Hopper

Staff Backend Software Engineer

Hopper3 days ago
Location

New York - Remote

Workplace

Remote

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 300,000 – 400,000

Level

Staff

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Jun 30, 2026

Full TimeRemoteStaff

The role

Summary

Join Hopper's commerce platform team as a Staff Backend Software Engineer to architect and scale the HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions) platform that powers 410M cardholders across leading global brands. This role focuses on leveraging AI-assisted development and distributed systems expertise in Scala to accelerate feature delivery while maintaining system reliability at enterprise scale. You'll own end-to-end features, drive architectural decisions, and collaborate with senior engineers in a high-autonomy environment where technical vision directly impacts billions in annual travel commerce.

What you'll do

Architect Scalable Backend Systems: Design and implement scalable distributed systems and foundational patterns that enable efficient multi-tenant travel commerce engine operations. Define architectural standards that support rapid partner onboarding while maintaining performance under high transaction volumes across 410M+ cardholders.
AI-Assisted Development Leadership: Direct AI agents and automated workflows to accelerate feature development while establishing guardrails and feedback loops that maintain code quality and system reliability. Demonstrate mastery in orchestrating LLM capabilities, understanding their limitations, and making critical judgments about when to trust automated output versus manual intervention.
End-to-End Feature Ownership: Own complete feature delivery from backend systems architecture through partner-facing interfaces, leveraging AI tooling to move across the stack when needed. Primarily focus on backend development while maintaining full-stack capability to ship production-ready features independently.
Codebase Optimization for AI and Human Developers: Identify and execute strategic improvements to the codebase that reduce complexity for both human engineers and AI agents, enabling faster iteration cycles and safer deployments. Establish code patterns and abstractions that compound productivity gains as the team scales.
Asynchronous Technical Leadership: Drive architectural decisions and consensus across distributed teams using thoughtful technical documentation and specifications. Articulate not just how problems will be solved, but why specific approaches were selected and what tradeoffs are being accepted.
Strategic Product Collaboration: Work directly with product managers and business partners to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions. Influence roadmap prioritization by providing technical perspective on customer impact, implementation complexity, and long-term platform implications.
Distributed System Design: Develop expertise in building reliable, scalable distributed systems using Scala and GCP infrastructure. Address challenges of multi-tenant architecture, data consistency, system fault tolerance, and service coordination at commerce platform scale.

What we look for

Technical

Distributed Systems ArchitectureProven experience designing and implementing distributed backend systems that handle high transaction volume, multi-tenancy, and complex service coordination. Demonstrated understanding of consistency models, fault tolerance, and horizontal scalability patterns.
Scala Backend DevelopmentProfessional experience building production systems in Scala, or strong demonstrated ability to quickly master Scala as a primary backend language. Comfort with functional programming paradigms and experience with JVM ecosystem tools and libraries.
AI-Assisted DevelopmentHands-on experience using large language models and AI agents as development tools, including prompt engineering, establishing feedback mechanisms, and validating AI-generated code. Understanding of LLM strengths, weaknesses, and appropriate use cases.
Cloud InfrastructureStrong working knowledge of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services including Compute, Storage, Networking, and managed services. Experience architecting applications for cloud scalability, cost optimization, and operational excellence.
Production System ReliabilityExperience designing systems with observability, monitoring, and resilience patterns. Track record of maintaining high availability systems and implementing disaster recovery strategies for critical business services.

Education

Computer Science Degree or EquivalentBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or demonstrable equivalent professional experience. Foundation in algorithms, system design, and software engineering principles.

Experience

8+ Years Backend EngineeringMinimum 8 years of professional backend software engineering experience, with at least 3 years working on distributed systems, platform architecture, or infrastructure-scale challenges. Track record of shipping production features and owning technical decisions.
Staff-Level Technical ImpactDemonstrated progression to senior technical levels, including mentorship of other engineers, architectural influence across multiple teams, and ability to drive technical decisions asynchronously. Evidence of technical judgment in complex tradeoff decisions.
Rapid Codebase OnboardingHistory of quickly diving into unfamiliar codebases and delivering results within weeks. Comfort with ambiguity and ability to become productive in new technical domains without extensive guidance.
Cross-Stack CapabilityBackground working across multiple programming languages and frameworks (Go, Python, Java, etc.), demonstrating stack-agnostic thinking and the ability to learn new technologies quickly based on project requirements.

