Staff Back-end Engineer

At Preply, we are on a mission to transform lives through learning. We create personalized, AI‑enabled, media‑rich experiences that empower tutors and learners worldwide. Position Overview As a Staff Engineer, Learning Teams , you will lead complex engineering initiatives that shape our global learning platform. You will define technical roadmaps, collaborate across product, engineering, and business stakeholders, and influence our platform at scale. This senior individual contributor role demands deep technical expertise, leadership, and a passion for impact. Responsibilities Shape, drive, and co‑own the Learning Teams’ engineering strategy and own the technical roadmap with Engineering and Product leadership. Lead end‑to‑end strategic initiatives and innovations, translating product vision into technical execution and shipping iteratively with measurable outcomes. Evolve architecture and core services into a scalable, reliable platform, driving deprecations, migrations, and upholding technical excellence (availability, performance, cost). Raise engineering practices and developer experience, driving RFCs, post‑mortems, quality frameworks, and initiatives that reduce toil and increase productivity. Operate as a multiplier: mentor and influence senior engineers, Tech Leads, EMs, and hiring panels; stay hands‑on for the most impactful work. Make build‑vs‑buy and vendor/tooling calls with a clear view of total cost of ownership; lead evaluations and participate in negotiations. Qualifications Strong foundation in software engineering and architecture; comfortable designing and evolving large‑scale systems and deriving technical strategy from business objectives. Proficiency across the full stack, from frontend frameworks and mobile clients to backend systems, APIs, and data flows, focusing on cohesive end‑to‑end experiences. Hands‑on technical expertise, comfortable diving deep into code, building proofs‑of‑concept, and iterating quickly to validate approaches. Excellent communication and leadership skills, able to articulate technical vision, trade‑offs, and business value to engineering, product, and executive stakeholders; able to influence without formal authority. Proven track record of end‑to‑end ownership from scope to launch and operational stability. Analytical and creative problem‑solving skills, evaluating multiple implementation paths and making pragmatic decisions under uncertainty. Experience driving engineering culture, mentoring senior engineers, influencing tech leads, leading hiring for key roles, and evangelising RFCs, post‑mortems, etc. Strong interest in domains such as AI/ML, media/video platforms, large‑scale migrations, cost optimisation, data infrastructure, or QA/test automation at scale. What You’ll Love An open, collaborative, dynamic, and diverse culture. A generous monthly allowance for lessons on Preply.com, learning & development budget, and time off for self‑development. A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance, and health insurance. Relocation package for our Preply Barcelona Hub (if not based in Barcelona). Access to free mental‑health support platforms. Access to partner‑gym centers across Spain via Gympass for wellness and physical health. The opportunity to shape the lives of learners and tutors in 175+ countries. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Preply.com is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. All applications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status. Our Principles Care to change the world — we are passionate about our work and its impact. We do it for learners — every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional experience. Keep perfecting — we pursue simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting every detail. Now is the time — we act quickly in a fast‑paced world. Disciplined execution — we set clear goals, focus on what matters, and use resources efficiently. Dive deep — we investigate data and stories to guide decisions. Growth mindset — we seek growth opportunities, embrace feedback and learn from setbacks. Raise the bar — continuous performance standards improve with every new hire and promotion. Challenge, disagree, and commit — we communicate openly, challenge when necessary, and commit once decisions are made. One Preply — we prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and team success over personal ambitions. Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level Employment Type Full‑time Job Function Engineering and Information Technology #J-18808-Ljbffr