Hopper

Staff Backend Software Engineer

Hopper$130K — $180K *
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of software engineering experience, preferably with experience in AI integration
  • Strong skills in backend development with Scala and familiarity with GCP services
  • Proficient in frontend technologies such as React and TypeScript, or a willingness to learn
  • Ability to design automation processes for AI-assisted development
  • Experience with building scalable distributed systems
  • Excellent problem-solving skills with an emphasis on product-driven architecture
  • Strong communication skills for documenting technical decisions and collaborating with teams

Responsibilities

  • Identify and implement enhancements to facilitate rapid development and safe deployment
  • Collaborate within a senior engineering team with minimal bureaucracy
  • Drive asynchronous decision-making through detailed documentation and specifications
  • Own and deliver features from backend development to user-facing integrations
  • Design scalable architecture to enable efficient feature launches
  • Work closely with product managers and business partners to shape the project roadmap
  • Engage with a diverse team to cultivate a feedback-rich environment

Benefits

  • Unlimited PTO for flexible time off
  • Carrot Cash travel stipend for personal travel expenses
  • Co-working space access through FlexDesk and a work-from-home stipend
  • Generous parental leave policy exceeding industry standards
  • Supportive entrepreneurial culture encouraging innovation and risk-taking
  • Transparent communication flow with management and leadership
  • Small, agile teams allowing for significant impact on projects
  • Fully covered Medical, Dental and Vision insurance for employees
  • Access to Disability and Life insurance options
  • Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
  • 401(k) plan with flexible contribution options
Full Job Description
About the job

We9re looking for a staff software engineer who builds great products and has figured out how to use AI to do it at a pace that wasn9t possible a year ago. You9re not using AI to auto-complete your code - you9re orchestrating agents, building feedback loops, and shipping features end-to-end in a fraction of the time it used to take. You understand the strengths and weaknesses of LLMs, and you9ve developed the taste to know when to trust the output and when to intervene.

Tech stack
  • Backend: Scala, GCP services
  • Frontend: React + TypeScript
  • We value stack-agnostic thinking. If you9ve built great systems in Go, Python, Java, or anything else, and you pick things up fast - that9s what matters.
What your day-to-day would look like
  • Identify and execute improvements to the codebase that make it easier for both humans and AI agents to move fast and ship safely.
  • Work with a group of senior engineers in a low-process environment powered by trust and autonomy.
  • Drive decisions and consensus asynchronously with thoughtful documentation and specs.
  • Own features end-to-end - from the backend systems to the partner-facing surface. You9ll primarily work on the backend, but expect to use AI tooling to move across the stack as needed. We care that you can ship a complete feature, not that you can write production-grade React from memory.
  • Architect scalable solutions and foundational patterns that let us efficiently launch new partner experiences.
  • Work directly with PMs and business partners to define and refine our roadmap. Your voice and technical vision matter.
  • Collaborate with a diverse group of people, giving and receiving feedback for growth.
An ideal candidate has
  • A natural drive to fearlessly dive into an unknown codebase and deliver results fast.
  • Strong product thinking - your conception of quality and architecture is anchored in the customer experience, not in technical elegance for its own sake.
  • The ability to direct AI agents and automated workflows to build and maintain complex systems, and the judgment to know when to step in and when to let them run.
  • Experience designing the guardrails and feedback loops that keep AI-assisted development productive and reliable.
  • Experience with, or a mastery-level willingness to learn, distributed system development in Scala.
  • The ability to articulate not just how you9d solve a problem, but why, and what tradeoffs you9re accepting.
Perks and Benefits of working with us
  • Well-funded and proven startup with large ambitions, competitive salary and the upsides of pre-IPO equity packages.
  • Unlimited PTO.
  • Carrot Cash travel stipend.
  • Access to co-working space on demand through FlexDesk AND Work-from-home stipend.
  • Please ask us about our very generous parental leave, much above industry standards!.
  • Entrepreneurial culture where pushing limits and taking risks is everyday business.
  • Open communication with management and company leadership.
  • Small, dynamic teams = massive impact.
  • 100% employer paid Medical, Dental and Vision coverage for employees.
  • Access to Disability & Life insurance.
  • Health Reimbursement Account (HRA).
  • DCA/ FSA and access to 401k plan.

#LI-REMOTE

About Hopper

Hopper is a travel booking app that uses big data to predict and analyze airfare and accommodations. The app provides personalized recommendations and alerts users when prices are expected to rise or fall. Hopper was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The company has raised over $400 million in funding and has been recognized as one of the most innovative companies in travel.
Learn more about Hopper
Size
1,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2007

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