Hopper

Staff Backend Software Engineer

Hopper3 days ago
Location

Argentina - Remote

Workplace

Remote

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 120,000 – 180,000

Level

Staff

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Jun 30, 2026

Full TimeRemoteStaff

The role

Summary

Staff Backend Software Engineer at Hopper, a leading travel fintech platform, focused on architecting and shipping scalable solutions for the HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions) B2B commerce engine. This role combines expert-level backend engineering with AI-assisted development methodologies to drive commerce growth across 410M+ cardholders globally. You will leverage Scala, GCP services, and distributed systems expertise to build products that power major travel brands while mastering AI-driven workflows to accelerate shipping cycles and maintain code quality.

What you'll do

Identify and Execute Codebase Improvements: Drive continuous improvements to the backend architecture that enable both human engineers and AI agents to move fast and deploy safely. Focus on identifying bottlenecks, refactoring critical paths, and establishing patterns that accelerate development velocity without compromising system reliability.
End-to-End Feature Ownership: Own features from initial design through production deployment across backend systems and partner-facing interfaces. While primarily focused on backend development, use AI tooling to move across the full stack as needed. Drive complete features from conception to launch rather than working in isolation.
Architect Scalable Solutions and Foundational Patterns: Design and implement distributed system patterns in Scala that establish reusable foundations for launching new partner experiences. Build systems capable of handling multi-tenant commerce scenarios for global banking and travel partners at scale.
Direct AI Agents and Automated Workflows: Orchestrate AI agents and automated development workflows to build, test, and maintain complex distributed systems. Establish guardrails and feedback loops that keep AI-assisted development productive and reliable while maintaining architectural integrity.
Drive Asynchronous Decision-Making Through Documentation: Lead technical decisions and build consensus asynchronously using thoughtful documentation, design specifications, and architectural proposals. Collaborate with senior engineers in a low-process environment powered by trust and autonomy.
Partner Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work directly with product managers and business partners to define roadmap priorities and refine technical requirements. Ensure engineering vision aligns with customer experience outcomes and partner business objectives for HTS platform expansion.
Establish Engineering Standards and Code Quality: Set technical standards and best practices that enable the team to ship reliable, maintainable code at accelerated pace. Build systems and processes that maintain quality despite increased shipping velocity.

What we look for

Technical

Expert-Level Scala DevelopmentMastery or strong willingness to achieve mastery in distributed system development using Scala. Must be able to design and implement scalable backend systems, work with immutable data structures, and understand functional programming paradigms. Experience with Scala libraries and frameworks like Akka, Play Framework, or similar ecosystem tools is valuable.
GCP Services ArchitectureHands-on experience architecting systems using Google Cloud Platform services. Understanding of compute options, storage solutions, networking, and managed services. Experience optimizing costs and performance on GCP.
Distributed Systems DesignStrong foundation in designing distributed systems including eventual consistency, consensus algorithms, microservices architecture, and asynchronous communication patterns. Experience with system reliability, fault tolerance, and horizontal scaling.
AI-Assisted Development WorkflowsDemonstrated ability to direct AI agents and LLM-powered tools in production engineering work. Proven judgment in evaluating AI-generated code, building feedback loops for AI systems, and maintaining system integrity when leveraging generative AI.
Backend Systems and API DesignStrong experience designing robust, scalable backend systems and REST/async APIs. Proficiency with server-side architecture patterns, request handling, data serialization, and integration with external services.
Database and Data SystemsExperience with relational databases, NoSQL systems, caching layers (Redis), and data pipeline architecture. Understanding of schema design for multi-tenant systems and query optimization.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or EquivalentFormal degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field, or equivalent demonstrated expertise through professional experience and proven contributions to complex systems.

