Backend Team Lead

At Apono we empower organizations to run in the cloud by aligning operations and security around access management. Our platform provides companies with Just-In-Time and Just Enough access across their hybrid environments reducing the access risk while improving productivity. Apono has offices in New York and Tel Aviv and supports dozens of customers across the US and the world, including large Fortune 500 companies and was honored in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Privileged Access Management. Now part of 1Password, we're building the next generation of secure access for people, systems, and AI agents. About the Role We're looking for an experienced, hands-on Backend Team Lead to lead a team responsible for building and scaling core capabilities of Apono's cloud-native security platform. Working closely with Product, Architecture, and DevOps, you'll combine technical leadership with people management, shape architectural decisions, and drive end-to-end delivery of scalable, secure, and reliable backend systems. What you'll do Lead, mentor, and grow a team of backend engineers, fostering ownership and technical excellence. Stay hands-on with backend development, system design, and code reviews. Own technical direction and delivery, from architecture through production. Design and build scalable, cloud-native distributed systems and microservices. Collaborate with Product and cross-functional teams to turn complex requirements into reliable solutions. Drive engineering best practices, make pragmatic technical decisions, and continuously improve team performance. Take an active role in recruiting, onboarding, and developing engineers. 7+ years of hands-on software development experience, primarily in backend engineering. 2+ years of experience leading engineering teams, including technical leadership and people management. Proven experience in a fast-paced B2B SaaS startup or scale-up environment. Strong proficiency in Kotlin, Go, Java, or similar. Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices, and system design. Hands-on experience with AWS/GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, and Kafka. Proven ability to own complex backend systems end-to-end, from design to production. Strong communication skills, a pragmatic mindset, and fluency in Hebrew and English. Nice to have Background in cybersecurity, IAM, cloud security, or DevSecOps. Experience with multi-tenant SaaS platforms and high-scale systems. Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools such as Cursor or Claude Code. If you're a hands-on leader who enjoys solving complex engineering challenges and building great teams, we'd love to meet you.