Senior Backend Engineer

Annapurna; München; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Annapurna is seeking a hands-on backend engineer to design scalable systems, optimize search infrastructure and shape the technical architecture of a high-traffic digital platform. You will own core backend services, manage production search pipelines, and drive performance improvements from design to production, collaborating with product and engineering teams.

Required skills include Elasticsearch expertise, distributed systems knowledge, and strong Java or Python programming, with Spring Boot

Qualifications

• Hands-on backend engineer with focus on scalable systems and search infrastructure.
• Strong experience with Elasticsearch and cluster management is required.
• Proficient in Java and/or Python with Spring Boot preferred.
• Solid understanding of distributed systems, scaling, and high availability.
• Experience operating high-traffic production systems in ecommerce or SaaS environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimise scalable backend systems and distributed architectures.
• Manage and improve search infrastructure, including cluster configuration, indexing pipelines and production operations.
• Optimise query performance, relevance, latency and system reliability.
• Build and maintain data ingestion and processing pipelines.
• Identify and resolve complex performance, scalability and availability issues.
• Contribute to architectural decisions, code reviews and engineering best practices.
• Collaborate with product and engineering teams to deliver robust technical solutions.

Skills

Elasticsearch

Distributed systems

Java

Python

Spring Boot

SaaS/eCommerce experience

Tools

Elasticsearch

Spring Boot

Job description

Join a technology-driven business investing in the scalability, performance and evolution of its core digital platform. This is an opportunity to take ownership of complex engineering challenges, shape technical architecture and make a tangible impact on systems operating at scale.

You'll work in a hands-on capacity, combining backend engineering with infrastructure and performance optimisation, with the freedom to influence technical decisions and drive improvements from design through to production.

Your Responsibilities

• Design and optimise scalable backend systems and distributed architectures.
• Manage and improve search infrastructure, including cluster configuration, indexing pipelines and production operations.
• Optimise query performance, relevance, latency and system reliability.
• Build and maintain data ingestion and processing pipelines.
• Identify and resolve complex performance, scalability and availability issues.
• Contribute to architectural decisions, code reviews and engineering best practices.
• Collaborate with product and engineering teams to deliver robust technical solutions.

Your Experience

• Extensive hands-on experience with Elasticsearch or comparable search technology, ideally including cluster setup, administration and performance tuning.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, infrastructure, scalability and high availability.
• Experience developing data ingestion, indexing and processing pipelines.
• Strong programming skills in Java and/or Python, ideally with Spring Boot.
• Experience operating high-traffic production systems in eCommerce, SaaS or similar environments.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, technical ownership and continuous improvement.

Desirable: Experience with search relevance, ranking, semantic search, vector embeddings or machine learning applications.

Working Arrangement

Germany-based, with a hybrid working model and flexibility depending on location and business requirements. Permanent and contract engagements may be considered.