Senior Staff Engineer | JobSetuu

Description

Job Overview

• Source: Arbeitnow
• Location: Berlin
• Job Type: Full-Time

Job Description

About us

Join bonify, Germany’s leading platform for credit scoring and financial management. We are on the mission to revolutionize the FinTech industry and make the credit score and financial data available and transparent for our users. We are seeking a talented Senior Staff Engineer to join our dynamic team in Berlin.

We're hiring a Senior Staff Engineer to shape the future of our AWS-based platform and provide technical leadership across the engineering organization.

This role goes beyond backend development. You'll drive architecture, platform strategy, cloud evolution, and engineering standards with an end-to-end mindset. We expect strong partnership across the stack and departments to deliver high-quality, reliable outcomes.

You will act as a force multiplier across teams, setting technical direction while staying hands-on where leverage is highest.

Your tasks

Technical Strategy & Architecture

• Define and evolve the long-term technical vision for backend services, platform capabilities, and cloud architecture
• Lead cross-domain architectural initiatives spanning multiple teams and business areas
• Drive modernization efforts that improve scalability, reliability, security, and developer productivity
• Establish architectural principles, engineering standards, and technical governance practices
• Guide major technology decisions including service boundaries, runtime choices, deployment models, and platform investments
• Evaluate emerging technologies and determine where they create meaningful business value

AWS & Platform Leadership

• Act as a senior authority on AWS architecture, operational excellence, and cloud-native system design
• Define best practices for AWS services including Lambda, ECS/Fargate, API Gateway, EventBridge, SQS, SNS, DynamoDB, RDS, CloudFront, and related platform services
• Drive improvements in cloud security, resilience, disaster recovery, observability, and compliance readiness
• Lead cloud cost optimization initiatives and establish sustainable operational practices
• Influence Infrastructure-as-Code, deployment automation, and platform engineering strategy
• Partner closely with infrastructure and security teams to evolve our platform capabilities

Engineering Excellence

• Raise engineering quality through architectural reviews, design guidance, and technical mentorship
• Improve system observability, incident response, operational readiness, and reliability engineering practices
• Reduce organizational complexity through standardization, reusable platform capabilities, and stronger engineering defaults
• Drive pragmatic decision-making around technical debt, modernization, and platform investments
• Establish frameworks for measuring and improving engineering effectiveness

Cross-Functional Impact

• Partner with product, design, data, frontend, and infrastructure teams to align technical strategy with business goals
• Help teams make better technical decisions through coaching, reviews, and architectural consultation
• Improve end-to-end developer experience through shared tooling, contracts, APIs, and platform capabilities
• Act as a trusted advisor to engineering leadership on technical risk, roadmap planning, and organizational scaling

Full-Stack Perspective

• Contribute to frontend and full-stack architecture discussions where needed
• Help establish patterns for frontend-backend integration, shared contracts, performance, and reliability
• Occasionally contribute hands-on across the stack to unblock critical initiatives or validate architectural approaches
• Drive improvements to end-to-end customer experience, not just backend systems

AWS & Cloud Expertise

• Deep expertise designing, building, and operating production systems on AWS at scale and services like
  • Lambda
  • API Gateway
  • EventBridge
  • SQS / SNS
  • ECS / Fargate
  • DynamoDB
  • RDS
  • IAM
  • CloudWatch
  • CloudFront
  • Route53
  • VPC networking
• Strong hands-on experience with serverless architectures, event-driven systems, and modern cloud-native platforms
• Strong understanding of cloud security, compliance, resilience, disaster recovery, and cost optimization
• Experience defining cloud architecture standards and governance practices

Backend & Distributed Systems

• Expert-level TypeScript experience in backend and service-oriented environments
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, scalability patterns, fault tolerance, and operational trade-offs
• Experience evolving complex production environments with significant business impact
• Strong understanding of API design, asynchronous architectures, and integration patterns
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL data stores at scale

Platform & Delivery

• Strong Infrastructure-as-Code experience (CDK, Terraform, or equivalent)
• Experience building internal platforms, developer tooling, and shared engineering capabilities
• Deep understanding of CI/CD, release engineering, and operational automation
• Experience balancing reliability, security, performance, and delivery speed

Frontend Experience

• Comfortable working within modern TypeScript, React and React Native frontend applications
• Experience collaborating closely with frontend engineers on architecture and system design
• Ability to debug and optimize end-to-end flows across browser, APIs, services, and data layers
• Familiarity with modern frontend frameworks and frontend operational concerns
• Able to contribute meaningful code when required, while remaining primarily backend-focused

Requirements

• • 7+ years of engineering experience
  • Deep AWS expertise across serverless, cloud-native, and distributed systems
  • Proven success leading organization-wide technical initiatives
  • Strong TypeScript and backend architecture experience
  • Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code, CI/CD, and platform engineering
  • Ability to contribute across the stack, including frontend collaboration and debugging
  • Strong communication and leadership skills with a track record of influencing at scale

If you enjoy shaping engineering organizations, modernizing platforms, and solving complex technical challenges with lasting impact—we'd love to talk.

What we offer

As part of the bonify team, you'll have:

• The opportunity to take ownership from day one
• The chance to thrive in a dynamic and flexible startup environment.
• Access to extensive coaching and training programs through our personal development budget
• 30 vacation days
• Mental health support platform
• Subsidies for BVG and UrbanSportsClub
• 1:1 language classes in both German and English.

