Senior Backend Engineer - Lodging and Cars

Hopper; Dublin; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Hopper seeks a Senior Software Engineer to join the Lodging and Cars Supply team in Dublin. In this role, you will perform technical integrations, write clean code in Scala, and resolve production issues in a microservices environment.

The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills, experience with distributed systems, and a focus on scalable services. As an Independent Contractor, candidates will manage their own tax compliance under Irish regulations.

Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in Scala or other JVM languages, focusing on scalable services.
• Proven track record within microservices architecture.
• Practical experience with distributed systems and service communication methods.

Responsibilities

• Execute technical integrations with external partners.
• Write performant Scala code to maintain rigorous engineering standards.
• Explore existing codebases to resolve production issues.
• Partner with Product Managers for technical tasks.
• Take ownership of the development lifecycle for new features.
• Contribute to the design of resilient services.
• Participate in code reviews to optimize performance.

Skills

Scala

Java

Kotlin

Distributed Systems

gRPC

Pub/Sub

REST

Communication Skills

Job description

About the Role

Join the Lodging and Cars Supply team at the heart of our lodging and cars business unit, where you will be instrumental in scaling a global hotel and cars ecosystem that handles high-volume, real-time transactions.

As a senior-level individual contributor, you will navigate a complex microservices environment to deliver reliable booking fulfillment, integrate new lodging and cars partners into our core stack, and optimize system monitoring. This role is designed for a self-directed engineer who excels at system exploration and immediate technical execution within an established, high-growth travel environment.

What would your day-to‑day look like

• Execute end-to-end technical integrations with external lodgings, cars and GDS partners while navigating complex communication protocols and distributed data schemas.
• Write clean, performant code in Scala or other JVM languages to maintain, evolve, and uphold rigorous engineering standards for mission‑critical lodging services.
• Explore and troubleshoot existing complex codebases to deep‑dive into infrastructure and resolve production issues in a distributed system environment.
• Partner with Product Managers and Operations to decompose business requirements into technical tasks and estimate delivery timelines.
• Take full ownership of the development lifecycle for new product features, from initial technical implementation and testing to production deployment.
• Contribute to the design of highly resilient, low‑latency services to ensure a seamless booking experience for customers under high load.
• Participate in thorough code reviews and identify opportunities to optimize scalability, performance, and system health.

An ideal candidate has

• Strong proficiency in Scala or other JVM languages, such as Java or Kotlin, with a focus on building scalable, high‑throughput services.
• A proven track record of owning the technical implementation, testing, and deployment of features within a microservices architecture.
• Practical experience with distributed systems and service communication methods including gRPC, Pub/Sub, and REST.
• The ability to onboard quickly and handle technical ambiguity by independently exploring and executing technical plans within existing infrastructure.
• Excellent communication skills and a "bias for action" to effectively collaborate with cross‑functional squads in a remote‑first environment.
• A professional curiosity for the travel tech industry and a commercial mindset focused on delivering reliable booking fulfillment.

Engagement Status: Independent Contractor

Note on Contractual Status: This position is offered as an Independent Contractor engagement (Contract for Services) and does not constitute an offer of direct employment. The successful candidate will operate as a self‑employed individual or through a Personal Service Company (PSC). You will be responsible for your own tax, PRSI, and VAT compliance in accordance with Irish Revenue Commissioners regulations. Engagement is contingent upon providing proof of valid business registration and appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

This role utilizes automated decision‑making systems to assess candidate suitability. Under local regulations, you have the right to understand the principal factors used in this assessment, request a correction of your data, or request a human review of any automated decision. To exercise these rights, please contact [e-mail].