Hopper

Senior Backend Engineer - Lodging and Cars

Hopper2 days ago
Location

Spain - Remote

Workplace

Remote

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 150,000 – 220,000

Level

Senior

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Jul 1, 2026

Full TimeRemoteSenior

The role

Summary

Join Hopper's Lodging and Cars Supply team as a Senior Backend Engineer to architect and scale mission-critical microservices handling billions in annual travel transactions. You'll own end-to-end technical integrations with global hotel and car partners, develop high-throughput Scala/JVM services, and optimize real-time booking fulfillment systems serving hundreds of millions of travelers globally. This is an ideal opportunity for a self-directed system architect with strong microservices expertise, distributed systems knowledge, and proven ability to execute complex technical integrations in high-growth travel fintech environments.

What you'll do

Execute End-to-End Partner Integrations: Lead technical integrations with external lodging, cars, and GDS (Global Distribution System) partners by navigating complex communication protocols, understanding diverse data schemas, and ensuring seamless API connectivity. Manage integration timelines and technical dependencies while maintaining documentation and integration standards across the platform.
Develop High-Throughput Scala Services: Write clean, performant, and maintainable code in Scala or other JVM languages (Java, Kotlin) to build and evolve mission-critical booking services. Implement microservices that handle high-volume, real-time transactions while adhering to strict performance and reliability standards that power the platform's booking ecosystem.
Troubleshoot Distributed System Infrastructure: Explore and analyze complex codebases to identify root causes of production issues in distributed environments. Deep-dive into infrastructure problems, leverage monitoring systems, and implement solutions that maintain system resilience and uptime for millions of concurrent users.
Collaborate on Technical Requirements: Partner with Product Managers and Operations teams to translate business requirements into technical specifications, provide accurate effort estimates, and establish delivery timelines. Communicate architectural trade-offs and technical constraints to inform product strategy and customer experience decisions.
Own Complete Feature Development Lifecycle: Take full ownership from initial technical design through implementation, comprehensive testing, and production deployment. Manage feature releases, monitor performance metrics, and iterate based on real-world usage patterns and system behavior.
Design Resilient Low-Latency Services: Architect and implement highly available systems optimized for minimal latency and maximum throughput under peak load conditions. Design for graceful degradation, implement circuit breakers, caching strategies, and rate limiting to ensure exceptional booking experience during traffic spikes.
Conduct Code Reviews and System Optimization: Participate in thorough code reviews to maintain engineering standards and quality. Identify optimization opportunities across scalability, performance, and system health. Mentor junior engineers and establish best practices for distributed systems development.

What we look for

Technical

Scala and JVM LanguagesStrong proficiency in Scala with demonstrated expertise building scalable, high-throughput services. Equally comfortable with Java or Kotlin for backend development. Deep understanding of JVM performance characteristics, garbage collection tuning, and memory management.
Microservices ArchitectureProven track record of designing, implementing, testing, and deploying features within microservices architecture. Experience with service decomposition, API design patterns, and maintaining domain boundaries across distributed teams.
Distributed Systems and Service CommunicationPractical experience with modern service communication methods including gRPC for high-performance RPC, Pub/Sub messaging patterns for event-driven architectures, and REST API design. Understanding of eventual consistency, distributed transactions, and failure modes.
Production Troubleshooting and DebuggingDemonstrated ability to rapidly onboard on existing codebases, explore complex infrastructure, and execute debugging in production distributed systems. Experience with logging frameworks, distributed tracing, and performance profiling tools.
System Design and ScalabilityExperience designing systems that handle high-volume transactions with requirements for low latency and high reliability. Knowledge of database optimization, caching strategies, connection pooling, and system monitoring for operational excellence.

Education

Computer Science or Related DegreeBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field is preferred. Equivalent professional experience demonstrating strong computer science fundamentals including data structures, algorithms, and system design is equally valued.

Experience

Senior-Level Backend DevelopmentMinimum 7-10 years of professional backend development experience with at least 3+ years in senior-level roles. Demonstrated progression from individual contributor to independent problem solver who can navigate ambiguous technical requirements and execute with minimal supervision.
Complex Integration ProjectsProven experience leading technical integrations with external partners, APIs, and third-party services. Track record of managing integration projects with multiple stakeholders, handling protocol incompatibilities, and delivering working solutions on ambitious timelines.
High-Scale SystemsProfessional experience with systems handling millions of transactions, significant data volume, or concurrent users. Familiarity with scaling challenges including database optimization, service load balancing, and infrastructure considerations.
Travel Tech or E-CommerceProfessional experience in travel technology, fintech, or e-commerce platforms is a significant advantage. Understanding of booking systems, payment processing, real-time pricing, or inventory management demonstrates domain-specific expertise.

