At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of cutting-edge data and ML infrastructure for Spotify's content intelligence.
- Company: Join Spotify, a leader in music streaming with a culture of innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible work options, extensive learning opportunities, and generous parental leave.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic environment with opportunities for mentorship and career growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of content processing and make a real impact in the tech world.
- Qualifications: Experience in backend systems, strong programming skills in Java, Python, or Scala.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
What You'll Do
- Lead the design and evolution of data, backend and ML infrastructure systems powering Spotify’s content intelligence capabilities.
- Build scalable infrastructure for multimodal content processing across audio, video, text, and image understanding pipelines.
- Partner closely with Product Managers, Engineering Managers, and senior engineers to shape technical strategy across the Content Intelligence Product Area.
- Drive architectural decisions across distributed systems, ML infrastructure, data processing platforms, and platform reliability.
- Improve infrastructure supporting AI and LLM‑enabled workflows, including podcast and audiobook transcript processing, metadata enrichment, and content understanding systems.
- Develop reliable and cost‑efficient systems for high‑throughput content processing and real‑time intelligence use cases.
- Collaborate across organizational boundaries to drive alignment, technical quality, and long‑term platform investments.
- Mentor engineers and contribute to raising the engineering bar across the organization.
Who You Are
- Extensive experience building and scaling large‑scale backend and infrastructure systems in distributed environments.
- Strong technical judgment and can balance scalability, reliability, cost, and product needs effectively.
- Strong programming experience in Java, Python, and/or Scala.
- Understanding the challenges of building systems that process high‑volume multimedia or real‑time workloads.
- Worked with systems and products that use AI and LLMs at large scale; can demonstrate direct experience in building such products, including a good understanding of the quality scale and cost trade‑offs of these technologies.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast‑moving environments and helping shape technical direction from the ground up.
- Effective communication across engineering, product, and leadership stakeholders.
- Experience leading complex technical initiatives that span multiple teams or organizational areas.
- Deep care for collaboration, mentorship, and creating alignment across teams.
- Exposure to search infrastructure, recommendation systems, or audio processing systems is a strong plus.
- Experience working in startup environments or early‑stage product areas where ownership and adaptability are critical is highly valued.
Where You'll Be
This role is based in London or Stockholm. We offer flexibility to work where you work best, with some in‑person meetings but still allowing for work from home.
Benefits
- Extensive learning opportunities through our dedicated team (GreenHouse).
- Flexible share incentives allowing you to choose how you share in our success.
- Global parental leave, six months off for all new parents.
- All The Feels, our employee assistance program and self‑care hub.
- Flexible public holidays, swap days off according to your values and beliefs.
Staff Engineer, Content Intelligence Infrastructure employer: Spotify AB
At Spotify, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our London and Stockholm offices provide a flexible environment where employees can thrive, with extensive learning opportunities, generous parental leave, and a unique approach to public holidays that respects individual values. Join us to be part of a team that not only values technical excellence but also prioritises mentorship and personal growth.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Engineer, Content Intelligence Infrastructure
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or GitHub, make sure it’s up to date. Let your work speak for itself and impress those hiring managers.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview like it’s the big game! Research the company, understand their tech stack, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their needs.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! A quick thank-you email after an interview can keep you top of mind. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Staff Engineer, Content Intelligence Infrastructure
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with backend and infrastructure systems. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant projects!
Showcase Your Technical Skills:When detailing your programming experience, especially in Java, Python, or Scala, be specific about the projects you've worked on. We love seeing real examples of how you've tackled challenges in high-volume multimedia processing.
Communicate Clearly:Effective communication is key! Use your application to demonstrate how you’ve collaborated with cross-functional teams. We’re looking for candidates who can articulate their technical decisions and influence others positively.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Spotify AB
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of backend systems, distributed environments, and the programming languages mentioned in the job description, like Java, Python, and Scala. Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've built or scaled large-scale infrastructure systems.
✨Showcase Your Collaboration Skills
Since this role involves partnering with Product Managers and Engineering Managers, prepare examples that highlight your ability to work across teams. Think about times when you drove alignment or mentored others, as these experiences will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect to face technical questions that assess your understanding of AI, LLMs, and real-time processing. Brush up on the challenges associated with high-volume multimedia workloads and be ready to discuss how you've tackled similar issues in the past.
✨Embrace the Ambiguity
This role requires comfort in fast-moving environments. Prepare to share instances where you've thrived in ambiguity, shaped technical direction, or adapted quickly to changing circumstances. This will show your potential employer that you're a great fit for their dynamic culture.
