Back-End Developer

About Zoe

Zoe is an end-to-end wealth platform that helps clients grow and protect their wealth through innovative technology and exceptional client service. Zoe has raised a total of $45M in venture capital and is backed by Sageview Capital and the Opportunity Fund. In addition, former and current operators from JP Morgan, BlackRock, Charles Schwab, Uber, and DoorDash are part of the cap table.

Its accolades include Nerdwallet's 2022, 2023, and 2024 Best Online Financial Advisor, Morningstar's Fintech Startup of the Year 2019, ThinkAdvisor Luminaries' 2024 Industry Disruption Firm Award, and 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Award for Best Wealth Management Product.

The New York-based company has a strong leadership team with over 20 years of industry experience at firms like Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Principal, and Learnvest. We offer the excitement of a rapidly growing company with the stability of a tenured leadership team and board. We have offices in New York and Bogota, Colombia.

About the Role

We are seeking a skilled Back End Engineer to join the Zoe team at our office in Bogota (Zona Chico). We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a strong background in PHP Software development and a passion for building robust systems from scratch. As a Back End Engineer, you will thrive in a fast-paced environment and excel in taking ownership of projects from inception to completion.

Our ideal candidate will understand how to develop complex logic for consumers, wants to constantly improve the codebase and the product, and wants to enable others to do their job more effectively. The candidate will care deeply about maintaining code and improving software engineering for those around them. Using PHP and SQL, this candidate will be able to translate user and business needs into robust and functional Back-End designs.

Location:
Bogota, Colombia (5 days at the WeWork Carrera 19 office).

Reports to:
VP of Engineering.

Level:
Mid-level and Senior Level.

We're excited about you because…

• You're passionate about delivering a superior client experience.
• You're a motivated, high-energy self-starter who gets excited about picking up builds and making an impact.
• You're unabashedly curious and insanely helpful, with a high level of interest in optimizing features, processes, and procedures.
• You have a high level of attention to detail and organizational skills.
• You have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, working with cross-functional teams.

You'll love working at Zoe because we…

• Are a successful, well-funded, fast-growing company with a start-up work vibe.
• Are passionate about our clients and live/breathe the client experience.
• We hire A players, so you will be surrounded by the 'Navy Seals' of their craft that will push you to improve.
• Are a technologically and data-driven business.
• Offer competitive salaries and equity.
• Are at the forefront of tech & finance, redefining personal finance.
• Believe in autonomy & take the initiative.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the product team to develop and implement backend solutions using Laravel and related technologies.
• Participate in the entire software development lifecycle, including estimation, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
• Integrate external APIs and third-party services to enhance system functionality.
• Translate requirements into efficient and secure server-side functionality with high-quality code, ensuring reliability, high performance, responsiveness, and data integrity.
• Ensure scalability by providing constructive feedback, contributing to code reviews, unit testing, performance tuning, and best practices.
• Optimize and improve the efficiency of existing code and database structures.
• Take ownership of projects, from initial concept to final delivery.
• Contribute to code reviews and provide constructive feedback to maintain code quality and enhance team collaboration.
• Work closely with the UI/UX designers and Front End developers to ensure seamless integration of Front End and Back End components.
• Have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with a daily release cycle.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of expertise in PHP development with Laravel framework.
• 3+ years of experience with relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) and proficiency in writing efficient SQL queries.
• 3+ years of experience with REST APIs development and integration of third-party services, webhooks, cron jobs, etc.
• Experience with software engineering best practices (e.g. TDD, code reviews, deployment process, performance improvements, design documentation).
• Proficiency with version control systems (Git) and collaborative development workflows.
• Self-motivated with a passion for problem-solving and a desire to stay updated with emerging technologies and industry trends.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in verbal and written English.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary.
• Healthcare & Dental coverage.
• Commuting & Gym benefits.
• Lunch every day at the office.
• Opportunity to shape the culture of a fast-growing company as an early team member.
• Annual company offsite in New York City for our Colombia-based team — travel expenses covered