Senior Backend Engineer, Podcast

Spotify; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 164,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Six‑month paid parental leave

401(k) retirement plan

Monthly meal allowance

23 paid days off

Paid flexible holidays

Paid sick leave

Job summary

Spotify’s Mission Control team within the Podcast Platform Product Area builds backend infrastructure powering how podcasts and creator content are processed and distributed at scale. The Distribution API enables creators and partners to manage, distribute, and monetize content across Spotify and beyond.

The role focuses on building scalable Java-based backend systems, collaborating with product managers, engineers, and partner teams, and driving AI-powered development workflows in a

Qualifications

• Backend systems experience with Java; familiarity with JavaScript or Ruby on Rails is a plus.
• Hands-on cloud experience (GCP or AWS) and MySQL or other relational databases.
• Experience building APIs or services at scale; full-stack exposure is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build and evolve backend systems that move content into and out of Spotify at massive scale.
• Expand platform to support new content formats and distribution standards.
• Lead cross-functional technical initiatives with product managers, engineers, and partner teams.
• Collaborate to evolve platform architecture, remove bottlenecks, and ensure scalability.
• Participate in on-call rotations and drive longer-term reliability improvements.

Job description

The Mission Control team within Spotify’s Podcast Platform Product Area builds the core infrastructure that powers how podcasts and other forms of creator content, including emerging and future formats, are processed and distributed across Spotify and beyond. As Spotify’s creator platform continues to grow, we’re expanding the systems that bring new types of content and experiences onto Spotify, while also exploring how we can help creators distribute their content more broadly across platforms and reach new audiences.

At the center of this evolution is our Distribution API, a platform that enables creators and partners to manage, distribute, and monetize their content on Spotify, regardless of where it’s hosted. The API is quickly becoming the backbone of how partners integrate with Spotify, and we’ve already onboarded some of the world’s largest creator platforms into the ecosystem, with many more on the way.

What You’ll Do

• Build and evolve the backend systems that move creator content into and out of Spotify at massive scale, designing reliable, scalable infrastructure that supports millions of shows and an ever-growing ecosystem of creator content.
• Expand our platform to support new and emerging content formats and distribution standards, designing flexible systems that allow Spotify to quickly adopt new ways of delivering rich creator experiences to audiences.
• Lead complex, cross-functional technical initiatives in close partnership with product managers, engineers, partner teams, and stakeholders across Spotify, turning ambiguous problems into scalable technical solutions and driving them from design through delivery.
• Collaborate with teams across Spotify to evolve our platform architecture, identifying opportunities to simplify systems, remove bottlenecks, and ensure our infrastructure can scale with the growth and changing needs of Spotify’s creator ecosystem.
• Participate in on-call and goalie rotations to maintain the reliability and health of critical platform services, while identifying and driving longer-term improvements that make our systems more resilient and easier to operate.

Who You Are

• You have professional experience building backend systems, with strong experience in Java. Familiarity with JavaScript or Ruby on Rails is a plus.
• You have hands‑on experience with cloud platforms such as GCP or AWS and relational databases such as MySQL.
• You have an understanding of platform and distributed systems, and experience building APIs or services that operate at scale. Full stack experience is a plus.
• You are highly adaptable and enjoy picking up new technologies, moving confidently across different parts of systems and tech stacks.
• You are comfortable using AI‑powered developer tools such as Claude as a core part of your development workflow to learn new technologies, accelerate development, and solve complex problems. Our team embraces an AI‑native approach to engineering, and engineers are expected to actively leverage AI tools in their daily work.
• You thrive in fast‑moving environments, handle change with ease, and communicate clearly with teammates and external partners.

Where You’ll Be

• This role is based in New York or Los Angeles.
• 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.

The United States base range for this position is $164,448–$234,926 USD, plus equity.

• The benefits available for this position include health insurance, six‑month paid parental leave, 401(k) retirement plan, monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, paid flexible holidays, and paid sick leave.

These ranges may be modified in the future.

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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. Find our AI notice here: https://lifeatspotify.com/ai-notice

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