Senior Backend Engineer, Podcast

Posted Yesterday
Hiring Remotely in New York, NY, USA
In-Office or Remote
164K-235K Annually
Senior level
Music
The Role
Build and scale Spotify’s backend infrastructure and Distribution API for millions of podcast shows and creator content. Design systems supporting emerging content formats, lead cross-functional technical initiatives, improve platform architecture, and maintain reliable critical services through on-call rotations. The role requires strong Java backend experience, cloud and relational database expertise, distributed systems knowledge, API development at scale, adaptability, clear communication, and regular use of AI-powered developer tools.
Summary Generated by Built In

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.
 

Skills Required

  • Professional experience building backend systems
  • Strong experience with Java
  • Hands-on experience with cloud platforms such as GCP or AWS
  • Hands-on experience with relational databases such as MySQL
  • Understanding of platform and distributed systems
  • Experience building APIs or services that operate at scale
  • Ability to use AI-powered developer tools such as Claude as part of the development workflow
  • Familiarity with JavaScript or Ruby on Rails
  • Full stack experience
  • Ability to adapt to new technologies and work across systems and technology stacks
  • Clear communication with teammates and external partners

Spotify Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Spotify and has not been reviewed or approved by Spotify.

  • Flexible Benefits Employees consistently praise the total compensation package beyond base salary, highlighting a mix of RSUs, cash incentives, and stipends alongside core pay. The package is described as flexible and customizable through equity choices (e.g., RSUs, options, cash) that can be tailored for long-term wealth building.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Time-off offerings are repeatedly highlighted as substantial, including generous vacation, paid sick days, volunteer time, and flexible holidays. These policies are framed as a meaningful part of the overall rewards experience beyond salary.
  • Healthcare Strength Health coverage is portrayed as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, and mental health support. Additional employer contributions to HSAs are cited as strengthening the overall health and wellness value proposition.

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The Company
HQ: Stockholm
9,574 Employees
Year Founded: 2006

What We Do

Spotify transformed music listening forever when it launched in Sweden in 2008. Discover, manage and share over 50m tracks for free, or upgrade to Spotify Premium to access exclusive features including offline mode, improved sound quality, and an ad-free music listening experience.

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