About this role
Berlin • Cybersecurity & AI Startup • Recently Funded
A newly funded cybersecurity startup in Berlin is looking for a Backend Engineer(Java) to join as a founding team member and help design the core security, identity, and enforcement foundations of a next-generation AI-powered security risk management platform.
We are an early-stage startup founded by experienced cybersecurity leaders with backgrounds in Israeli Intelligence units. We are looking for a hands-on Founding Backend Engineer(Java) for a hybrid role based in central of Berlin. If you are passionate about cybersecurity and AI tech, thrive in fast-paced startup environments, and enjoy building complex platforms from the ground up, this is an opportunity to make a real impact.
We’re building a next-generation cyber risk platform that helps enterprises understand, measure, and reduce identity risk at scale. Our goal is to turn complex identity and security data into clear, actionable risk insights that CISOs and CTOs can trust. You will work from scratch on core platform components from day one, shaping how modern enterprises manage and reason about risk using cloud-native systems and AI-driven analysis and automated enforcement through AI Agents.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and maintain backend applications using Java
Design and optimize cloud-based solutions using AWS services (EC2, Lambda, S3, SQS, SNS, etc.)
Design, use and manage databases, including PostgreSQL, Neo4J, Redis, and Elasticsearch
Develop, manage, and optimize containerized applications using Docker
Automate processes using Bash/Python scripting
Optimize and maintain RESTful APIs, ensuring security and performance
Work closely with frontend engineers, DevOps, and product team to deliver robust applications
Monitor, debug, and improve backend performance, reliability, and scalability
Implement caching, messaging queues, and event-driven architectures where needed
Build whole platform from scratch
Must have skills
7+ years of Java experience
7+ years of experience with Spring Boot
Hands-on coding mentality; can build things from scratch and familiar with different architectures
Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes (EKS) and containerized workloads
Experience designing RESTful and gRPC APIs and using frameworks like Gin
Hands-on experience with messaging systems (e.g., SQS, Kafka)
Experience with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar)
Experience operating PostgreSQL (RDS / Aurora), Neo4J(or similar)
Experience with AI agents, LLM-based systems, MCP, RAG, Prompts, Embeddings, Vector, etc
Experience with AI stack(AWS Bedrock, LangChain, pgvector or similar)
Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)
Experience with monitoring, logging, observability (Grafana, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus)
Ability to troubleshoot production issues end to end
Experience with Coding CoPilots(Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, AWS Whisperer, Codex, etc.)
Experience supporting production SaaS platforms
Strong understanding of SaaS integrations and app-to-app permission flows
High ownership mentality, startup mindset, and ability to move quickly
Experience in startup or scale-up environments
Low ego, high commitment, and a true tech startup mentality
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in a collaborative environment
Excellent English communication skills
Nice-to-have requirements
Experience working with Go
Ability to code in Python
Experience with security architecture, identity security, or security engineering
Familiarity with compliance frameworks (NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2)
Experience with AWS in production environments
Exposure to graph-based modeling (identity graph, access graph, risk graph)
Familiarity with compliance frameworks (NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2)
Understanding of OAuth/OIDC, API tokens, IdP, scopes, SSO, SCIM, roles, RBAC/ABAC, service accounts
Familiarity with cloud identity and security controls (e.g. IAM, CloudTrail, Azure Active Directory / Entra ID)
Hands-on with SIEM platforms such as Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, or IBM QRadar
Experience designing permission models, identity graphs, or access control frameworks
Knowledge of tokenization, Zero Trust principles, least privilege, and continuous verification
Experience with Security related to AI/LLM systems, agent logic, or willingness to learn fast
Familiarity with AI agent behavior, LLM security, or agent sandboxing
Previous experience in cybersecurity, identity startups
You are a fan of rock or metal music
Excellent German communication skills
Benefits
Founding Team Member Equity — ESOPs in a cybersecurity company
Competitive Compensation — salary aligned with market, flexible early-stage arrangements possible
Founding Team Member Status — shape the company from day one and own critical technical decisions
Fresh Funding Secured — immediate runway to build, hire, and execute fast
Security Contribution — contribute to security architecture across identity, AI agents, and enforcement
High Autonomy — freedom to design and build without corporate overhead
Work with a Technical CEO and CPTO — fast iteration, strong alignment, clear direction
Cutting-Edge Domain — identity security, SaaS-to-SaaS access, AI agent governance
Massive Learning Curve — quickly gain depth in cybersecurity, identity, and AI systems
Fast Career Path — opportunity evolve into leadership as we scale the engineering team
Berlin Location — top-tier tech environment with strong cybersecurity and AI ecosystems
Direct Impact — your architecture and code become the foundation of the entire platform
Best Equipment and Tools - High quality equipment and modern tools to help you do your best work from day one
Team Offsites - Regular team offsites designed to build strong connections, alignment, and shared momentum