Backend Engineer & Data Platform

Spotify; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading streaming service is looking for a mid-level Backend Engineer to join its Data Platform team in London. You will design and develop scalable infrastructure services, increasing productivity and reliability in data processing. Ideal candidates have expertise in Java, SQL, and frameworks like Spark, and are comfortable with DevOps practices. The role allows flexibility to work remotely with some in-person meetings, promoting an inclusive environment for diverse voices.

Qualifications

• Proficient in backend development using Java.
• Experience with SQL and analytics platforms like BigQuery.
• Familiar with higher-level JVM-based frameworks.
• Comfortable with cloud infrastructure and services.
• Basic knowledge of Kubernetes concepts.
• Experience with data pipelines in Scala/Python.
• Strong emphasis on quality and high-quality code.
• Appreciate agile software practices.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with teams to build infrastructure for data processing.
• Increase developer productivity by innovating tools.
• Support improvements in data processing standards.
• Orchestrate data jobs seamlessly.

Skills

Backend development with Java

SQL and data analytics

Flink, Beam, Dataflow, Spark

Kubernetes familiarity

Data engineering with Scala/Python

DevOps practices

Job description

We’re looking for a mid-level Backend Engineer to join Spotify’s Data Platform team. We in the Data Processing Product Area, enable Spotify to solve complex and critical data engineering problems by providing a platform and tooling for the production, management and consumption of high-quality data. We are an amplifier for efficiency, quality, and innovation across Spotify. You’ll design, build and develop scalable infrastructure services and tools, and collaborate in a cross-functional team. In the DataEx squad, we are looking for a backend/data engineer to help us increase productivity, optionality and flexibility for data practitioners through scalable, portable and reliable data processing platforms.

What You’ll Do

• You’ll collaborate with product and engineering to build and support the infrastructure that empowers Spotify teams to process data to solve critical business needs.
• Increase developer productivity by building innovative tools that reduce overhead of working with data pipelines, help increase platform reliability, and are cost-efficient.
• Work with engineers with deep expertise in data and collaborate closely with squads in Spotify to drive improvements in the data processing ecosystem through support, best-practices and standards.
• Help the platform orchestrate data jobs in a seamless way, for the users not having to worry about what is happening “under the hood”.

Who You Are

• You are proficient in backend development using Java.
• You are comfortable working with big data using SQL and data analytics platforms such as BigQuery.
• You have experience with one or more higher-level JVM-based data processing frameworks such as Flink, Beam, Dataflow, Spark, etc.
• Devops is part of your day‑to‑day work and you are used to working with cloud‑based infrastructure and services, containerised applications.
• You have some experience working with Kubernetes and are familiar with its basic concepts.
• You have experience of working with data engineering pipelines in Scala and/or Python.
• Quality is important to you and you know what it means to ship high‑quality code.
• You appreciate agile software processes, and sound engineering practices like continuous delivery, defensive programming, and automated testing.
• You love working in an environment where you constantly experiment and iterate quickly. You are comfortable with ambiguity, enjoy working on open ended problems, and believe data is the most powerful tool for informed decision‑making.

Where You’ll Be

• This role is based in London.
• We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! There will be some in person meetings, but still allows for flexibility to work from home.

Spotify is an equal opportunity employer. You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones. Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all thrive, contribute, and be forward‑thinking! So bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s in our differences that we will find the power to keep revolutionizing the way the world listens.

At Spotify, we are passionate about inclusivity and making sure our entire recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We have ways to request reasonable accommodations during the interview process and help assist in what you need. If you need accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know - we’re here to support you in any way we can.