AI Insights
Spotify

Senior Backend Engineer - Commerce Platform

Spotify · London, GB
full-timesenior (5-10 yrs)Posted 30d ago
Software EngineeringIC3ICHybrid (2d)
StackPythonJavaGoogle Cloud PlatformAWSPostgreSQLDistributed SystemsMicroservicesData PipelinesBackend DevelopmentLLMsAI ToolingObservabilitySystem DesignCloud ArchitecturePayments SystemsBilling SystemsFinancial Infrastructure

Summary

Senior Backend Engineer role on Spotify's Commerce Platform team, responsible for designing and building scalable backend systems that power global subscription purchases, billing, invoicing, and payments infrastructure handling millions of transactions daily.

About the role

The Subscriptions Mission team focuses on building the systems and experiences that help Spotify acquire, convert, and retain subscribers around the world. The team works across product, engineering, and data to power Spotify’s subscription offerings, ensuring seamless purchase, billing, and customer service experiences for millions of users globally.

The Subscriptions team sits at the heart of Spotify’s business, powering how millions of users subscribe and stay connected to the platform. Within this mission, the Commerce Platform team builds and operates the backend systems that enable purchases, billing, invoicing, and payments globally. You’ll join a collaborative environment where engineers, product managers, and data practitioners work together to deliver reliable, scalable, and high-impact financial infrastructure.

What You'll Do

  • Design and build scalable backend systems that power Spotify’s internal commerce platform
  • Develop and evolve services and data pipelines supporting invoicing, receipts, and payment flows
  • Work on complex, high-scale distributed systems that handle millions of transactions daily
  • Collaborate with cross-functional partners across engineering, product, and data to deliver seamless user experiences
  • Contribute to architectural decisions that shape the future of Spotify’s commerce ecosystem
  • Improve system performance, reliability, and observability across services
  • Participate in technical deep dives, code reviews, and knowledge-sharing within the engineering community
  • Who You Are

    • You have 5+ years of experience building backend services using languages like Python, Java, or similar
    • You are experienced in designing and scaling systems on cloud platforms such as Google Cloud Platform or AWS
    • You have worked with scalable database technologies such as Postgres or similar
    • You bring a high level of AI fluency and thoughtfully use modern tools, including LLMs, to improve workflows and problem-solving
    • You approach problems with curiosity, sound judgment, and a bias toward action
    • You communicate clearly and confidently, and are comfortable leading technical discussions and sharing ideas
    • You value collaboration and actively contribute to a supportive, inclusive team environment
    • You have experience modernizing or evolving legacy systems while maintaining stability
    • You have exposure to commerce, payments, or financial systems

    Where You'll Be

  • This role is based in London or Stockholm
  • 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.
  • Additional

    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.

    Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in 2008. Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the chance to enjoy and be passionate about these creators. Everything we do is driven by our love for music and podcasting. Today, we are the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service.

    What you'll do

    1Design and build scalable backend systems powering Spotify's internal commerce platform
    2Develop and evolve services and data pipelines supporting invoicing, receipts, and payment flows
    3Work on complex, high-scale distributed systems handling millions of transactions daily
    4Collaborate with cross-functional partners across engineering, product, and data
    5Contribute to architectural decisions shaping the future of Spotify's commerce ecosystem
    6Improve system performance, reliability, and observability across services
    7Participate in technical deep dives, code reviews, and knowledge-sharing

    Requirements

    5+ years of backend service development using Python, Java, or similar languages
    Hands-on experience designing and scaling systems on GCP or AWS cloud platforms
    Proficiency with scalable relational databases such as PostgreSQL at high transaction volumes
    Experience with distributed systems in a commerce, payments, or financial domain
    Demonstrated ability to modernize or evolve legacy systems while maintaining production stability

    Nice to have

    LLM integration
    Kafka
    gRPC
    Kubernetes
    Terraform
    Dataflow
    BigQuery
    Invoicing systems
    Subscription management platforms

    Role overview

    Role family
    Software Engineering
    Level
    IC3 — backend
    Experience
    5–10 years
    Type
    Individual Contributor
    Remote policy
    Hybrid (2 days)
    Visa sponsorship
    Not offered

    Tech stack analysis

    LANGUAGES
    PythonJava
    DATABASES
    PostgreSQL
    INFRASTRUCTURE
    Google Cloud PlatformAWS
    TOOLS
    LLMsAI Tooling

    Salary estimate

    £90K – £140K
    AI-estimated salary range
    Confidence62%
    Reasoning

    Salary not disclosed. Estimated based on Spotify's Senior Backend Engineer compensation benchmarks in London (primary market signal). London-based senior engineers at top-tier streaming/tech companies typically earn £90,000–£140,000 base. Stockholm equivalent would be roughly SEK 950,000–1,350,000 annually. Spotify is known for competitive compensation but is not at FAANG-level total comp. The payments/fintech domain expertise premium is factored in. Total compensation including equity (RSUs) and bonus could push total package significantly higher.

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    Green flags

    5 items
    Role sits at the core revenue infrastructure of one of the world's largest streaming platforms — high business impact and visibilitygrowth

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    Benefits breakdown

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    Hiring insights

    JD quality
    6/10
    Urgency
    medium
    Autonomy
    high
    Team size
    medium (5-15)

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    Red flags

    PRO4 items
    No salary or compensation range disclosed — lack of transparency makes it difficult to self-filter and signals potential pay negotiation frictioncompensation

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    Interview insights

    PRO
    Rounds
    5
    Duration
    4 wks
    Difficulty
    hard
    Take-home
    No

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    Career path

    PRO
    Next roles
    Staff Backend EngineerEngineering Lead - CommercePrincipal Engineer - Payments Platform

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    About the company

    Spotify is the world's most popular audio streaming platform with over 640 million users, including 250 million premium subscribers, across 180+ markets. It offers the largest catalog of music, podcasts, and audiobooks, powered by personalization algorithms that deliver billions of tailored recommendations daily.

    HQStockholm, Sweden
    Interview difficultyhard
    Build vs Maintainboth
    Cross-functionalYes