Staff Software Engineer, Backend

Grindr; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental & Vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Family Formation up to $200,000

Flexible vacation policy

Monthly stipends for wellness and commuting

Job summary

A leading social platform based in Chicago is seeking an experienced Backend Engineer to design and develop backend services in a microservices architecture. You will work closely with product teams to deliver features for millions of users, mentor junior engineers, and optimize platform performance using modern technologies like Kotlin, Postgres, and Kafka. This hybrid role requires in-office presence on Tuesdays and Thursdays, promoting a balanced work environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience as a Software Engineer contributing to Backend Systems.
• Experience implementing large-scale systems for high load.
• Deep understanding of concurrency concepts and trade-offs.

Responsibilities

• Develop key backend features for millions of active users.
• Lead projects and mentor other engineers.
• Optimize platform performance using Redis and AWS.

Skills

Software Engineering

Backend Systems

Microservices Architecture

Concurrency Concepts

Cloud Services

Tools

AWS

Kotlin

Java

Postgres

Kafka

Job description

About The Team

Grindr is an AI‑native platform powering how millions of gay people connect globally. With 15M+ monthly users, 130B+ annual messages, and a team of fewer than 200, we move fast, stay lean, and tackle technical problems at a scale few companies ever see.

Our team is growing because our user base is growing (30% in the last year!) which means we need you! We’re looking for an experienced Backend Engineer who is passionate about building, testing, deploying, and working closely with the Product team to deliver new features. You will have the opportunity to solve challenging problems, work with the latest systems, collaborate with a kind and capable team, and contribute meaningfully.

At Grindr, we operate in Grindr Mode. Moderately hardcore day to day, truly hardcore when it counts. It’s about doing great work without burning out. Outcomes over outputs. Smart, driven people who raise your bar, with room to live full lives.

This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago offices and will require you to be in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

About The Job

• You’ll join a backend team of 10+ engineers working on key features that support millions of active users daily.
• Leading projects and other engineers to implement new features and coordinate closely with the product and design teams
• Own the design and development of Grindr’s backend services in a stable and scalable microservices architecture
• Work with Product Managers, Designers, and other Engineers to refine feature design and functionality
• Optimize key pieces of Grindr's platform using tools like Redis, Postgres, and Kafka on AWS services
• Innovate by guiding data‑driven decisions to adopt new technologies, architectures, and workflow
• Maintain high availability of the Grindr platform by leveraging distributed systems and infrastructure engineering, while playing a key role in optimizations, cost reduction, and incident management.
• Help guide and mentor team members through pairing sessions, code reviews, and architecture reviews.

Role Requirements

• 7+ years of experience as a Software Engineer and contributing to Backend Systems (Service APIs, Data Processing, Messaging Services)
• Experience designing and implementing large‑scale systems for high load and data consistency in a microservice‑based architecture
• Experience designing systems that make heavy and efficient use of Cloud Service, AWS preferred.
• Passionate about testing software and systems
• Deep understanding of concurrency concepts and trade‑offs
• You love figuring things out and understanding how they work end‑to‑end
• Experience with the JVM and at least one JVM language such as Java, Kotlin, and Scala. Experience designing and product ionizing large‑scale distributed systems

You May Thrive In This Role If You

• Experience developing Production systems using Kotlin, Postgres and Kafka
• Experience in mentoring / skilling up less experienced developers

Benefits And Perks

• Health, Dental & Vision Full premium coverage for you. Partial coverage for dependents.
• Family Formation Up to $200,000 in fertility and family‑building support, covering IVF, surrogacy, egg freezing, and adoption.
• Retirement: 401(k) with 6% match and immediate vesting.
• Compensation: Industry‑competitive compensation, company bonus, and equity for every employee.
• Gender‑Affirming Care: Industry‑leading gender‑affirming offerings with up to 90% cost coverage, access to Included Health, monthly stipends for HRT, and more.
• Time Off & Rest Flexible vacation policy. Two company‑wide rest weeks per year.
• Other Benefits: Monthly stipends for cell phone, internet, wellness, food, and commuting, breakfast/lunch

About Grindr

Grindr is building the global gayborhood in your pocket. With more than 15 million monthly active users, Grindr has become a fundamental part of the gay community and is charting a path to make the world more free, equal, and just.

As a public company, we’re moving into the next chapter: becoming an AI‑native organization that’s redefining what’s possible for our community. We’re embedding AI into our product and operations, moving with startup speed while operating at scale.

Everything we do is rooted in impact for our users and outcomes for the business. This isn’t social work, it’s impact through excellence. Business success is what gives us the power to serve our community and the seat at tables others can’t reach. How we work is defined by Grindr Mode, our operating model that’s moderately hardcore day‑to‑day and truly hardcore when it counts. We think like owners, drive real outcomes, create clarity through action, and push each other to go further than we thought possible.

We’re headquartered in West Hollywood with offices in the Bay Area, Chicago, and New York. Our work extends beyond the product through Grindr for Equality, our nonprofit that’s partnered with 100+ community organizations globally to advance safety, health, and human rights for LGBTQ+ people worldwide.

We’re profitable, growing, and building a team of smart, driven people who bring different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the work. Want to build technology at a massive scale that serves millions? Come join us!

Grindr is an equal‑opportunity employer.

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