Staff Backend Software Engineer

Hopper

Staff Software Engineer building great products leveraging AI for Hopper's travel commerce platform. Focused on backend development with full ownership of features.

Posted 6/30/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $300,000 - $400,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ReactScala

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

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. You'll 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.

Requirements

What you’ll need

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 you'd solve a problem, but why, and what tradeoffs you're accepting.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

ScalaCodebase ImprovementFeature OwnershipSystem DesignAI Agent Direction

Soft Skills

CollaborationFeedback ReceptionDocumentationConsensus Building