Application Guide

How to Apply for Backend Engineer

at Resolve to Save Lives

🏢 About Resolve to Save Lives

Resolve to Save Lives is a global public health organization with a mission to prevent 100 million deaths from heart disease and make the world safer from epidemics. They work with governments and partners to implement proven interventions, and their digital health tools directly impact millions of patients in low-resource settings. Working here means your engineering skills have a tangible impact on global health equity.

About This Role

As a Backend Engineer, you will build and maintain the backend systems that power digital health tools for cardiovascular disease and hypertension management. You'll work on platforms like Simple (Ruby), DHIS2 (Java), and H360TK (Python), which serve millions of patients, and collaborate with program teams to ensure reliability and scalability. This role offers a unique opportunity to apply your Python and database skills to solve real-world public health challenges.

💡 A Day in the Life

You'll start your day with a standup with your remote team, discussing progress on integration scripts or bug fixes. Then you might write Python code to sync data between Simple and DHIS2, or optimize a PostgreSQL query to improve performance for a country partner. Later, you could join a meeting with program staff to gather requirements for a new feature, then deploy updates to production and monitor system health.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Resolve to Save Lives Is Looking For

  • You have 2-4 years of professional Python experience and have built and maintained production backend systems, with a strong understanding of RESTful APIs and microservices architecture.
  • You are comfortable managing PostgreSQL databases, writing complex queries, and optimizing performance for high-volume data.
  • You have experience with integration scripts (e.g., ETL pipelines) and are familiar with deploying and supporting applications in cloud environments (AWS, GCP, etc.).
  • You are collaborative and enjoy working with cross-functional teams, including public health experts, and are willing to learn new technologies like Ruby or Java if needed.

📝 Tips for Applying to Resolve to Save Lives

1

Highlight your experience with Python in production environments, and provide specific examples of how you've handled scalability, reliability, or data integration in past projects.

2

Showcase any work with health information systems (e.g., DHIS2, OpenMRS) or open-source contributions, as these are preferred and demonstrate alignment with the mission.

3

Tailor your resume to emphasize your PostgreSQL expertise, including schema design, query optimization, and data migration, as this is a core requirement.

4

In your cover letter, express genuine interest in global public health and connect your technical skills to the mission of preventing heart disease and epidemics.

5

If you have experience with Ruby or Java, mention it, but also emphasize your willingness to learn and adapt to the existing stack.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your motivation for wanting to work at Resolve to Save Lives, specifically their mission and impact.', 'How your Python and backend development skills can contribute to maintaining and scaling systems that serve millions of patients.', "Your experience with PostgreSQL and integration scripts, and how you've used them to solve complex data problems.", 'Your ability to collaborate with diverse teams and work in a remote, global environment.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read about Resolve to Save Lives' programs, especially the 'Global Hypertension Control' initiative, to understand the context of their digital health tools.
  • → Familiarize yourself with the Simple platform (simple.org) and its architecture, as it's a core system you'll be working on.
  • → Look into DHIS2’s role in global health and how it's used for data collection and management in low-resource settings.
  • → Check out the company's blog or news to see recent achievements and how they measure impact.
Visit Resolve to Save Lives's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a scalable data integration pipeline between a Ruby app and a Python-based system like H360TK?
2 Describe a time you optimized a slow PostgreSQL query. What steps did you take and what was the outcome?
3 How do you ensure reliability and uptime for a healthcare application that is critical in low-resource settings?
4 What experience do you have with DHIS2 or similar health information systems? How would you approach debugging an issue in a Java-based system if you're more familiar with Python?
5 How do you prioritize features and bug fixes when working with multiple country partners and program teams?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't submit a generic cover letter that doesn't mention the company's mission or the specific role's focus on cardiovascular health.
  • Avoid focusing only on your technical skills without demonstrating an understanding of the public health context and the importance of reliable systems in remote areas.
  • Don't underestimate the value of soft skills like communication and collaboration, as you'll be working with non-technical program teams and partners.

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Resolve to Save Lives!

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