Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer
Design and build high-performance Rails APIs, optimize PostgreSQL at scale, and own backend architecture on production systems that need to last.
About the role
Icalia Labs is hiring a Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer with deep expertise in building scalable, production-grade APIs and a strong foundation in modern backend engineering. We're looking for engineers who go beyond implementation — professionals who understand how systems behave under load, how databases perform at scale, and how to design APIs that last. This is a remote contractor engagement working CST hours.
What you'll do
- Design and build high-performance APIs using Ruby on Rails.
- Write optimized PostgreSQL queries and deeply understand how data flows and scales under production load.
- Implement and maintain asynchronous and background processing systems (Sidekiq, Resque, or equivalent).
- Ensure code quality through robust RSpec testing strategies and solid automated testing practices.
- Apply best practices for API design, scalability, and long-term maintainability.
- Collaborate on architecture decisions and continuously improve system performance.
What we're looking for
- 8+ years of software engineering experience or equivalent practical background
- Strong expertise in Ruby and Rails APIs in production environments
- Clear understanding of how databases work and how to write efficient PostgreSQL queries (indexing, query optimization, performance tuning)
- Hands-on experience with background job processing systems (Sidekiq, Resque, or similar)
- Solid knowledge of AWS and Docker for cloud infrastructure and containerized environments
- Strong grasp of API best practices and backend architecture
How we engineer
Our engineering values.
The same standards every Icalia engineer is held to — and the reason our clients keep our people through acquisitions.
Craft & ownership
We write code we'd be proud to sign. You own outcomes end to end — well-tested, observable, and built to outlast the sprint that shipped it.
Async, remote discipline
Same time zone as your team, clear written communication, and the autonomy to move without being managed. Our rituals are why clients call our process world-class.
Mentorship & growth
Code reviews that teach, documented patterns, and senior engineers who lift the bench. You'll grow faster here than on most in-house teams.
AI-augmented, human-accountable
We use modern AI tooling to multiply output — but a named human always owns the quality, security, and judgment behind every line that ships.
Why Icalia
Your next step.
Since 2012 we've embedded engineers into US and global product teams from Monterrey and across LatAm — doing US-quality work without leaving home. Our people have shipped through real acquisitions (RTS, Everlance) and stayed every time.
You work directly with product teams that respect senior engineers, on problems that matter — not ticket factories. Competitive compensation, real career mobility, and a bench of peers worth learning from.
10+
years placing engineers
200+
engineers placed
95%
retention rate
100%
stayed through acquisitions
Ready to apply for
Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer?
Tell us about yourself through the application form. We review every submission personally — no black-box ATS.