Senior Backend Developer (Java/Spring Boot)
Afternow is hiring a fully remote Senior Backend Developer to design and build scalable Java 21 / Spring Boot backend systems — REST APIs, microservices, PostgreSQL schemas, and event-driven (Kafka) integrations — owning modules end to end while collaborating with designers, frontend engineers, and clients across Europe and LATAM.
- Compensation
- €3K–€4K / mo
- Location
- Poland
- Work setup
- Remote
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Category
- Backend
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- 5+ years of professional backend development experience
- Expert-level Java 21 (LTS)
- Spring Boot 3.2+
- Strong knowledge of Hibernate and modern Java backend development
- Expert-level PostgreSQL (schemas, queries, indexes, data flows)
- Deep understanding of Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
- Experience with Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)
- Experience working with AWS and cloud-based application environments
- Fluent professional English
- Ownership and accountability — takes ownership of outcomes, not just tasks
- Close collaboration with PMs, designers, frontend developers, QA, and DevOps
- Ability to turn vague business requirements into working algorithms, services, or microservices
- Writes and maintains automated tests with strong test coverage
- Comfortable traveling internationally to client sites in LATAM occasionally (a few days up to one week every few months)
Nice to have
- Experience with Kafka or similar messaging systems
- ECS/Fargate experience
- Experience in Fintech, SaaS, HR, Payroll, ERP, e-commerce, logistics, retail, AI-enabled products, or complex B2B platforms
- Experience using AI coding tools (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar)
- Spanish language skills (for LATAM client work)
Full description
Quick Summary
Hours: Full-time Location: Fully remote Time Zone: Looking for people inEurope or LATAM Language: Professional English required. Spanish is a strong bonus. 5+ years of experience in backend engineering. Expert-level Java 21 (LTS), Spring Boot 3.2+, and PostgreSQL. Experience with Event-Driven Architecture and DDD is required. Travel: Occasional travel to client sites in LATAM may be required, usually for a few days up to one week every few months. Salary Range: €3,000 - €4,000/month gross (dependent on experience level), B2B contract
About Afternow
We are partners in your digital journey. We bring together strategy, design, and technology to build systems that flex as your future unfolds. Afternow creates the digital systems brilliant companies are built on. Strategy, identity, web and product design, and technology that scales. Every part of the process supports and informs the other, creating an environment that works today and adapts to wherever the business goes next. We work primarily with ambitious, digitally focused organizations navigating change. From startups finding their footing, to scale-ups building momentum, to established enterprises reshaping their digital foundations. Our partnerships are built on clarity, craft, and care. Since 2012, we've grown from our roots on Island Krk, Croatia, to a fully remote team of more than thirty talented people working across the globe. We've partnered with companies including AWS, ThoughtSpot, Progressive, Descartes, ShipBob, Quillbot, Teachable, Crisp, CloudZero, Kinetik, and many more. 4.6 Glassdoor Rating - Join our team and discover why our people consistently rate us so highly.
The Role
We are looking for a passionate Senior Backend Developer to join our Product Development team.
In this role, you will work on scalable backend systems for modern digital products, platforms, and services. You will help design and build robust APIs, microservices, database models, integrations, and business logic that support real-world product needs.
You will collaborate closely with frontend engineers, QA engineers, DevOps, product managers, designers, and client-side stakeholders. Most of the work will happen in close collaboration with designers and frontend developers, so we are looking for someone who can communicate clearly, understand dependencies, and help move full modules toward completion.
This is not a “task resolver” role. Our team is dynamic, and senior developers are expected to take ownership of specific modules, actively drive them forward, and think beyond the ticket in front of them. We value people who are reliable, accountable, proactive, and comfortable taking responsibility for outcomes.
This is a senior role, so we expect you to bring technical depth, practical problem-solving, speed & efficiency, and the ability to guide others through clean architecture, good engineering practices, and thoughtful implementation. You should be able to make thoughtful technical decisions and build systems that are reliable, maintainable, secure, and ready to grow.