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.

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

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

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 agents, and enforcement

High Autonomy — freedom to design and build without corporate overhead

Work with a Technical CEO and CPTO — fast iteration, strong alignment, clear direction

Cutting-Edge Domain — identity security, SaaS-to-SaaS access, AI agent governance

Massive Learning Curve — quickly gain depth in cybersecurity, identity, and AI systems

Fast Career Path — opportunity evolve into leadership as we scale the engineering team

Berlin Location — top-tier tech environment with strong cybersecurity and AI ecosystems

Direct Impact — your architecture and code become the foundation of the entire platform

Best Equipment and Tools - High quality equipment and modern tools to help you do your best work from day one

Team Offsites - Regular team offsites designed to build strong connections, alignment, and shared momentum