Skills

Required skills

Scala ProgrammingAdvanced proficiency in Scala with strong understanding of functional programming paradigms, immutability, and type systems. Experience with Scala libraries and frameworks used in microservices development.
Microservices ArchitectureDeep expertise in designing and maintaining microservices, including service boundaries, inter-service communication patterns, and distributed system trade-offs.
gRPC and REST API DesignStrong experience implementing both gRPC services for high-performance communication and RESTful APIs. Understanding of protocol trade-offs, serialization formats (Protocol Buffers, JSON), and versioning strategies.
Distributed Systems FundamentalsSolid grasp of distributed systems concepts including consensus algorithms, eventual consistency, distributed transactions, failure modes, and system resilience patterns.
System Debugging and TroubleshootingProficiency in identifying and resolving production issues using distributed tracing, log analysis, and performance profiling. Experience with monitoring tools and observability platforms.
Software Development LifecycleExperience with end-to-end development including design, implementation, testing (unit, integration, and system tests), code review participation, and production deployment with monitoring.
Cross-Functional CollaborationExcellent communication skills with ability to translate between technical and business contexts. Demonstrated success working with Product, Operations, and other engineering teams in collaborative environments.

Nice to have

Java or Kotlin Backend DevelopmentComplementary experience with Java or Kotlin for JVM platform development. Familiarity with common JVM frameworks and understanding of platform-specific optimization techniques.
Pub/Sub Messaging SystemsHands-on experience with event-driven architecture using message brokers like Kafka, RabbitMQ, or cloud-native Pub/Sub systems. Understanding of event sourcing and stream processing patterns.
Database Design and OptimizationExperience with relational and NoSQL database optimization, query performance tuning, indexing strategies, and understanding of different data storage paradigms for specific use cases.
Travel Tech or Booking SystemsBackground in travel technology, online marketplaces, or booking platforms. Experience with hotel distribution, car rental systems, or flight booking integrations demonstrates valuable domain knowledge.
Cloud Infrastructure (GCP/AWS)Familiarity with cloud deployment platforms and managed services. Experience with containerization, infrastructure-as-code, and cloud-native development practices.
Fintech ProductsExperience with payment processing, financial products, or fintech systems including subscription management, fraud detection, or compliance requirements.
Performance OptimizationTrack record of identifying and implementing performance optimizations resulting in measurable improvements to latency, throughput, or resource utilization.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 150,000 – 220,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Pre-IPO Equity Package

Significant equity upside as part of a well-funded startup with ambitious growth trajectory. Competitive equity packages aligned with company valuation of over 750 million USD in private capital raised.

Comprehensive Medical and Dental Coverage

Hopper covers 100% of employee premiums for private medical and dental insurance, ensuring comprehensive healthcare coverage without employee expense.

Life and Accident Insurance

Private life and accident coverage provided by Hopper, protecting you and your family with financial security beyond standard workplace requirements.

Generous Parental Leave

Above-industry-standard parental leave policy recognizing work-life balance importance. Significantly more generous than typical tech industry standards for supporting growing families.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Access to co-working spaces on-demand through FlexDesk partnership combined with work-from-home stipend. Full remote-first flexibility to optimize your work environment and productivity.

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Unlimited PTO policy enabling work-life balance and allowing you to take time off as needed for personal well-being, family, and travel opportunities.

Wellness and Home Office Support

Monthly cash allowances for gym memberships, fitness pursuits, and home office expenses. Supports physical health and creates comfortable remote working infrastructure.

Carrot Cash Travel Stipend

Exclusive travel stipend for employees enabling personal travel experiences and exploring travel destinations. Aligns with Hopper's mission of helping people travel better.

Entrepreneurial Culture and Impact

Dynamic startup environment where calculated risk-taking, innovation, and pushing boundaries are core values. Small, high-performing teams where individual contributions directly impact company trajectory.

Open Leadership and Communication

Transparent, open communication culture with direct access to management and company leadership. Flat organizational structure enabling meaningful input on strategic decisions and company direction.

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Hopper

Hopper

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Hopper is a travel booking app and online marketplace, leveraging data-driven technology to predict prices and help users book hotels, flights, and car rentals at the best rates.

Montreal, QC, CanadaFounded 2006hopper.com

Tech Stack

Languages
ScalaJavaKotlin
Frameworks
Play FrameworkAkkagRPC
Databases
PostgreSQLRedisNoSQL Databases
Tools
Docker and KubernetesGit and Code Review ToolsMonitoring and Observability PlatformsCI/CD PipelinesLogging Frameworks
Other
Protocol BuffersEvent-Driven ArchitectureAPI Integration and Partner ManagementDistributed System Design Patterns
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