Founding Backend Engineer(Java)

Berlin • Cybersecurity & AI Startup • Recently Funded A newly funded cybersecurity startup in Berlin is looking for a Backend Engineer(Java) to join as a founding team member and help design the core security, identity, and enforcement foundations of a next-generation AI-powered security risk management platform. We are an early-stage startup founded by experienced cybersecurity leaders with backgrounds in Israeli Intelligence units. We are looking for a hands-on Founding Backend Engineer(Java) for a hybrid role based in central of Berlin. If you are passionate about cybersecurity and AI tech, thrive in fast-paced startup environments, and enjoy building complex platforms from the ground up, this is an opportunity to make a real impact. We’re building a next-generation cyber risk platform that helps enterprises understand, measure, and reduce identity risk at scale. Our goal is to turn complex identity and security data into clear, actionable risk insights that CISOs and CTOs can trust. You will work from scratch on core platform components from day one, shaping how modern enterprises manage and reason about risk using cloud-native systems and AI-driven analysis and automated enforcement through AI Agents. Tasks Key Responsibilities Develop and maintain backend applications using Java Design and optimize cloud-based solutions using AWS services (EC2, Lambda, S3, SQS, SNS, etc.) Design, use and manage databases , including PostgreSQL, Neo4J, Redis, and Elasticsearch Develop, manage, and optimize containerized applications using Docker Automate processes using Bash/Python scripting Optimize and maintain RESTful APIs , ensuring security and performance Work closely with frontend engineers, DevOps, and product team to deliver robust applications Monitor, debug, and improve backend performance, reliability, and scalability Implement caching, messaging queues, and event-driven architectures where needed Build whole platform from scratch Requirements Must have skills 7+ years of Java experience 7+ years of experience with Spring Boot Hands-on coding mentality; can build things from scratch and familiar with different architectures Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes (EKS) and containerized workloads Experience designing RESTful and gRPC APIs and using frameworks like Gin Hands-on experience with messaging systems (e.g., SQS , Kafka ) Experience with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar) Experience operating PostgreSQL (RDS / Aurora), Neo4J(or similar) Experience with AI agents , LLM-based systems, MCP, RAG, Prompts, Embeddings, Vector, etc Experience with AI stack (AWS Bedrock, LangChain, pgvector or similar) Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) Experience with monitoring, logging, observability (Grafana, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus) Ability to troubleshoot production issues end to end Experience with Coding CoPilots (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, AWS CodeWhisperer, Codex, etc.) Experience supporting production SaaS platforms Strong understanding of SaaS integrations and app-to-app permission flows High ownership mentality, startup mindset, and ability to move quickly Experience in startup or scale-up environments Low ego, high commitment, and a true tech startup mentality Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in a collaborative environment Excellent English communication skills Nice-to-have requirements Experience working with Go Ability to code in Python Experience with security architecture, identity security, or security engineering Familiarity with compliance frameworks (NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2) Experience with AWS in production environments Exposure to graph-based modeling (identity graph, access graph, risk graph) Familiarity with compliance frameworks (NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2) Understanding of OAuth/OIDC, API tokens, IdP, scopes, SSO, SCIM, roles, RBAC/ABAC, service accounts Familiarity with cloud identity and security controls (e.g. IAM, CloudTrail, Azure Active Directory / Entra ID ) Hands-on with SIEM platforms such as Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, or IBM QRadar Experience designing permission models, identity graphs, or access control frameworks Knowledge of tokenization, Zero Trust principles , least privilege, and continuous verification Experience with Security related to AI/LLM systems, agent logic, or willingness to learn fast Familiarity with AI agent behavior , LLM security, or agent sandboxing Previous experience in cybersecurity , identity startups You are a fan of rock or metal music Excellent German communication skills Benefits Benefits Founding Team Member Equity — ESOPs in a cybersecurity company Competitive Compensation — salary aligned with market, flexible early-stage arrangements possible Founding Team Member Status — shape the company from day one and own critical technical decisions Fresh Funding Secured — immediate runway to build, hire, and execute fast Security Contribution — contribute to security architecture across identity, AI agen