About the Company
Sage develops cloud-based business software solutions that help organizations manage their operations through technology. The company provides enterprise products across different business areas, focusing on innovation, scalability, and continuous platform improvement.
About the Role
Sage is looking for a Backend Developer to join its HCM Localisation engineering team in Barcelona. The role focuses on developing and maintaining scalable backend services for a large-scale cloud-based enterprise product. The position involves working with Scala, Play Framework, Pekko, AWS, and database technologies while contributing to platform modernization, performance improvements, and reliable software delivery. This is a hybrid role requiring three days per week in the Barcelona office.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain backend services using Scala 2.13 and Play Framework in a Pekko-based environment.
- Build clean, testable, and maintainable code using functional programming principles, immutability, pattern matching, and asynchronous programming.
- Design efficient data access solutions using MySQL.
- Optimize database performance through query improvements, index tuning, and profiling.
- Develop, deploy, and support services in AWS environments.
- Collaborate with DevOps and platform teams to ensure reliable service delivery.
- Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, Git workflows, code reviews, and engineering best practices.
- Work with frontend engineers, QA specialists, product owners, solution designers, and backend developers.
- Investigate production issues, improve observability, and reduce technical debt.
- Contribute to the modernization and improvement of existing systems.
Requirements
- Professional experience in backend development, preferably in enterprise, SaaS, or cloud-based product environments.
- Strong hands-on experience with Scala, including collections, Futures, immutability, pattern matching, error handling, and functional programming concepts.
- Experience with Play Framework or similar JVM backend frameworks.
- Knowledge of Pekko or Akka is highly relevant.
- Strong understanding of relational databases, especially MySQL, including SQL optimization, indexes, query profiling, and transaction behavior.
- Experience with Redis or similar caching technologies.
- Strong understanding of object-oriented programming, functional programming, concurrency, Scala type systems, and advanced architectural patterns.
- Ability to design and evolve distributed systems while following engineering best practices.
- Experience with AWS and cloud-native development practices.
- Understanding of CI/CD processes, Git workflows, branching strategies, automated testing, and release practices.
- Ability to work effectively in distributed Agile teams.
- Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ownership of technical challenges.
Preferred qualifications
- Experience with Squeryl, Doobie, or similar Scala database libraries.
- Familiarity with Grafana, Kibana, monitoring, logging, and production observability practices.
- Experience with distributed systems, horizontal scaling, resilient services, or high-throughput Play/Pekko applications.
- Previous experience in Payroll, HR, HCM, ERP, compliance-focused, or localization-related products.
- Knowledge of Russian, Ukrainian, or Polish languages.
Benefits
- Fully funded medical and dental insurance.
- Flexible benefits program with tax-saving options for meals, transport, childcare, and training.
- Access to well-being resources, including the Calm app, counselling services, and emotional support programs.
- Flexible working options, including adjusted schedules and the Work Away program allowing work from over 40 countries.
- 23 vacation days per year.
- Five paid volunteering days annually.
- Additional maternity and paternity leave benefits.
- Life and disability insurance.
- Salary advance options.
- Marriage bonus.
- Access to Sage employee stock purchase plan.
- Free premium access to external learning platforms.
- Professional development and learning opportunities.