Staff backend engineer for RailStack Analytics

RailStack needed a staff engineer who could lead API design for regulated logistics customers, improve observability, and mentor mid-level engineers—all while shipping weekly during a growth phase.

HookStep tightened the job description around ownership areas, added a take-home scoped to their real stack, and coordinated interview panels so feedback landed in one place. Recruiters and hiring managers reviewed candidates on the same scorecard.

Instead of keyword-heavy sourcing, the team prioritized proof of reliability work: incident response stories, on-call philosophy, and examples of reducing latency or cost in production. HookStep kept the pipeline small but high-signal.

The hire joined with a clear 30/60/90 plan. RailStack reported faster code review throughput and fewer production regressions in the first quarter after onboarding, alongside improved documentation for tenant isolation patterns.