Internal JD — Aktos: Staff Full Stack Engineer (Backend-Leaning)

Channel: SeekLab bounty · Status: Active (~2w 2d as of pull) · Submission cap: 3/week

Snapshot

ClientAktos (aktos.ai)

TitleStaff Full Stack Engineer, API-Driven Fintech Platform
LocationNYC — hybrid, ~3 days/week in office (SoHo, exact address TBD)

Comp$180K–$220K base + equityFee10% of salary, 90-day guarantee est. 

$18K–$22K

Company stageEarly-stage, founded 2022, ~15–30 people, funded (see note on funding figures)

What they do: Modern operating system for the ~$18B debt collection industry — single system of record + API-first workflow engine for agencies (accounts, outreach, payments, compliance, reporting). Live with production customers.

The Role (one-liner)

Staff-level, backend-leaning full-stack engineer who owns major features and architecture end-to-end on a production fintech platform, working directly with the Head of Engineering and CEO. High ownership, lean senior team, real equity.

Must-Haves (screen-out criteria)

• 8+ years building production web applications
• 5+ years professional Python AND Django (this is the core gate — both, not one)
• React + Redux frontend proficiency
• Docker + Kubernetes hands-on operating experience
• AWS infrastructure ownership
• Strong SQL / PostgreSQL fundamentals
• NYC-based for hybrid attendance (no relocation assistance — see note)

Strong Pluses

• Django REST Framework (DRF)
• Terraform, Celery, GitHub Actions
• Third-party / payment infrastructure integrations, SFTP, payment processor work
• Track record debugging prod issues + improving reliability/scalability
• Demonstrated ownership: scoping deployment iteration; mentoring
• Fintech / collections / compliance domain exposure
• "Jack of all trades, expert in one" — full-stack range with a clear depth area

Red Flags / Auto-Screen-Outs

• Frontend-heavy "full stack" with thin backend fail (role is backend-leaning)
• Python OR Django but not both at depth
• No production ownership / purely ticket-execution profile
• Enterprise-only, no early-stage or 0-to-1 comfort
• Not NYC-based and unwilling/unable to be on a 3-day hybrid

Target Companies (client-named — big plus if on resume)

Ramp · Brex · Mercury · Plaid · Modern Treasury · Alloy · Unit · Lithic · Column · Affirm · Sardine · Eventbrite

Profile to mirror: fintech / payments / infrastructure-heavy product companies with API-first platforms.

Screening Question (1, optional)

1. (Optional) Link to GitHub, portfolio, or recent projects — optional but adds context.

Client Chat Intel — Flags vs. Posting

The live client/recruiter channel contradicts the static posting in three places. Source to the chat answers, not the form fields:

1. 
   
2. Office location: Posting header says "Hybrid (NYC)," an early chat message floated 1460 Broadway, but the client's latest word is SoHo, ~3 days/week, exact address TBD.
3. Funding figures are inconsistent in the posting ($5.4M in the about-company text vs. a $14M total-funding field). Don't quote a hard number to candidates — describe it as "early-stage, funded, live with production customers."

Submission limit: SeekLab admin confirmed max 3 candidates/week for this bounty.