Software Engineer (Backend)

Zonos; Utrecht; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dutch pension scheme

Visa support

30% ruling

Office in Utrecht

Global engineering team

Job summary

Zonos in Utrecht, Netherlands is seeking a Software Engineer to join our growing engineering team focused on backend services. You’ll work in a Java/JVM environment with colleagues across the US and APAC, solving real-time transaction challenges and building scalable APIs that power cross-border trade.

The role emphasizes ownership, independent problem solving, and learning new systems. You’ll contribute to production readiness, participate in code reviews, and leverage AI-assisted tooling while

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of professional software engineering experience, backend services or APIs.
• Experience with Java, Kotlin, or another backend language and willingness to learn our Java/JVM environment.
• Understanding of REST APIs, databases, service integrations, and modern software development practices.
• Experience developing, debugging, and supporting production applications.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and maintain backend services and APIs.
• Work in Java/JVM backend environment and handle high-volume real-time transactions.
• Collaborate with engineers in the US and APAC on product development and improvements.
• Investigate and troubleshoot production issues during EMEA business hours.
• Take ownership from development to deployment and follow-up.
• Participate in code reviews and continuous engineering improvements.

Skills

Java/JVM

Kotlin

REST APIs

Production troubleshooting

Distributed systems

English communication

Job description

Zonos is the AI operating system for cross-border trade, powering everything from checkout to customs clearance for more than 50,000 ecommerce merchants and 70+ postal operators across 200+ countries.

We help businesses grow globally by removing the complexity of international commerce, calculating, collecting, and guaranteeing duties, taxes, and fees at checkout so shoppers see the true total cost upfront, eliminating surprise charges at delivery and the burden of managing country-specific tax requirements.

Beyond ecommerce, Zonos supports carriers, postal operators, marketplaces, and customs agencies with AI-driven tools that infer and validate key customs data, including HS codes, country of origin, and customs value, alongside licensed customs brokerage services that ensure goods move compliantly and efficiently across borders.

Overview

We're looking for a Software Engineer to join our growing team in Utrecht, Netherlands.

You’ll be part of our global engineering organization, working alongside engineers in the United States and Australia to build and maintain the systems that power international commerce.

This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who enjoys solving real problems, writing reliable code, and seeing their work make it into production. Our systems process complex, real-time transactions, and the work requires both technical skill and an understanding of how software impacts customers.

Our backend runs primarily on Java/JVM, but we’re more interested in strong engineering fundamentals, curiosity, and the ability to learn than experience with any one framework.

You don’t need to be a senior engineer or have years of experience leading architecture decisions. We do expect you to have enough professional experience to contribute independently, investigate problems, and take ownership of your work.

Being based in Utrecht also puts you in an important position within our global team. You’ll collaborate across time zones, contribute to engineering coverage during European business hours, and work closely with our EMEA team when technical expertise is needed.

How We Work

We take a product-minded approach to engineering. We don’t have traditional product managers handing engineers detailed specifications. Instead, engineers work closely with technical leads, customers, and internal teams to understand problems and build practical solutions.

As a member of the team, you’ll have guidance from experienced engineers and technical leads while being encouraged to take ownership of your work.

We value engineers who ask questions, think critically, communicate clearly, and care about what happens after their code ships.

We also actively use AI-assisted and agentic development tools. We see these tools as a way to move faster and spend more time solving meaningful problems, while maintaining strong standards for code quality, security, and reliability.

What You’ll Do

• Develop, test, and maintain backend services and APIs supporting Zonos products and platforms.
• Work primarily within our Java/JVM backend environment, contributing to systems that handle high volumes of real-time transactions.
• Collaborate with engineers in the US and APAC on product development, technical improvements, and shared engineering initiatives.
• Investigate and troubleshoot production issues, helping maintain reliable systems during EMEA business hours.
• Work with technical leads to understand requirements, evaluate approaches, and implement effective solutions.
• Use AI-assisted and agentic development tools to improve productivity while reviewing, testing, and validating the resulting code.
• Participate in code reviews, technical discussions, and continuous improvements to our engineering practices.
• Collaborate with our EMEA Customer Success and Solutions teams when issues require deeper engineering investigation or product changes.
• Take ownership of assigned features and fixes from development through deployment and follow-up.
• Build an understanding of cross-border ecommerce, payments, customs, and logistics as you grow within the company.

You Might Be a Great Fit If You…

• Have at least 2 years of professional software engineering experience, preferably working with backend services or APIs.
• Have experience with Java, Kotlin, or another backend programming language and are comfortable learning our Java/JVM environment.
• Understand REST APIs, databases, service integrations, and modern software development practices.
• Have experience developing, debugging, and supporting applications running in production.
• Can work independently on defined problems while knowing when to ask questions or involve other engineers.
• Enjoy understanding why something needs to be built, not just how to build it.
• Are comfortable using AI coding tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, or similar tools, or have a strong interest in incorporating them into your development workflow.
• Communicate clearly in English and enjoy collaborating with teammates across different countries and time zones.
• Are curious, resourceful, and willing to learn unfamiliar systems and technologies.
• Want to contribute to a growing global technology company where your work has a direct impact.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Java/JVM frameworks and microservices.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, monitoring, or observability tools.
• Familiarity with ecommerce, payments, logistics, customs, or international trade.
• Experience working on globally distributed engineering teams.
• Experience investigating customer-reported technical issues or working alongside customer-facing technical teams.

What We Offer

• €65,000-€85,000 gross per year, depending on experience, including 8% holiday allowance. Paid in 12 equal monthly installments.
• 20-25 days of annual paid vacation, depending on experience, plus Dutch public holidays.
• Participation in a Dutch pension scheme.
• Support for eligible highly skilled migrant visa and 30% ruling applications.
• An opportunity to work directly with a global engineering team building software used by businesses around the world.
• Exposure to complex technical challenges involving real-time transactions, international trade, and AI.
• A collaborative, hands-on environment with opportunities to grow your technical skills and responsibilities.
• An office-based role in Utrecht, with close collaboration across our US and APAC teams.
• Initial onboarding and training with our team in St. George, Utah, with business travel covered.