Spotify

Senior Software Engineer

Spotify • $110K — $130K *
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience in backend service design and operation
  • Strong knowledge of Java or similar backend technologies
  • Experience with distributed, high-scale systems focusing on reliability and security
  • Proficient in relational databases, including performance optimization
  • Ability to understand architecture, APIs, and data flows
  • Experience in a product-driven environment connecting technical decisions to business outcomes
  • Strong collaboration skills across teams and disciplines

Responsibilities

  • Design, build, deploy, and operate scalable backend services for authorization and permissions
  • Take ownership of systems enabling secure access for creators and partners
  • Evolve backend architecture to support growth in users and products
  • Improve workflows for creators accessing their content and profiles
  • Make informed technical decisions balancing architecture and current needs
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to build reusable platform capabilities
  • Contribute to frontend and data-related work as needed

Benefits

  • Flexible work environment with options for remote work
  • Opportunities for professional growth and knowledge sharing
  • Collaborative team culture with a focus on engineering quality
  • In-person meetings to foster team connections
  • Work on foundational systems impacting a wide range of Spotify products
Full Job Description
Spotify is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join the Authorization team within Platform. Our team builds and operates the authorization and permissioning systems that enable creators and their teams to securely access and manage their presence across Spotify. What began by supporting Spotify for Artists has grown into foundational capabilities used across Spotify, including Music, Podcasts, and Audiobooks.

This is a backend-focused role working on systems that sit on a critical path for Spotify's creator ecosystem. You'll help us evolve these systems as they grow in scale and complexity, bringing strong backend engineering expertise while collaborating across product, frontend, and data when needed.

What You'll Do:

  • Design, build, deploy, and operate scalable backend services that power authorization, permissions, and team management across Spotify.
  • Take ownership of critical systems that enable creators, teams, agents, licensors, and other partners to securely access and manage the right content and capabilities.
  • Evolve our backend architecture to support continued growth in users, use cases, and Spotify products while maintaining high standards for reliability, performance, and security.
  • Improve the systems and workflows that enable creators to gain access to their content, profiles, and teams.
  • Make thoughtful technical decisions and trade-offs, balancing long-term architecture with solutions that meet current product and business needs.
  • Partner with engineers and cross-functional collaborators across Spotify to understand authorization needs and build reusable platform capabilities.
  • Contribute to frontend experiences and data-related work when useful, while bringing deep expertise and leadership to backend engineering.
  • Raise engineering quality through strong technical judgment, design discussions, operational excellence, and knowledge sharing across the team.


Who You Are:

  • You have deep experience designing, building, and operating backend services, with strong knowledge of Java or comparable backend technologies.
  • You have experience owning distributed, high-scale, or business-critical systems where reliability, performance, and security matter.
  • You have experience working with relational databases at scale, including performance optimization and database tuning.
  • You think beyond individual services and can reason about architecture, APIs, dependencies, data flows, and the impact technical decisions have across a broader platform.
  • You have experience working in a product-driven environment and connect technical decisions to user and business outcomes.
  • You make pragmatic engineering trade-offs and know when a simpler solution is more valuable than unnecessary technical complexity.
  • You collaborate effectively within and across teams, sharing context and helping others make better technical decisions.
  • You are comfortable contributing across the stack when needed, while your strongest expertise is in backend engineering.
  • You adapt as requirements and systems evolve, approaching change with curiosity and sound technical judgment.


Where You'll Be:

  • This role is based in Toronto
  • 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.


About Spotify

Spotify is a Swedish audio streaming and media services provider, launched in October 2008. The platform is owned by Spotify AB, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange since April 2018. Spotify's primary business is providing an audio streaming platform, with the company claiming that it had 345 million active monthly users and 155 million paying subscribers as of December 2020. Unlike physical or download sales, which pay artists a fixed price per song or album sold, Spotify pays royalties based on the number of artist streams as a proportion of total songs streamed on the service. Spotify distributes approximately 70% of its total revenue to rights holders, who then pay artists based on their individual agreements. Spotify has faced criticism from artists and producers including Taylor Swift and Thom Yorke, who have argued that it does not fairly compensate musicians. Spotify has also faced criticism from artists and producers including Taylor Swift and Thom Yorke, who have argued that it does not fairly compensate musicians.
Learn more about Spotify
Size
3,456 employees
Industry
Founded
2006

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