Backend Lead Developer (Node.js / PostgreSQL / Google Cloud)

About Dancify

Dancify is a mobile-first festival platform for the global social dance community. We help dancers discover events, connect with verified attendees, and plan their festival experience.

Currently pre-launch with:

• 540+ waitlist signups
• 11K+ Instagram audience
• Pilot festivals in Amsterdam

This is the MVP build phase targeting the first pilot festival release within 13 weeks.

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The Role

You will own the backend architecture, API, database, cloud infrastructure, security, and deployment side of Dancify’s MVP.

A separate React Native specialist will build the mobile application in parallel. Both developers will collaborate on API contracts, integration testing, permissions, and end-to-end delivery.

The approved production architecture uses:

Node.js / Express / TypeScript / Prisma / PostgreSQL / Google Cloud Run / Cloud SQL / Firebase / Cloudflare R2 / Cloudflare / GitHub Actions.

This is an equity-first contractor role focused on fast execution, technical ownership, and milestone-based delivery.

Compensation includes milestone-linked vesting equity. The role also includes a predefined deferred settlement cap of up to €12,000 EUR that may optionally be used in the future if the company secures funding or operating revenue.

Any future settlement remains entirely at company discretion and would only apply in exchange for reducing or repurchasing some portion of vested equity.

Contractors are not co-founders and do not receive governance or voting rights.

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What You Will Build

1. Node.js / Express API using TypeScript strict mode and Prisma
2. PostgreSQL database design, migrations, indexing, transactional permissions, and audit records
3. Firebase Phone Authentication with Firebase Admin ID-token verification
4. Public browse APIs and server-side account, attendee, and event-scoped staff authorization
5. Event CRUD, discovery filters, venues, schedules, pass catalogs, and organizer ownership
6. Tracked outbound ticket purchase links and attribution reporting
7. Ticket import, claim/upload, verification, entitlement, wallet, and exception workflows
8. Matching system with attendee filters, privacy rules, connection requests, and 30-day cooldown enforcement
9. Festival Hub APIs, schedule import, planner saves, conflict detection, announcements, and coordination tools
10. Event-scoped organizer staff permissions and administration
11. Ticket QR generation, scanning, check-in, duplicate-scan protection, and audit records
12. Report, block, moderation, and safety systems
13. Push-notification triggers through Expo Push Service
14. Private file storage using Cloudflare R2 and signed URLs
15. Google Cloud infrastructure using Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, Artifact Registry, Secret Manager, Logging, and Monitoring
16. Cloudflare DNS, WAF, and approved API edge protection
17. CI/CD through GitHub Actions using short-lived Google Cloud credentials
18. GDPR data export, account deletion, backups, monitoring, rate limiting, and production readiness

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Architecture Principles

The MVP deliberately starts with a simple managed architecture.

PostgreSQL is the source of truth for permissions, ticket state, schedules, cooldowns, and audit history.

Redis, Kubernetes, multi-region infrastructure, and complex queue systems are not part of the initial baseline and should only be introduced when a measured requirement justifies them.

All protected permissions are enforced server-side and scoped to the relevant event.

All production cloud accounts, credentials, repositories, domains, Firebase projects, R2 buckets, and deployment infrastructure remain Dancify-owned.

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Milestones and Equity Schedule

M1: Foundation
Weeks 1-3
Equity: 0.75%

Deliverables:
Clean backend foundation, Node.js/Express/TypeScript/Prisma, PostgreSQL, Docker Compose, Cloud Run + Cloud SQL staging, Firebase SMS authentication, Firebase Admin token verification, user/profile/consent/device schemas, server-side authorization foundations, Cloudflare R2 private uploads, GitHub Actions CI/CD, Secret Manager, logging and monitoring.

M2: Events & Tickets
Weeks 4-6
Equity: 0.70%

Deliverables:
Event CRUD and lifecycle, discovery filters, venues/pass catalog, tracked outbound ticket links, ticket CSV import, claim/upload and verification system, event-scoped attendee entitlement, ticket wallet/status APIs, verification/check-in QR generation.

M3: Matching & Connections
Weeks 6-8
Equity: 0.70%

Deliverables:
Platform Matching query, profile eligibility and filters, privacy/block enforcement, connection requests, accept/decline/cancel states, 30-day cooldown, rate limiting, push triggers.

M4: Festival Hub & Planner
Weeks 8-11
Equity: 0.85%

Deliverables:
Festival Hub APIs, schedule CSV import and validation, planner/My Day, conflict detection, coordination posts, announcements, organizer insights and reporting endpoints.

M5: Staff, Safety & Launch
Weeks 11-13
Equity: 0.50%

Deliverables:
Event-scoped staff roles, ticket scanning/check-in, duplicate protection, verification exception queue, moderation/report/block systems, organizer exports, GDPR export/deletion, security hardening, observability, production deployment and load-testing support.

TOTAL
Full backend MVP
13 weeks
3.50% equity

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Important MVP Boundaries

The MVP does not require:

• AWS infrastructure
• Redis during the foundation milestone
• Kubernetes
• Custom JWT issuance
• Native Stripe checkout
• Direct messaging or chat
• Reviews
• Marketplace commerce
• Production web/PWA delivery

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Requirements

1. 5+ years building production backends with Node.js, Express, and TypeScript
2. Strong PostgreSQL skills, including schema design, indexing, migrations, transactions, and performance optimization
3. Production experience with Google Cloud, particularly Cloud Run and managed PostgreSQL
4. Experience with Firebase Authentication and backend ID-token verification
5. Strong understanding of API authorization, RBAC/event-scoped permissions, rate limiting, and security
6. Experience with Docker and containerized deployment
7. Experience building CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions
8. Experience with object storage and signed URLs, ideally Cloudflare R2 or S3-compatible APIs
9. Comfortable owning staging, production deployment, observability, backups, and incident readiness
10. Self-directed and milestone-driven
11. Strong written English
12. Available for one weekly 30-minute sync call

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Strong Plus

Experience with:

• Google Cloud Workload Identity Federation
• Cloudflare R2 / DNS / WAF
• Firebase Admin SDK
• Prisma
• Ticketing or event platforms
• Role-based authorization systems
• QR/check-in systems
• GDPR export/deletion workflows
• Mobile API backends
• Load testing and live-event systems

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Intellectual Property & Ownership

All work produced under this agreement, including code, infrastructure, systems, documentation, and technical implementations, becomes the exclusive intellectual property of Dancify upon creation and milestone approval.

Contractors are not co-founders and do not receive governance rights, voting rights, or executive authority through equity compensation unless separately agreed in writing.

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Application

Send:

1. Relevant GitHub or production code samples
2. Brief overview of similar production systems you have shipped
3. Brief description of your Google Cloud / PostgreSQL experience
4. Confirmation of availability for a 1-week trial within the next 2 weeks

NDA will be signed before technical details are shared.