Staff Backend Developer

Location: Schaumburg (currently hybrid with up to 50% remote)

Your mission in the Backend team:

At TouchTunes, your work matters. We are looking for a Staff Backend Engineer to help design, scale, and harden our Ad Platform. This system powers real-time ad decisioning, partner integrations, and revenue-critical analytics across a distributed backend architecture. We are seeking a strong backend engineer first, with deep experience in Java or Go, distributed systems, and event-driven architectures. Ad-tech experience is a strong plus but not required. This is a senior individual contributor role with architectural influence and ownership over platform reliability, performance, and long-term evolution.

Your Day-To-Day:

Real-Time Backend Systems

• Design and build low-latency services in Java and/or Go
• Architect real-time decisioning systems operating under strict timing constraints
• Implement rule-based and algorithmic offer evaluation and partner prioritization
• Design fallback strategies for degraded or slow external partners
• Build resilient systems that protect revenue during “bad day” scenarios

Event-Driven Architecture & Data

• Design and operate a Kafka-based streaming pipeline
• Model and track high-volume events (impressions, fills, errors, playback, revenue signals)
• Enable auditability from request through playback
• Support analytics, yield analysis, and finance reconciliation workflows

Cloud-Native Infrastructure

• Design and operate services on AWS
• Leverage core AWS services (e.g., EKS, S3, EC2, managed
• streaming/datastores)
• Deploy and operate workloads in Kubernetes
• Design scalable, fault-tolerant microservices

Reliability & Observability

• Design for high availability and predictable performance under load
• Implement caching strategies (in-memory, distributed, and edge-aware
• where applicable)
• Instrument services using OpenTelemetry
• Build meaningful metrics, tracing, and logging pipelines
• Monitor latency, partner performance, fill rate, and error patterns
• Drive reliability improvements through measurable SLOs and
• performance tuning

External Integrations & Ad Tech (Plus)

• Integrate with external programmatic partners and SSPs
• Manage timeouts, rate limits, and SLA variability
• Familiarity with VAST, OpenRTB, RTB flows, or DOOH/CTV
• environments is a plus
• Contribute to building a scalable, vendor-agnostic decisioning platform

Technical Leadership

• Operate as a Staff-level IC influencing architecture and engineering
• standards
• Lead complex design discussions
• Mentor engineers and elevate backend reliability practices
• Partner cross-functionally with Product, Data, and Revenue stakeholders

Your profile:

• 8+ years backend engineering experience
• Deep expertise in Java and/or Go
• Strong distributed systems fundamentals
• Experience with Kafka or comparable streaming systems
• Production experience running services in Kubernetes
• Strong familiarity with the AWS ecosystem
• Experience building high-throughput, low-latency services
• Demonstrated ownership of reliability and production excellence

Even better if you have:

• Experience in ad-tech or programmatic advertising ecosystems
• Real-time bidding or yield optimization systems
• Experience serving video or VAST-based ads
• DOOH / CTV environments

What’s in it for you:

At TouchTunes, your work impacts our customers as part of interesting projects that transform the in-venue entertainment industry. We foster open communication and collaboration across all levels, with approachable leaders that value all voices and empower you to excel and innovate. Our team thrives in an environment where fun meets hard work, and everyone is encouraged to be their authentic selves.

Our Perks and Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Environment: Hybrid schedule with 50% work-from-home and in-office time, with the ability to work anywhere in the world for up to 2 months per year.
• Financial Wellness: Annual performance bonus, long-term company bonus, 401k matching, life insurance.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Competitive health insurance and disability coverage, a Lifestyle Spending Account, access to telemedicine, and an unlimited sick days policy.
• Professional Development: Continuous hands-on learning with access to e-learning platform, tuition reimbursement, and peer mentorship.
• Accessibility: An inclusive workplace designed to accommodate people with disabilities.

TouchTunes

At TouchTunes, the world’s largest in-venue interactive music and entertainment platform, we’re all about sparking joy and human connection. That moment in a bar where someone at the next table cues the jukebox to play your favorite song? That’s what we do – our platform plays millions of songs daily – but we’re also so much more! We just bought the largest soft-tipped darts business in the United States, we’re reinventing our mobile app for launch later this year, and we’re operating nearly 100,000 connected devices across North America and Europe. We’re innovators, strategic thinkers, people making the future possible today – and what a great time to join our team.

Work Requirements: Must be authorized to work in the United States

TouchTunes is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. TouchTunes provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

🌈TouchTunes is a proud ally of QueerTech and DiversityJobs.