Backend Developer (Elixir)
Building fault-tolerant and scalable backend services with Elixir/Erlang on the BEAM VM
Backend Developer (Elixir) is a role in the Backend Engineering family. It has 66 skills across 5 levels (from Junior to Principal). 200 skills are mandatory. Key domains: Programming Fundamentals, Backend Development, Database Management.
Skill Matrix
66 skills × 5 levels. Click on a cell for details.
AI-Assisted Development
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | A | W | A | E | E |
| Cursor IDE | A | W | A | E | E |
| ChatGPT / Claude | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prompt Engineering for Code | A | W | A | E | E |
API & Integration
8 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| GraphQL Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| WebSocket API Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| gRPC & Protocol Buffers | A | W | A | E | E |
| gRPC & Protocol Buffers | A | W | A | E | E |
| API Versioning Strategies | A | W | A | E | E |
| API Documentation | A | W | A | E | E |
| Rate Limiting & Throttling | A | W | A | E | E |
Architecture & System Design
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Design Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
| High Load Architecture | A | W | A | E | E |
| CQRS | A | W | A | E | E |
| Event-Driven Architecture | A | W | A | E | E |
Backend Development
8 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Python Web Frameworks | A | W | A | E | E |
| Elixir Phoenix | A | W | A | E | E |
| Apache Kafka | A | W | A | E | E |
| RabbitMQ | A | W | A | E | E |
| NATS / NATS JetStream | A | W | A | E | E |
| Message Broker Patterns | A | W | A | E | E |
| Redis | A | W | A | E | E |
| Caching Strategies | A | W | A | E | E |
Cloud & Infrastructure
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker | A | W | A | E | E |
| Kubernetes Core | A | W | A | E | E |
| Terraform | A | W | A | E | E |
| AWS | A | W | A | E | E |
| Network Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
Database Management
8 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Indexing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Query Optimization | A | W | A | E | E |
| Transactions & Concurrency | A | W | A | E | E |
| Connection Pooling | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Sharding | A | W | A | E | E |
| Data Modeling & Schema Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Migrations | A | W | A | E | E |
DevOps & CI/CD
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Actions / GitLab CI | A | W | A | E | E |
Observability & Monitoring
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Logging | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prometheus & Grafana | A | W | A | E | E |
| OpenTelemetry | A | W | A | E | E |
| SLI / SLO / SLA | A | W | A | E | E |
Performance Engineering
2 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Profiling | A | W | A | E | E |
| Latency Optimization | A | W | A | E | E |
Programming Fundamentals
12 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithms & Complexity | A | W | A | E | E |
| Data Structures | A | W | A | E | E |
| OOP & SOLID Principles | A | W | A | E | E |
| Design Patterns | A | W | A | E | E |
| Multithreading | A | W | A | E | E |
| Async Programming | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Quality & Refactoring | A | W | A | E | E |
| Functional Programming Principles | A | W | A | E | E |
| Immutability & Persistent Data Structures | A | W | A | E | E |
| Monads & Functors | A | W | A | E | E |
| Type Safety & Type Systems | A | W | A | E | E |
| Memory Management | A | W | A | E | E |
Security
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWASP & Application Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secure Coding Practices | A | W | A | E | E |
| JWT / OAuth2 / OIDC | A | W | A | E | E |
Testing & QA
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TDD & BDD | A | W | A | E | E |
| Property-Based Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Unit Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Integration Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| E2E Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
Version Control & Collaboration
2 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git Advanced | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Review | A | W | A | E | E |
FAQ
What skills are needed for the Backend Developer (Elixir) role?
The Backend Developer (Elixir) role requires 66 skills, of which 200 are mandatory. Skills are distributed across 5 levels: from Junior to Principal. See full matrix.
How to advance to the next level in the Backend Developer (Elixir) role?
Use the Grade Calculator to assess your current level and get personalized recommendations. The system will show which skills need to be developed for the next level.
How does the community define requirements for the Backend Developer (Elixir) role?
Role requirements are shaped by the community through a proposal system. Any member can suggest changes that go through voting and expert review.