Seoul Studios is Tinder's Seoul-based product studio, chartered to build breakthrough innovations in how people meet and connect. We move fast — incubating new, interactive dating experiences, running rapid experiments, and shipping features that raise engagement and improve reconsideration for members around the world.
Based in Seoul, the pod is a self-contained, cross-functional team of iOS, Android, web, and backend engineers working shoulder to shoulder with Product, Design, and Data, and partnering with teams across Seoul and our U.S. headquarters to take ideas from early experiment to global scale.
About the Role
As a Senior Backend Engineer on Seoul Studios, you'll design and build the scalable, low-latency backend systems that power new, interactive, and often real-time dating experiences. You'll own the architecture of complex services end to end, make sound tradeoffs across performance, reliability, and scalability, and help set the technical bar for a fast-moving pod. You'll partner closely with Product, Design, Data, and client engineers to ship high-quality features on a rapid cadence, and mentor fellow engineers as a senior member of the team.
Where you'll work
This is a hybrid role and requires in-office collaboration three times per week. Our office is located in Seoul.
Responsibilities
Design, build, and operate scalable, low-latency backend services that power new, interactive, and real-time dating experiences.
Lead the technical design and architecture of complex backend systems and their integrations with core Tinder platforms, making sound tradeoffs across performance, reliability, and long-term scalability.
Build for a fast, experiment-driven cadence — enabling rapid iteration, A/B testing, and quick launches without compromising reliability.
Ensure service performance, reliability, and stability for live and real-time experiences under real-world traffic.
Partner with Product, Design, Data, and client (iOS/Android/web) engineers to deliver features end to end.
Drive engineering excellence — architecture, design, and code reviews, testing, and best practices — and help raise the technical bar across the pod.
Mentor fellow engineers and contribute to the pod's technical direction and decision-making.
Own features end to end, from design and implementation through deployment and operation.
Requirements
5+ years of professional backend software development experience.
Proven experience designing and building low-latency, distributed backend systems at scale.
Proficiency with Java and/or Kotlin (Spring / WebFlux), or strong equivalent backend engineering experience.
Experience with relational and NoSQL databases (e.g., RDB, Redis, DynamoDB) and streaming/messaging systems such as Kafka.
Experience operating applications on Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
Solid understanding of backend architecture and the judgment to know when and how to make tradeoffs; an advocate for code quality and sound engineering practices.
Ability to work autonomously and drive projects proactively, and to lead and mentor within a team.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across functions, cultures, and global time zones.
Able to travel internationally without restriction.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with real-time and low-latency systems (WebSocket, WebRTC, presence, live events, or media streaming).
Experience with high-scale data pipelines and streaming technologies (Kafka, Flink, Spark, ElasticSearch).
Experience building APIs that power mobile (iOS/Android) and web applications.
Experience with experimentation platforms and iterative A/B testing at scale.
Experience taking a product from 0→1 and operating in a fast-moving, startup-like pod within a larger organization.
Comfortable working with legacy code and implementing effective strategies for improvement.
BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
Experience leveraging AI tools and the broader AI ecosystem to build and work more innovatively and productively.
Professional working proficiency in English (Seoul-based, global cross-timezone role).
Skills Required
- 5+ years of professional backend software development experience.
- Proven experience designing and building low-latency, distributed backend systems at scale.
- Proficiency with Java and/or Kotlin (Spring / WebFlux) or equivalent backend experience.
- Experience with relational and NoSQL databases (e.g., RDB, Redis, DynamoDB) and streaming/messaging systems such as Kafka.
- Experience operating applications on Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
- Solid understanding of backend architecture, tradeoffs, and best engineering practices (code quality, testing).
- Ability to work autonomously, drive projects proactively, and lead/mentor within a team.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate across functions, cultures, and time zones.
- Hybrid role: in-office collaboration three times per week at Seoul office.
- Able to travel internationally without restriction.
- Experience with real-time and low-latency systems (WebSocket, WebRTC, presence, live events, or media streaming).
- Experience with high-scale data pipelines and streaming technologies (Kafka, Flink, Spark, ElasticSearch).
- Experience building APIs that power mobile (iOS/Android) and web applications.
- Experience with experimentation platforms and iterative A/B testing at scale.
- Experience taking a product from 0->1 and operating in a fast-moving, startup-like pod.
- Comfortable working with legacy code and implementing improvement strategies.
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
- Experience leveraging AI tools and the broader AI ecosystem.
- Professional working proficiency in English.
Match Group Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Match Group and has not been reviewed or approved by Match Group.
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Retirement Support — Employer matching on retirement savings and access to an employee stock purchase program are highlighted as standout elements. Feedback suggests this creates strong long-term financial support as part of total rewards.
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Parental & Family Support — Fully paid parental leave, fertility and family-forming support, and childcare resources are emphasized across materials. Feedback suggests these benefits meaningfully support different family needs.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, numerous paid holidays, wellness and volunteer time, and other special leave options are consistently described. Feedback suggests the breadth of time-off options helps sustain work-life balance.
Match Group Insights
What We Do
Match Group is home to some of the world’s most popular dating and social discovery apps, including Tinder, Hinge, Match, and more. Match Group’s mission is to spark meaningful connections for every single person worldwide. Our diverse portfolio of apps enables connections across a diverse range of ages, genders, backgrounds, and dating goals. Our services are available in over 40 languages to users all over the world.
Why Work With Us
Match Group is united by a mission to help people find meaningful connections and fight loneliness. We’re not just building products. We’re creating friendships, marriages, and families around the world. Our culture is fueled by purpose, creativity, and a passion for what we can build together.
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