Experience

Senior Software Engineering BackgroundMinimum 7-10 years of professional software engineering experience with at least 3+ years at senior or staff-level roles. Track record of leading architecture initiatives, mentoring engineers, and delivering complex systems end-to-end.
Product-Oriented DevelopmentStrong experience connecting technical decisions to customer impact and business outcomes. Demonstrated ability to balance technical elegance with pragmatic shipping, and to anchor quality metrics in user experience rather than internal optimization alone.
Rapid Codebase OnboardingProven ability to quickly dive into unfamiliar codebases, understand complex systems, and deliver results without extended ramp-up periods. Comfortable navigating ambiguous situations and making progress independently.
Cross-Stack Development ExperienceExperience shipping features across multiple layers of a system (backend, frontend, DevOps, infrastructure). While primarily a backend specialist, demonstrated ability to move across the stack when needed using modern tooling.
Commerce or FinTech SystemsExperience building commerce platforms, payment systems, or financial technology products. Understanding of transactional integrity, compliance requirements, and the unique scaling challenges of money and commerce systems is a strong plus.

Skills

Required skills

ScalaExpert-level proficiency in Scala for distributed systems development with deep understanding of functional programming, type systems, and the Scala ecosystem.
Distributed Systems ArchitectureExpert-level knowledge of designing, implementing, and operating distributed systems including consensus, replication, and fault tolerance patterns.
AI-Assisted DevelopmentProven ability to orchestrate AI agents, prompt engineering, and LLM-powered development workflows while maintaining system quality and architectural integrity.
Backend Systems DesignDeep expertise in backend architecture, API design, data flow patterns, and system integration for high-scale production environments.
System Design and Tradeoff AnalysisDemonstrated ability to articulate technical solutions, explain architectural tradeoffs, and make data-driven decisions across competing engineering objectives.
Asynchronous CommunicationProficiency in async/await patterns, event-driven architectures, and message-based systems for distributed computing environments.
Multi-Tenant ArchitectureExperience designing and scaling systems that serve multiple independent customers with isolated data and customizable experiences.

Nice to have

Go, Python, or JavaExperience building systems in alternative languages like Go, Python, or Java demonstrates technical breadth and rapid language acquisition capability.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)Hands-on experience with GCP services including Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, and other managed services.
React and TypeScriptWhile primarily a backend role, understanding of React and TypeScript allows for genuine full-stack contribution when using AI tooling to move across the stack.
Large-Scale Fintech or CommerceBackground building systems that power financial transactions, commerce platforms, or payment infrastructure at scale.
LLM Integration and Prompt EngineeringHands-on experience integrating Large Language Models into production systems, designing effective prompts, and building guardrails for AI-assisted workflows.
Database Systems and Query OptimizationDeep knowledge of SQL optimization, index design, and query performance tuning for high-throughput systems.
API Design and gRPCExperience designing RESTful APIs and/or gRPC services with thoughtful versioning, backward compatibility, and performance optimization.
Infrastructure as Code and DevOpsFamiliarity with infrastructure automation, containerization, Kubernetes, and deployment pipelines.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 120,000 – 180,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Remote-First Work Environment

Flexible remote work arrangement enabling you to work from anywhere while maintaining collaboration with distributed teams. Strong emphasis on asynchronous communication and written documentation supports independent work style.

Autonomous Team Structure

Low-process, trust-based environment that empowers engineers to make decisions independently and drive initiatives end-to-end without excessive approval hierarchies or bureaucracy.

High-Impact Projects

Work directly on systems powering billions of dollars in travel commerce annually, serving 410M+ cardholders across major global financial institutions and travel brands.

Advanced Technology Stack

Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies including modern distributed systems, GCP infrastructure, functional programming in Scala, and AI-assisted development tooling.

AI-Driven Development Practice

Rare opportunity to work at forefront of AI-assisted engineering practices, orchestrating agents and LLM workflows to dramatically accelerate shipping velocity and maintain code quality.

Cross-Functional Influence

Direct collaboration with product leadership and business partners on roadmap decisions, ensuring engineering voice shapes product strategy and business outcomes.

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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
ScalaTypeScriptPython
Frameworks
ReactAkkaPlay Framework
Databases
Cloud SQL (PostgreSQL/MySQL)FirestoreRedis
Tools
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)Docker and KubernetesTerraformGit and GitHubLLM Platforms (OpenAI, Claude, etc.)
Other
Pub/Sub and Event-Driven ArchitecturesMulti-Tenant Architecture PatternsCI/CD PipelinesAPI Gateway and Service Mesh
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