Senior Backend Engineer (Kotlin/Scala)

At Vandebron, we're transforming the energy landscape to champion sustainability, steering away from the conventional to ensure 100% green energy availability — 100% of the time — through smart solutions such as flexible use of wind and solar farms, Smart EV Charging, and efficient energy storage. No waiting around — we actively shape a sustainable future.

About the Role

As a Senior Backend Engineer, you’ll play a crucial role in maintaining our Scala/ZIO code base and our transition from a Scala/ZIO foundation into our next generation of services using Kotlin and Spring Boot. You’ll be helping to greenfield our future-proof platform and create scalable, high-quality services that power Vandebron’s mission of 100% green energy.

Working closely within a collaborative, cross-functional team of engineers, designers, and product stakeholders, you’ll turn complex energy challenges into elegant backend solutions. Here, sharing knowledge and learning by doing are not just encouraged - they are a fundamental part of our culture.

What you’ll do

• Partner with cross-functional engineers to design and deliver robust IT solutions that facilitate Vandebron’s flexibility and energy trading activities.
• Leverage a modern tech stack, utilizing Scala with ZIO for the vast majority of backend services, alongside Python for specialized components.
• Design and build new microservices using Kotlin and Spring Boot.
• Create clean, efficient, and well-documented code that meets our product requirements with increasing independence.
• Participate in all stages of development, including writing tests, performing code reviews, and ensuring high-quality software.
• Share ideas and feedback with your team to foster a collaborative and productive work environment.
• Actively contribute to our engineering culture by sharing insights through our Guilds structure, and mentor developers through code reviews and technical discussions.
• Continuously improve your knowledge of programming, design patterns, and testing frameworks while staying updated on industry trends.

What you bring

• Proven experience in a senior role building Scala/Kotlin services, and experience (or a strong interest) in functional programming and API Design.
• A strong product mindset where you care about the end-user experience and enjoy building products from scratch.
• Experience working in a product-based company, ideally in cross-functional teams.
• You enjoy learning, improving, and staying up to date with new technologies.
• You’ll write reliable, clean, and maintainable code. Quality matters to you, and you’re committed to improving your craft through testing and thoughtful delivery.
• You’re comfortable communicating with your team and stakeholders, asking the right questions to clarify requirements, and ensuring alignment. You can bridge the gap between technical and business perspectives and work collaboratively with others.
• Experience using observability tools and product metrics to validate if a feature actually works for the user.

What’s in it for you

• An annual bonus based on company performance.
• 30 paid days off per year to recharge and find inspiration.
• Work abroad for up to 6 weeks per year (max 4 consecutive weeks, including up to 4 weeks outside the EU).
• A sabbatical opportunity for employees.
• Special leave for significant personal events, and an additional day for religious or personal celebrations.
• An annual €1200 learning budget, as well as access to Learning & Development workshops and programs.
• A pension scheme to plan for the future.
• A monthly €50 net allowance for your phone and Wi-Fi.
• A one-time €200 net allowance to create a comfortable home workspace.
• Split your time between our carbon-neutral Amsterdam office and your home for the perfect work-life balance.
• Enjoy daily healthy, warm and vegetarian lunches prepared by our in-house cooks.
• For those living 10km or more from the office, hop on board with an NS business card for smooth commuting.