Skills

Required skills

ScalaProduction-grade backend development in Scala, including experience with functional programming patterns, immutability, and type systems. Familiarity with popular Scala frameworks and the broader JVM ecosystem.
Distributed Systems DesignDeep understanding of distributed system patterns including service communication, data consistency, fault tolerance, and scalability. Experience with microservices, event-driven architectures, or similar distributed approaches.
GCP Cloud ArchitectureHands-on experience architecting applications on Google Cloud Platform, including compute services, storage solutions, networking, and managed databases. Understanding of cloud-native design patterns.
LLM and AI Agent OrchestrationPractical experience directing large language models and AI agents for development tasks, including prompt engineering, output validation, and feedback loop design. Understanding of LLM capabilities and limitations.
System Design and ArchitectureAbility to design complex systems that scale horizontally, maintain reliability under load, and support future feature development. Experience documenting architectural decisions and communicating technical vision.
Product-Focused EngineeringOrientation toward understanding customer impact and business context when making technical decisions. Ability to balance technical excellence with pragmatic product delivery timelines.

Nice to have

React and TypeScriptFamiliarity with React and TypeScript for frontend implementation, enabling effective end-to-end feature ownership. Not required for production-grade implementations, but valuable for full-stack autonomy.
Travel, Commerce, or FinTech Domain ExperienceBackground in travel booking systems, commerce platforms, payment processing, or financial technology. Understanding of domain-specific challenges like inventory management, multi-currency operations, or regulatory compliance.
Machine Learning SystemsExperience building systems that integrate machine learning models, including ML pipeline orchestration, model serving, and feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement.
API Design and IntegrationExpertise designing robust APIs that support diverse client needs and third-party integrations. Experience with API versioning, deprecation strategies, and partner integration patterns.
Database Performance OptimizationExperience optimizing complex database queries, designing efficient schemas for multi-tenant systems, and implementing caching strategies. Familiarity with both relational and NoSQL databases.
Go and PythonExperience with Go or Python in backend systems demonstrates language flexibility and ability to adopt new technologies quickly. Valuable for polyglot development environments.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 300,000 – 400,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage

100% employer-paid health insurance coverage for employees including medical, dental, and vision plans. Additionally includes access to supplemental disability and life insurance coverage for financial protection.

Financial Health Benefits

Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), Dependent Care Account (DCA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and access to 401(k) retirement planning. Comprehensive financial wellness support aligned with competitive industry standards.

Unlimited PTO

Flexible time-off policy supporting work-life balance and personal wellness. Trusted autonomy regarding vacation scheduling without rigid accrual or carryover limitations.

Generous Parental Leave

Above-industry-standard parental leave benefits supporting family growth and extended time away from work. Company commitment to supporting employees during major life transitions.

Travel and Lifestyle Benefits

Carrot Cash travel stipend enabling discounted or subsidized travel for personal use. Direct benefit leveraging Hopper's platform and partnerships for employee savings.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Access to co-working spaces on-demand through FlexDesk partnership combined with work-from-home stipend. Support for distributed work, remote team collaboration, and flexible location arrangements.

Pre-IPO Equity Package

Competitive stock option or equity grant package reflecting well-funded startup status and significant upside potential. Direct participation in company value creation and long-term growth.

Entrepreneurial and Innovative Culture

Dynamic, risk-taking environment where pushing technical boundaries and exploring new approaches is valued. Small, high-impact teams with autonomy to drive significant product innovations.

Open Leadership Communication

Transparent, accessible company leadership with direct communication channels. Flat organizational structure supporting input from all technical levels on strategic decisions and 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
ScalaTypeScriptJavaPython
Frameworks
ReactPlay FrameworkAkka
Databases
PostgreSQLGoogle Cloud DatastoreRedis
Tools
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)KubernetesGit and GitHubAI Development Tools
Other
Microservices ArchitectureEvent-Driven ArchitectureMulti-Tenant Platform DesignDistributed Tracing and Observability
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