Backend Engineer

About the Role

🚀 Build. Scale. Learn. Grow.

At Blinkist, we don’t just build software—we create products that inspire millions to learn and grow. We’re looking for a Mid-Level Backend Engineer to join our CRO team, where you’ll work on scalable backend infrastructure, distributed microservices, and Ruby on Rails applications that power Blinkist’s platform, including purchases, A/B testing infrastructure, authentication, and authorization.

If you have production experience with Ruby on Rails, a solid grasp of backend infrastructure concepts, and a problem-solving mindset, keep reading.

Who We Are

Our Backend Team ensures that Blinkist’s systems are scalable, reliable, and efficient. You’ll be joining a high-impact engineering team where you’ll work closely with senior engineers to enhance our backend services, APIs, and infrastructure.

We need a mid-level backend engineer who can work independently on tasks, collaborate effectively, and grow their expertise in a distributed microservices environment.

Who You Are

• You have a solid foundation in backend engineering. You understand gateways, databases, caching, API modeling, event buses, and more—even if you’re not a master of them yet.
• You have experience with Ruby on Rails. You’ve worked with Rails in a production environment with moderate scale and understand its strengths and limitations.
• You’ve worked with a distributed microservices architecture. You know how different services communicate and how to build reliable, maintainable systems.
• You’ve explored beyond the surface. You’ve looked under the hood of at least one backend domain, technology, or programming language to understand how it works at a deeper level.
• You take ownership but know when to ask for help. You can work independently on a task, but you also know when to reach out for guidance and when to keep pushing through a challenge.

What You'll Do

• Develop and maintain backend services in Ruby on Rails and other backend technologies.
• Work on distributed microservices, ensuring reliability, scalability, and performance.
• Model APIs and data structures, optimizing for efficiency and maintainability.
• Collaborate with senior engineers to improve backend architecture and infrastructure.
• Troubleshoot issues, optimise performance, and contribute to backend best practices.
• Expand your expertise by deep-diving into backend concepts and improving Blinkist’s platform.

What You Need To Have

• 3+ years of experience in backend development.
• Production experience with Ruby on Rails—you’ve built and maintained real-world applications at a moderate scale.
• Understanding of backend infrastructure (gateways, caching, databases, API modelling, event buses, etc.).
• Experience with distributed microservices and service-to-service communication.
• A problem-solving mindset—you go beyond surface-level issues and think about long-term improvements.
• A willingness to learn and grow. You’re curious about backend systems and enjoy understanding how things work at a deeper level.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively—you know when to ask for help and when to push through a challenge.
• Proficiency in English (and ideally, you’re in Berlin).

Why Join Us?

• You’ll work on challenging backend problems at scale.
• You’ll collaborate with experienced engineers who love to mentor and share knowledge.
• You’ll have ownership over your work while continuously learning and growing.
• No bureaucracy—just meaningful work and a great engineering culture.

If you’re a mid-level backend engineer with Ruby on Rails experience who’s eager to grow, solve problems, and build scalable systems, we'd love to hear from you!

At Blinkist, our unique culture of empowerment, mutual respect, and transparency has always been our defining characteristic. We support each other and carve out opportunities for every individual to develop and grow. We strongly believe that diversity powers innovation, thus we celebrate and support our differences, providing equal opportunities for employment and career growth. We embrace a flexible, remote-friendly way of working that supports different needs and lifestyles. 

These are some of our most valued benefits:

• 30 PTO days + Wellbeing days + Learning days 
• Flexible approach to work
• Monthly work-from-home or transport reimbursement
• One time work from home office set up budget
• Employee Stock Option Plan
• Unlimited access to the Go1 Learning Hub and Blinkist app
• Professional development fund
• Volunteer leave to give back to the community
• Family planning & parental leave, plus support for parents returning to work
• Wellness initiatives and an Employee Assistance Program

If you choose to join our team in Berlin, you'll have access to our modern office space in Neukölln and enjoy healthy plant-based meals prepared fresh every day by our very own chef. 🥑