The Company is committed to the principle that no employee or job applicant shall receive unfavourable treatment on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity.

Please note, to be compliant with AML requirements, due to the specifics of fintech industries additional background checks are required (applicable only at the offer stage).

If you're ready to make a meaningful impact in the world of FinTech and embark on an exciting career journey,

Find more English Speaking Jobs in Germany on Arbeitnow

Expert Career Tips for Senior Staff Engineer Roles

To succeed in a competitive market as a Senior Staff Engineer, you need more than just technical skills. Here are some expert strategies to elevate your profile:

• Build a Strong Portfolio: For technical roles, a clean GitHub or a personal project site is essential. For non-technical roles, a case study portfolio demonstrating problem-solving and impact is equally valuable. Show, don't just tell, what you have achieved in your previous positions.
• Master the Narrative: When interviewing, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Quantify your results wherever possible—mentioning "increased efficiency by 20%" is much more impactful than saying "improved efficiency."
• Continuous Learning: The industry moves fast. Whether it's staying updated with the latest AI tools or mastering a new management methodology, continuous professional development is key. Consider obtaining industry-recognized certifications that align with Senior Staff Engineer requirements.
• Networking: Connect with other professionals in similar roles. Join online communities, attend webinars, and engage in meaningful discussions on professional social networks. Often, the best opportunities come through referrals and community engagement.
• Soft Skills Matter: Communication, empathy, and leadership are often the deciding factors between two equally qualified technical candidates. Cultivate these skills as they are universally valued across all industries and seniority levels.

Additionally, research the specific company's culture and values. Tailoring your application to show how you align with their mission can significantly increase your chances of moving forward in the process.

Salary & Compensation

Salary not disclosed; typically competitive for the role.

Work Arrangement

Type: On-Site

Standard business hours at the office.

Comprehensive Application Strategy & Hiring Process

Applying for a new role is a marathon, not a sprint. Follow this strategic approach to maximize your success rate:

1. Initial Research & Tailoring

Don't send the same resume to every employer. Spend at least 30 minutes researching the company. Look for recent news, their product roadmap, and their team structure. Modify your summary and core competencies to reflect the specific keywords found in the job description.

2. The Perfect Cover Letter

If the application allows for a cover letter, use it to tell a story that your resume cannot. Explain why you are passionate about this specific company and how your unique background makes you the perfect fit for the challenges they are currently facing.

3. Navigating the Multi-Stage Interview

Most modern hiring processes involve 3-5 stages. This typically includes a recruiter screen, a technical or skill-based assessment, a peer interview, and a final leadership round. Prepare for each stage differently: focus on enthusiasm and fit for the recruiter, technical depth for the assessment, and strategic vision for the leadership round.

4. Post-Interview Follow-Up

Always send a personalized thank-you note within 24 hours of each interview. Reference a specific topic discussed during the call to demonstrate your active listening and genuine interest in the role.

By following these steps, you demonstrate a high level of professionalism and attention to detail that sets you apart from the average applicant.

Typical Interview Process

1. Resume screening
2. HR call
3. Skill interview
4. Final manager interview
5. Offer

Tip: Research the company's products and culture.

Global Market Intelligence & Relocation Insights

At JobSetuu, we specialize in helping talent navigate the global job market. Here is what you need to know about the current landscape in Berlin and beyond:

The demand for skilled professionals is increasingly borderless. For roles based in Berlin, understanding the local cost of living, visa requirements (if applicable), and cultural nuances is vital. If this is a remote role, consider the time zone alignment and the asynchronous communication culture of the hiring organization.

Relocation Support: Many forward-thinking companies offer relocation packages that include moving stipends, temporary housing, and legal assistance with work permits. When evaluating an offer, look beyond the base salary—consider the total compensation package, including equity, bonuses, and healthcare benefits.

Work-Life Balance Trends: Hybrid and remote work have become standard in many regions. Research the local labor laws and common practices regarding work hours and vacation time to ensure the role aligns with your lifestyle goals.

Leveraging JobSetuu's tools can help you compare salaries across different cities and understand the "purchasing power" of your potential offer, ensuring you make an informed decision for your long-term career path.

Skills & Competency Roadmap for Professional Development

To remain competitive in Professional Development, we recommend focusing on the following core competencies over the next 12-18 months:

• Technical Mastery: Deepen your expertise in the core tools and languages relevant to your field. For developers, this might be cloud architecture; for marketers, it might be data-driven attribution modeling.
• AI Augmentation: Learn how to leverage generative AI and automation tools to increase your productivity. Understanding how to integrate these technologies into your workflow is becoming a non-negotiable skill.
• Leadership & Strategy: Even in individual contributor roles, the ability to think strategically and lead projects from inception to completion is highly valued. Focus on stakeholder management and high-level project planning.
• Data Literacy: The ability to interpret data and use it to drive decisions is essential across all business functions. Familiarize yourself with data visualization and basic analytical concepts.

By investing in these areas, you not only prepare yourself for the role you are applying for today but also build a resilient foundation for the opportunities of tomorrow.

Apply via JobSetuu

Discover your next career milestone on JobSetuu. This Senior Staff Engineer position is part of our commitment to bringing you the most relevant and high-impact job openings globally. At JobSetuu, we simplify your job search by aggregating premier listings and providing the tools you need to stand out. Don't miss the chance to elevate your professional journey—explore more opportunities and career insights on our platform today.