Senior Backend Engineer, Payments

Ready to accelerate your career?

Clara is the fastest-growing company in Latin America. We've built the leading solution for companies to make and manage all their payments. We already help over 20,000 large and growing businesses operate with agility and financial clarity through locally issued corporate cards, bill pay, financing, and a powerful B2B platform built for scale.

Clara is backed by some of the most successful investors in the world, including top regional VCs like monashees, Kaszek, and Canary, and leading global funds like Notable Capital, Coatue, DST Global Partners, ICONIQ Growth, General Catalyst, Citi Ventures, SV Angel, Citius, Endeavor Catalyst, and Goldman Sachs - in addition to dozens of angel investors and local family offices. 

We're building the financial infrastructure that powers high-performing organizations across the region. We invite you to join us if you want to be part of a fast-paced environment that will accelerate your career and support you to do some of the best work of your life alongside a passionate and committed team distributed across the Americas.

Disclaimer: This role is open to all candidates across LATAM, not just posting location.

What you'll do

We're looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join our Payments team and lead the design and development of backend services that power Clara's financial infrastructure. This is a critical role with high visibility and technical ownership. You'll collaborate with other engineers and cross-functional stakeholders to architect scalable systems, drive backend excellence, and ensure our platforms support secure, fast, and reliable payment experiences across Latin America.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the design and development of backend services using Java, Spring, and Spring Boot

• Architecting and maintaining microservices and distributed systems with a focus on scalability and resilience

• Designing and optimizing RESTful APIs and managing data models across PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and DynamoDB

• Building event-driven systems using Kafka or similar streaming platforms

• Contributing to high-level system design and architectural decisions that align with Clara's product and business needs

• Mentoring junior engineers and contributing to a culture of technical excellence

Who you are

We're looking for someone who meets the minimum requirements to be considered for the role. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Must haves

• 7+ years of experience in backend development using Java (Spring, Spring Boot)

• Deep knowledge of software architecture, microservices, and scalable system design

• Experience with both relational and NoSQL databases

• Proficiency with event-driven architectures and platforms like Kafka

• Familiarity with CI/CD, DevOps, and cloud infrastructure, particularly on AWS

• Experience with TDD, BDD, and working in Agile teams (Scrum/Kanban)

• Ability to develop modular, reusable, and efficient codebases

• Experience improving and scaling existing systems in production

• Strong leadership, communication, and mentoring skills

• Interest in using AI tools to support backend development, including automation or observability

• Working proficiency in English and Spanish

Nice to haves

• Experience in financial platforms

• Previous experience as a Tech Lead or in a leadership position within an engineering team

Why join Clara

At Clara, you'll have the autonomy, speed, and support to make meaningful impact — not just on your team, but on how organizations are run across Latin America.

Who we are

• We're the leading B2B fintech for spend management in Latin America.

• Certified as one of the world's fastest-growing companies, a Great Place to Work, and a LinkedIn Top Startup.

• Passionate about making Latin America more prosperous and competitive.

• Constantly innovating to build financial infrastructure that enables each of our customers to thrive.

• Product-led, high-talent-density culture — designed for builders who raise the bar.

• Proud of our open, inclusive, and values-driven environment.

What we believe in

• #Clarity. We say things clearly, directly, and proactively.

• #Simplicity. We reduce noise to focus on what really matters.

• #Ownership. We take responsibility and never wait to be told.

• #Pride. We build products and experiences we're proud of.

• #Always Be Changing (ABC). We grow through feedback, risk-taking, and action.

• #Inclusivity. Every voice counts. Everyone contributes to our mission.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and stock options (ESOP) from day one

• Multicultural team with daily exposure to Portuguese, Spanish, and English (our corporate language)

• Annual learning budget and internal accelerated development paths

• High-ownership environment: we move fast, learn fast, and raise the bar — together

• Smart, ambitious teammates — low ego, high impact

• Flexible vacation and hybrid work model focused on results

If you're ready for growth, ownership, and impact — apply now and help us redefine B2B finance in Latin America.

Clara's Hybrid Policy

Claridians in a hybrid mode split their time between working from the office, talking to or visiting customers, or working from home. This hits a balance between bringing people together for in-person collaboration and learning from each other, while supporting flexibility about how to do this in a way that makes sense for each individual and team.

We don't enforce a minimum number of days for most roles, but you're expected to spend time at the office organically, and be at the office most days during your ramp-up or when required by your leader.

---