authentication, authorisation, validation and security best practices • Monitor production, investigate issues, and fix bottlenecks in performance, scalability and reliability • Maintain API documentation with Swagger / OpenAPI • Review code, contribute to architecture decisions and support production deployments What We Are Looking For • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills • Comfortable working in an existing codebase and taking ownership of it • Able to work independently and as part of a small team • Clear written and spoken English • Able to turn business requirements into practical technical solutions • Cares about code quality and production stability Work Details • Location: Remote (possible on-site relocation to Abu Dhabi in future) • Salary: ₹50,000 – ₹1,00,000 per month, based on experience and skill level • Schedule: 48 hours/week (8 hours/day, 6 days/week) Must-have: • 3–5+ years of backend development experience with JavaScript / Node.js • Strong hands-on experience with Express.js and REST API development • Practical experience with Socket . IO / WebSockets • SQL databases and Sequelize (or a similar ORM), including database design, transactions, indexing and pagination • Redis for caching and real-time use cases • Authentication, authorisation, API security and validation • Asynchronous programming, error handling, logging and Git • Experience running production applications and troubleshooting performance issues Good to have: • AWS (S3, CloudWatch), Docker and CI/CD • BullMQ or other queue systems • Firebase Admin SDK and Firebase Cloud Messaging • RevenueCat or in-app subscription integrations • Image or video processing • Experience building chat, social or high-traffic applications • Flutter: a strong advantage, since you’ll troubleshoot across backend and mobile Soft skills: • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills • Comfortable taking ownership of an existing codebase • Able to work independently and in a small team • Clear written and spoken English Work details: • Remote: possible on-site relocation to Abu Dhabi in future • Schedule: 48 hours/week (8 hours/day, 6 days/week) • Time tracking: Jibble time-tracking is mandatory during working hours • Salary: ₹50,000 – ₹1,00,000 per month, based on experience