Senior Backend Engineer (AI-Native) at Umba

About the Role



We're looking for an experienced Back-End / Full-Stack Engineer to design, build, and scale the core services that power Umba's digital banking platform.

You'll work primarily in Python (Flask, FastAPI), building secure, high-performance APIs used by tens of thousands of customers across Africa — while also contributing across the stack where needed.

This is not a traditional engineering role.

We operate in an AI-native development environment, where engineers leverage tools like Claude Code, Codex, and other LLM-based systems to accelerate development, generate code, and iterate quickly.

As a result, the role increasingly focuses on:


Defining clear technical specifications
Orchestrating AI agents to implement systems
Reviewing, validating, and hardening generated code
Building robust feedback loops and quality control systems


You'll collaborate closely with the Data and Product teams to shape our architecture and ship features quickly and reliably.

This is a highly technical, in-office role based in Nairobi. You'll join a small, high-performing team operating at speed, where ownership is expected and impact is immediate.




Responsibilities


Design, build, and maintain scalable backend services using Python (Flask, FastAPI)
Contribute to front end development (NextJS)
Contribute across the stack when needed (APIs, integrations)
Define clear technical specs that can be executed by AI-assisted development workflows
Use AI tools (e.g. Claude Code, Codex) to accelerate development while maintaining high quality
Review, test, and validate AI-generated code to ensure correctness, security, and performance
Architect systems with a focus on reliability, observability, and scalability
Build strong testing and validation pipelines (unit, integration, automated QA)
Collaborate with Data teams to deliver end-to-end features
Debug complex production issues and implement robust fixes
Continuously improve engineering velocity through tooling and process improvements


Skills and Qualifications


5+ years of software engineering experience in production environments
Strong proficiency in Python and backend frameworks (Flask, FastAPI)
Intermediate experience with Frontend
Experience building and scaling APIs and distributed systems
Comfortable working across the stack (backend + some frontend exposure preferred)
Strong system design skills and understanding of software architecture principles


AI-Native Engineering Experience (increasingly important):


Experience using AI coding tools (Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, etc.) in daily workflows
Ability to write clear, structured technical specs and prompts for code generation
Strong code review skills, especially for validating AI-generated outputs
Understanding of tradeoffs, failure modes, and quality risks in AI-assisted development
Experience building guardrails: testing, validation, and monitoring for generated code
Familiarity with modern development workflows (Git, CI/CD, Docker)
Experience with Linux/Unix environments


Bonus:


Experience in fintech, lending, or payments systems
Exposure to data/ML systems or model deployment
Experience with blockchain or crypto-related systems


What We're Really Looking For


Engineers who think in systems, not just functions
People who can leverage AI to move 10x faster without sacrificing quality
Builders who take ownership from idea → spec → implementation → production
Pragmatic problem-solvers who ship