Umba combines advanced tools and techniques to optimize risk exposures in emerging markets that are currently underserved by traditional banking services.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
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Senior Backend Engineer (Ai-Native) At Umba
Engineering / Technical
full time
Nairobi
Posted 15 hours ago