Application Guide
How to Apply for Back End Engineer
at Vizzuality
🏢 About Vizzuality
Vizzuality is a mission-driven company that creates innovative tools to address critical global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality. Unlike typical tech companies, they combine technical expertise with environmental and social impact, offering engineers the chance to work on meaningful projects with real-world consequences. Their remote-first culture in the UK allows for flexibility while contributing to solutions that empower positive change.
About This Role
This Back End Engineer role involves designing and developing cloud-based systems to ingest, process, and serve large datasets, often in real-time, for environmental and social impact projects. You'll own the full service lifecycle—from coding in NodeJS/TypeScript/Python to deploying, monitoring, and managing infrastructure using AWS, Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines. The role is impactful because it directly supports tools that help address climate change and inequality through data-driven insights.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve collaborating with data scientists and front-end engineers to design APIs for a new climate data tool, writing and testing code in NodeJS/TypeScript/Python to process real-time environmental datasets in AWS, and managing infrastructure updates using Terraform and CI/CD pipelines. You'll also monitor production services, troubleshoot issues, and participate in team meetings to align on project goals for impactful solutions.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Vizzuality Is Looking For
- Proficient in NodeJS/TypeScript/Python with hands-on experience in server-side programming, API design, and integrating technologies like remote sensing or machine learning.
- Has a strong DevOps mindset with practical experience in AWS, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), Docker, CI/CD pipelines, and production monitoring for scalable systems.
- Experienced with relational and non-relational databases (SQL), microservices architectures, and the full project lifecycle from development to production deployment.
- Collaborative and able to work cross-functionally with clients, data scientists, front-end engineers, and designers to propose creative technical solutions for complex problems.
📝 Tips for Applying to Vizzuality
Highlight specific examples in your resume where you've worked with large datasets in cloud environments (AWS preferred), especially if related to real-time processing or environmental/social impact projects.
Demonstrate your DevOps expertise by detailing projects where you used Terraform for infrastructure, managed CI/CD pipelines, and implemented production monitoring for backend services.
Tailor your application to show how your skills in NodeJS/TypeScript/Python align with Vizzuality's mission—mention any experience with remote sensing, machine learning, or data analysis tools.
Emphasize collaboration by describing past work with cross-functional teams (e.g., data scientists, front-end engineers) and how you contributed to defining requirements or proposing solutions.
Include links to a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing projects that involve API design, microservices, or cloud deployment, as this role values hands-on, full lifecycle ownership.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Express genuine interest in Vizzuality's mission to address climate change, biodiversity, and inequality through technology, and explain why this aligns with your career goals.", 'Detail your experience with the key tech stack (NodeJS/TypeScript/Python, AWS, Terraform, Docker) and provide a brief example of a project where you designed and deployed a backend system for data processing.', "Highlight your DevOps and collaboration skills by describing how you've managed production services, worked with cross-functional teams, and contributed to solving complex technical challenges.", "Mention any prior work or interest in environmental/social impact projects, data-intensive applications, or real-time systems to show relevance to Vizzuality's domain."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore Vizzuality's projects and tools on their website or blog to understand their work in climate change, biodiversity, and inequality, and how backend engineering supports these initiatives.
- → Look into their tech stack and public mentions (e.g., GitHub, tech talks) to see how they use NodeJS/TypeScript/Python, AWS, and other technologies in real-world applications.
- → Research their company culture and remote work policies in the UK, as this can help tailor your application to show fit for a mission-driven, distributed team environment.
- → Review any case studies or client projects they've shared to identify common data challenges or integration points (e.g., with remote sensing or machine learning) that might be relevant to the role.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application without tailoring it to Vizzuality's mission or the specific tech stack (NodeJS/TypeScript/Python, AWS, Terraform)—this shows lack of interest or preparation.
- Overemphasizing front-end or unrelated skills without demonstrating deep backend, DevOps, or data processing experience, as the role requires full lifecycle ownership of cloud-based systems.
- Failing to provide concrete examples of past projects involving large datasets, real-time processing, or collaboration with cross-functional teams, which are core to the job responsibilities.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!