Staff Backend Engineer – Network Team

About Halter

Halter empowers farmers and graziers to create more productive and sustainable agricultural operations by leveraging advanced technology to replace traditional, labor-intensive methods. Their innovative system enables smooth, automated cattle movement without using quad bikes, dogs, or fences, transforming grazing practices and enhancing farm productivity and sustainability. Backed by leading global investors, Halter fosters a culture of high performance and meaningful impact by tackling complex problems alongside a talented and caring team.

Role Overview

As a Staff Backend Engineer on the Network Team, you will design and maintain highly resilient backend systems that process millions of real-time messages from IoT devices such as collars and towers. Your work will support rapid device scaling globally using AWS services including Kinesis, SNS, and SQS. You will improve system reliability, observability, and fault tolerance and own end-to-end troubleshooting of intricate multi-disciplinary technical issues in collaboration with firmware, hardware, and product teams.

You will lead initiatives from scoping to detailed design, task delegation, and clear communication of progress and challenges. Additionally, you will develop advanced automation to provide frictionless collar and tower deployments and mentor colleagues to shape the evolution of network protocols and infrastructure at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and build fault-tolerant backend systems handling millions of real-time IoT messages.
• Scale infrastructure globally using AWS-native tools such as Kinesis and SNS/SQS.
• Enhance reliability, observability, and fault tolerance across messaging and network layers.
• Lead complex cross-team troubleshooting with firmware, hardware, and product teams to resolve challenging bugs.
• Manage technical projects end to end, including scoping, specification, task distribution, and communication.
• Create highly reliable automation for zero-touch collar and tower deployments ensuring excellent customer experience.
• Mentor team members and guide technical direction for scalable protocols and infrastructure.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Experienced backend engineer skilled in scaling distributed systems in production environments.
• Expertise with AWS or comparable modern cloud platforms.
• Proficient with infrastructure tools such as Terraform, load testing frameworks, and chaos engineering techniques.
• Knowledgeable about messaging protocols like MQTT and TCP/IP and cloud messaging services like Kinesis and SNS/SQS.
• Strong debugging capabilities with a solid understanding of system behavior and data-driven decision making.
• Capacity to manage and maintain systems with high uptime requirements.
• Collaborative team player with a growth mindset, open to feedback and rapid iteration.
• Bonus: Prior experience with LoRa technology is advantageous.

Benefits and Culture

• Complimentary snacks and beverages for daily refreshment.
• Health insurance partnership with Southern Cross for well-being support.
• Generous parental leave policies including 6 months paid leave for primary caregivers and 4 weeks for secondary caregivers.
• Annual $1000 personal development fund to support continuous learning and growth.
• Unlimited paid annual leave plus wellness leave to ensure work-life balance.
• Competitive remuneration including salary, benefits, and employee stock ownership options.

Work Environment and Philosophy

Halter embraces an office-first culture to foster genuine in-person connections, collaboration, and rapid growth. While office presence is the default, the company practices flexibility and high trust, prioritizing team cohesion and long-term relationships essential for effective communication and aligned work. This environment has been described by employees as energizing and unparalleled compared to fully remote or hybrid settings.

Inclusion Statement

Committed to diversity and inclusion, Halter encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply even if they do not meet every criterion outlined, believing that varied perspectives contribute to stronger and more innovative teams.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter explaining their enthusiasm for the role and Halter along with a current CV for consideration.