Senior Backend Engineer - Subscriptions

Spotify; Stockholms kommun; Hybrid; SEK 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Spotify is looking for a backend engineer to join their User Understanding team in Stockholm, Sweden. Candidates should have over 5 years of experience in Java and should be skilled in designing scalable backend systems and cloud-native services. This role offers flexibility in work location, with the option for hybrid work.

As part of the role, you'll design and support systems that enhance merchandising and subscriber journeys while collaborating with cross-functional teams. At Spotify, inclusivity and diversity are key, and the company supports its employees in every respect.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building backend systems using Java.
• Strong computer science fundamentals with experience in distributed systems.
• Experience designing scalable cloud-native services, preferably on GCP or AWS.

Responsibilities

• Design and operate scalable Java services for merchandising.
• Collaborate within cross-functional squads to design backend systems.
• Improve data pipelines supporting heuristics and ML-driven applications.

Skills

Java

Cloud-native services

Distributed systems

Observability

Tools

Google Cloud Platform

gRPC

BigQuery

Bigtable

Job description

The Subscriptions Mission builds and scales the products, platforms, and business models that convert free listeners into lifelong Premium subscribers. We focus on driving acquisition, optimizing conversion, improving retention, and delivering seamless commerce experiences that fuel Spotify’s growth and bring fans closer to the creators they love.

At Spotify, our Subscriptions data powers the decision engines and experiences behind our 700M+ Monthly Active Users and 290M+ Premium subscribers.

You’ll join the User Understanding team, where we build the backend systems and data foundations that power merchandising, conversion, and upsell journeys. Our work directly impacts subscriber growth and revenue, enabling smarter decision-making through heuristics, experimentation, and ML-powered capabilities.

What You will Do

• Design, build, and operate scalable Java services that power our merchandising platform and enable relevant, cohesive conversion and upsell journeys
• Collaborate within a cross-functional squad to design backend systems, APIs, and data models running on Google Cloud Platform
• Partner closely with product managers, data scientists, and other engineering squads to solve complex technical challenges
• Improve and scale data pipelines that support heuristics, experimentation frameworks, and ML-driven applications
• Contribute to architectural decisions that improve reliability, performance, and long-term maintainability
• Mentor engineers within the squad and help raise the technical bar through thoughtful reviews and knowledge sharing
• Support production systems end-to-end, ensuring services are observable, resilient, and continuously improving

Who You Are

• You have 5+ years of experience building backend systems using Java
• You have strong computer science fundamentals and experience developing complex distributed systems at scale
• You have experience designing and scaling cloud-native services on platforms such as GCP or AWS
• You are comfortable designing APIs and collaborating directly with stakeholders to translate requirements into scalable technical solutions
• You have built and operated high-volume services in production and understand observability, performance optimization, and reliability
• You work effectively in cross-functional teams and can independently drive complex initiatives from design through delivery
• You bring a growth mindset, seek feedback, and continuously look for ways to improve systems and processes
• Experience working with technologies such as gRPC, BigQuery, Bigtable, external CMS integrations, or ML-driven systems is beneficial

Where You Will Be

• This role is based in London, England or Stockholm, Sweden
• 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.