Role Summary

This position is responsible for implementing the backend services, APIs, and infrastructure that power The Keep's event platform. You'll build the resilient, scalable systems that handle everything from user authentication to real-time event processing, ensuring game masters and organizers can focus on creating unforgettable experiences for their communities.

You'll work directly with the CTO and collaborate with other engineers, Product Management, and UX to ship features on a weekly cadence. This is a high-autonomy environment where your work powers real events for real people.

Tech Stack

• Language: Go
• AWS Services: Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, EC2, ECS, S3, Cognito
• Event Streaming: Apache Kafka (self-managed on EC2)
• Infrastructure: Terraform (100% IaC — all changes through code, no direct control plane access)
• Observability: LGTM stack (Loki, Grafana, Tempo, Mimir)
• Deployment: Automated CI/CD pipelines
• Collaboration: Git workflows with automated testing gates

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities constitute approximately 80% of position time and are the essential functions of this position. Additional responsibilities constitute approximately 20%.

Primary

• API Development Design and implement RESTful APIs using AWS Lambda and API Gateway, following established architectural patterns for authentication, validation, error handling, and response formatting.
• Microservices Development Build and maintain serverless microservices that handle discrete business logic domains within an event-driven architecture. Maintain clear domain boundaries and minimal cross-service coupling.
• Event Consumer Implementation Develop Kafka event consumers that process asynchronous events, update data stores, trigger workflows, and maintain system consistency across services. Ensure zero data loss, proper error recovery, and event replay capability.
• Data Modeling Design and implement DynamoDB data models optimized for access patterns, ensuring efficient queries and appropriate use of indexes.
• Infrastructure as Code Maintain and extend infrastructure definitions using Terraform. All infrastructure changes are made through code — humans do not have direct access to control planes.
• Additional
• DevOps and CI/CD Contribute to continuous integration and deployment pipelines, ensuring automated testing, builds, and deployments across multiple repositories.
• Monitoring and Observability Implement logging, metrics, and tracing using the LGTM stack to enable proactive issue detection and debugging.
• Container Management Maintain and deploy containerized services using ECS for workloads that don't fit the serverless model.
• Security and Compliance Implement security best practices including IAM policies, encryption, secret management, and API authentication/authorization.

Key Competencies

• Architectural Pattern Execution — Implement backend services following established event-driven and microservices patterns independently within a fully automated IaC-first environment
• AWS Serverless Proficiency — Strong working knowledge of Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and related serverless services
• Event-Driven Architecture — Experience building systems with message queues, event streams, or pub/sub patterns; understanding of asynchronous processing and eventual consistency
• Problem Decomposition — Break down complex features into discrete services, APIs, and data models that fit within the existing architecture
• Debugging Distributed Systems — Diagnose issues and trace problems across service boundaries independently
• Asynchronous Communication — Effective written communication and ability to coordinate with distributed team members across multiple repositories

Experience

Required

• 3+ years of professional backend development experience
• Proficiency with Go (Golang) for backend development
• Hands-on experience with AWS services (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, or similar)
• Experience building RESTful APIs in production environments
• Experience with event-driven architectures, message queues, or stream processing
• Working knowledge of database design and query optimization
• Experience with Git and collaborative development workflows
• Familiarity with infrastructure as code concepts

Nice to Have

• Experience with Apache Kafka or AWS Kinesis
• Experience with Terraform for infrastructure as code
• Background with ECS/Docker containerization
• Microservices architecture in production systems
• CI/CD tools and practices (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc.)
• Early-stage startup or MVP product experience
• Background in event management, community platforms, or social applications
• Active participation in the TTRPG community — if you've organized game nights, managed multi-table events, or built tools to track campaign logistics, you understand the systems thinking we're building for

Physical Requirements

This position requires the ability to:

• Sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer workstation
• Use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other standard office equipment
• View computer screens for extended periods
• Communicate effectively via written and verbal means
• Participate in video conferences and in-person meetings
• Travel to the Saint Paul office 4-5 days per week and navigate the office environment

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Working Conditions

• In-office work environment: 4-5 days/week onsite in Saint Paul, MN office
• Standard business hours with flexibility; occasional evening or weekend work for deployments or critical incidents
• Fast-paced startup environment with frequent context switching
• Primarily computer-based work in office or home office setting

The Keep is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

This position description is not intended to create an employment contract and does not alter the at-will nature of employment with The Keep. This description may be modified at any time at the Company's discretion.