Backend Engineer (Digital Bank)

Overview

Under the mission of "Money Forward. Move your life forward," Money Forward aims to resolve the financial concerns and anxieties of individuals and businesses through the power of technology.

We have partnered with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation to establish a new company in preparation for the launch of a new digital bank.

We are currently seeking candidates for the position of Backend Engineer as part of this initiative.
*Based on the press release announced on April 16, 2025.

※ This position involves employment with Money Forward, Inc., and a secondment to the new company (SMBC Money Forward Bank Preparatory Corporation). The evaluation system and employee benefits will follow the policies of Money Forward, Inc.

Who we are?

We are a startup team partnering with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation to establish a new digital bank. Our mission is to build embedded financial products from the ground up, with a strong focus on supporting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Development Structure

We operate in a small, fast-moving team while collaborating closely with Money Forward Group companies (MFV and MFI). The team consists of cross-functional members—Product Managers, Backend Engineers, Frontend Engineers, QA Engineers, and SRE—working together with tight communication throughout the development process.

Responsibilities and Duties

As a Software Engineer in the Application Development Team, you will leverage Mambu, a leading cloud banking platform for neobanks and challenger banks, to build one of the most reliable and agile banking systems in the industry. Our goal is to shape the future of digital banking in Japan, making it more accessible and user-friendly than ever before.

• Acquire domain knowledge in digital banking, including deposits, loans, clearing and settlement, basic accounting, domestic exchange, and Zengin network.
• Promote development as a Scrum team leader.
• Actively engage with product owners to define requirements.
• Develop, test, and deploy code that meets non-functional quality gates such as static code analysis, software composition analysis, SAST, and DAST.
• Design and build high-performance, scalable microservices centered around APIs.
• Pursue test automation and continuous improvement, including API testing.
• Take responsibility for the entire software development lifecycle.

Required Skills and Experience

• Approximately 5 years of hands-on experience with Java or Kotlin and Spring Boot.
• Practical experience with SQL, Apache Kafka, and related technologies.
• Experience in creating and automating tests.
• Hands-on experience with relational/non-relational databases, including transaction management, query optimization, and schema design.
• Experience in microservice architecture and API design with a focus on scalability, maintainability, and supportability.
• Proven experience in development with sufficient domain knowledge (not necessarily in the financial industry).
• Understanding of CI/CD concepts and practices.
• Experience developing cloud-native applications in major cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience working in financial institutions, particularly banks or fintech companies.
• Basic knowledge of accounting or double-entry bookkeeping.
• Knowledge of CCP and settlement mechanisms.
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines from development to production in the cloud.
• Experience in AI development and/or experience in using AI tools to improve development processes.

Language Requirements

• Japanese: Fluent
• English: Business level (TOEIC score of 700 or above)

Who We’re Looking For

• Excited about being part of a startup launching a new digital bank.
• Ability to quickly adapt to changing priorities and situations.
• A critical thinker who questions the status quo.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate ideas clearly.
• Willingness to learn necessary domain knowledge and technologies.
• Understanding of DevOps/DevSecOps.

Technology Stack and Tools Used

• Backend: Kotlin, Spring Boot, Gradle, jOOQ, Liquibase, Kotest/JUnit, Karate/Rest Assured
• Data & Middleware: Redis, Postgresql, Mambu cloud banking platform
• Infrastructure: Docker, AWS ECS, AWS SQS, SNS, EventBridge
• DevOps/CI: GitHub, Backstage, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, Sonar Cloud, Detekt, AeyeScan
• AI Tools: Claude Code, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini

Work Environment

At Money Forward, we provide an environment where we can create world-class services together, and we are looking forward to welcoming you.

• Provided PC Specs: We provide PCs equipped with the latest CPUs (MacOS or Windows). Custom-made PCs and replacements with the latest OS are also possible.
• Money Forward Library: A library system where you can freely borrow books, ranging from technical books to management books. Desired books can be purchased at the company's expense.
• Referral Driven: We cover the cost of recruitment meals. There is a referral reward system.
• Conference Participation Support: The company partially covers participation in domestic and international conferences, such as RubyKaigi and Google I/O.