Lead Developer (Backstage) - Energy Sector - Brussels - Freelance / CDI

The external service provider will support the client organization in the analysis, design, extension, and operation of an existing Backstage platform.

The scope includes architectural consulting, plugin development, platform extensions, system integrations, and the production of comprehensive technical documentation.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Concept & Architecture Design

• Development of technical concepts for the extension and adaptation of an existing Backstage platform
• Design of scalable, high‑performance, and maintainable solutions in line with internal IT, architecture, security, and compliance standards
• Analysis and consideration of security requirements, operating models, and target architectures
• Preparation of technical recommendations and decision‑support documentation for future platform evolution

Architecture & Platform Analysis

• In‑depth analysis of the platform’s architecture and governance framework
• Assessment of existing technologies, interfaces, plugins, and integration mechanisms
• Collection and structuring of organizational, functional, and technical requirements
• Consolidation and presentation of analysis results to support architectural and design decisions

Backstage Plugin Design & Development

• Design, development, testing, and documentation of custom Backstage plugins (frontend and backend)
• Implementation of agreed technical and business workflows
• Integration with internal systems, services, and end‑to‑end process chains

Platform Extension & Customization

• Implementation of platform adaptations and extensions
• Enhancement of frontend and backend components to support organizational structures, role models, and business processes
• Ensuring compliance with functional and non‑functional requirements (performance, stability, security, maintainability)
• Design and delivery of technical improvements based on stakeholder and project feedback

Backend Services & Integrations

• Extension and configuration of the Backstage backend
• Integration with internal tools, APIs, CI/CD pipelines, identity management, and asset systems
• Configuration and documentation of authentication, authorization, and interface mechanisms
• Technical advisory on integration patterns, security architectures, and operating models

Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

• Creation and maintenance of clear, structured, and traceable technical documentation, including:
  • Architecture overviews
  • Technical design specifications
  • Plugin and API documentation
• Documentation of workflows, interfaces, integrations, and configuration decisions
• Support effective knowledge transfer to ensure long‑term maintainability and operational continuity

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years of proven experience with the design, customization, extension, and maintenance of Backstage
• Demonstrated experience developing Backstage plugins (frontend and backend)
• At least 4 years of experience developing backend services with Node.js, preferably for platforms or integration‑heavy environments
• At least 3 years of experience developing frontend applications with React
• Minimum 1 year of experience designing and implementing CI/CD pipelines, preferably using Azure DevOps
• Proven experience with Docker and Kubernetes, including deployment and operation of platform services
• Experience with cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP, particularly in cloud‑native and platform‑oriented contexts