Staff Backend Engineer, Recipe Management System (Kotlin/Java)

CookUnity; New York (NY); Remote; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to join their Recipe Management System team. In this role, you will design and maintain scalable backend services using Kotlin and Java, leveraging frameworks like Micronaut or Spring Boot. You will collaborate with talented engineers and product managers to optimize workflows and ensure system reliability. This position offers the opportunity to work on mission-critical systems that empower chefs and enhance culinary innovation. If you are passionate about solving complex problems and driving efficiency in backend architecture, this role is a perfect fit for you.

Benefits

15 days of vacation

Healthcare stipend

16 paid Argentinean holidays

Compassionate Leave

Paid family leave

Personalized English coach

4-week paid sabbatical after 5 years

Wellness memberships

Learning opportunities

Delivery apps access

Qualifications

• 6+ years of backend development experience with Kotlin and/or Java.
• Strong understanding of microservices architectures and distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services for the Recipe Management System.
• Collaborate with frontend engineers and product managers for seamless user experiences.

Skills

Kotlin

Java

Microservices Architecture

Problem-solving

RESTful API Design

SQL

Cloud Services (AWS, GCP, Azure)

Communication Skills

Tools

Micronaut

Spring Boot

PostgreSQL

MySQL

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Kafka

RabbitMQ

Job description

About CookUnity

Food has lost its soul to modern convenience. And with it, has lost the power to nourish, inspire, and connect us. So in 2018, CookUnity was founded as the first-of-its-kind platform that connects the world with the source of truly great food: chefs. Today, CookUnity delivers 35 million meals a year from the industry’s best chefs to homes all over the country. Fresh. Ready-to-eat. And crafted with the passion that nourishes body and soul.

Unwilling to stop there, CookUnity is expanding beyond delivery to become an ever-innovating marketplace focused on our singular mission: empower Chefs to nourish the world.

If that mission has you hungry in more ways than one, you’ve found the right job posting.

About The Team:

The Recipe Management System (RMS) Team is at the heart of CookUnity’s culinary innovation. Our team builds and maintains the systems that chefs rely on to create, manage, and scale their recipes seamlessly. RMS is a core part of CookUnity’s ChefOS Zone, supporting the entire meal lifecycle—from ideation to production—ensuring accuracy in ingredient sourcing, nutritional data, and compliance with dietary preferences.

We work closely with chefs, supply chain teams, and operations to integrate RMS with inventory management, order processing, and fulfillment. Our mission is to empower chefs with intuitive tools while ensuring efficiency and reliability in meal production at scale.

The Role:

We are looking for a Staff Backend Engineer to join our Recipe Management System (RMS) team. In this role, you will design, build, and maintain highly scalable backend services that power CookUnity’s core recipe management functionalities. You will work alongside other talented engineers, product managers, and designers to develop robust and efficient backend systems using Kotlin and Java, leveraging frameworks like Micronaut or Spring Boot and integrating Temporal for workflow automation.

This is an individual contributor (IC) role with a strong focus on backend architecture, performance, and scalability. If you enjoy solving complex problems, optimizing workflows, and working on mission-critical systems, this role is for you!

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services for the Recipe Management System using Kotlin and Java.
• Architect scalable, resilient, and maintainable microservices using Micronaut or Spring Boot.
• Implement workflow automation and orchestration using Temporal.
• Optimize database interactions and performance (PostgreSQL, MySQL).
• Collaborate with frontend engineers, product managers, and designers to build seamless user experiences.
• Ensure system reliability and uptime by implementing best practices in observability, logging, and monitoring.
• Perform code reviews, contribute to best practices, and mentor junior engineers.
• Work closely with DevOps to optimize CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure deployment.
• Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and drive innovation within the team.

Minimum Requirements:

• 6+ years of backend development experience with Kotlin and/or Java.
• Experience working with Micronaut or Spring Boot frameworks.
• Strong understanding of microservices architectures and distributed systems.
• Proficiency in SQL databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL.
• Experience building high-performance, scalable backend systems.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for clean, maintainable code.
• Solid understanding of RESTful API design and best practices.
• Familiarity with cloud services (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience with message queues (Kafka, RabbitMQ, etc.).
• Exposure to GraphQL and event-driven architectures.
• Experience in DevOps practices, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and infrastructure as code (Terraform).
• Background in food tech, e-commerce, or marketplace platforms.

Benefits:

Get paid in USD. Whatever your choice! We use Deel to make things easier for you!

Work remotely: design the life that you want.

Enjoy 15 days of vacation each year from the start date.

Healthcare Benefit: Monthly stipend to use in your preferred healthcare provider.

16 fully paid Argentinean holidays.

Compassionate Leave: 3-5 days each time the need arises.

Paid family leave.

️Customize the benefits that suit your needs! Access a range of perks tailored to you, including learning opportunities, wellness memberships, delivery apps, and more through our comprehensive benefit platform.

Personalized English coach.

️5-year Sabbatical: After 5 years with CookUnity, you get a 4-week paid sabbatical.

#LI-Hybrid

If you’re interested in this role, please submit your application and if we think you might be a fit, we'll get in touch with you. Thank you for your time!

CookUnity is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to creating a community of inclusion and an environment free from discrimination or harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or physical or mental disability.