Backend Lead

About Tandem

Tandem is the leading global language learning community, where more than 30 million members from over 200 countries practice languages together. The concept of learning from each other is not only an integral part of the Tandem community but it is also at the heart of our everyday lives at Tandem. This shared connection through learning helps us to grow and enhances the language journeys of our members.

We are based in Berlin and are backed by top European investors. We are highly international and driven by a shared passion for languages, technology, and culture. Together, we are on a mission to build a product that not only teaches a new skill but also encourages meaningful cross-cultural conversations.

We are looking for an entrepreneurial Backend Lead to join our team here in Berlin!

Your role will be to:

Help us make the shift from a monolithic architecture to a modern, microservices-based system – from legacy PHP to Golang microservices – in a high traffic environment. It’s a huge challenge, and we need a motivated Backend Lead to help us get there. If you’re a backend pro who’s ready to take the lead (even if you haven’t officially done it before), we’d love to talk!

Examples of things you could work on:

• Lead & Mentor: Guide and support a small but mighty team of 3 to 4 backend engineers, helping them grow and do their best work (e.g. building innovative features that enhance language learning experiences).
• Shape the Tech Strategy: Work closely with our CTO to design and implement backend architecture, with a focus on transitioning from monolith to microservices.
• Stay Hands-On: We want a leader who codes! You’ll be reviewing PRs, writing high-quality code, and setting the bar for best practices.
• Collaborate Across Teams: Work with Client Engineers, Product, Design, and Marketing to make sure our backend aligns with business goals and delivers a top-notch experience.
• Scale & Optimize: Build and maintain distributed, high-traffic systems that run fast and smooth for millions of users.
• Own DevOps & Infra: Manage cloud deployments (AWS/Azure), keep CI/CD pipelines running, and champion Infrastructure as Code.
• Drive Innovation: Help us make smart tech choices, improve processes, and keep learning as a team.

You are the right fit for the role if you:

• You’re a backend pro with strong skills in PHP and Go (yep, both!).
• 6+ years of experience in software engineering, ideally in a startup or scale-up where you’ve seen some serious growth.
• Experience scaling distributed systems and integrating microservices with older codebases.
• Cloud know-how—you’ve deployed and maintained production workloads on AWS or Azure and have a solid DevOps mindset.

What would make your application stand out:

• You play well with others. You’ve worked cross-functionally with Client Engineers, Product, Design, and Marketing teams and can explain technical stuff without the jargon overload.
• You’re a natural leader. Even if you haven’t had an official leadership role yet, you’ve mentored others, led initiatives, or driven change in past roles.
• You are looking for a dynamic environment where you can make a lasting impact and continue to grow as a leader. You value stability, long-term vision, and the opportunity to drive meaningful success within a strong, committed team.

The benefits

Passion for languages:
We’re a team of 30 people speaking 20 languages fluently between us. For those wanting to improve their German (or Denglisch!), you can join one of our German classes on us.

Take a deep dive:
As a Tandem team member, we’ll give you a budget for up to 6 “Deep Dive Days” per year. Pick a topic you’ve always wanted to explore for your professional development that has never made it out of your backlog. Then book a cabin in the woods or whatever matches your individual learning style.

Teams who train together, stay together:
We offer Urban Sports Club gym memberships to boost our team’s physical and mental health. If you prefer, we can contribute to your monthly public transport ticket instead.

It takes a team to Tandem:
Bonding with our teammates outside of our normal work routine is important to us. We organize regular team events: from day trips to monthly lunches, summer BBQs, and movie nights.

Balance matters:
Life isn’t just about work. We know when to snooze Slack notifications, recharge our batteries, and take time out for our personal hobbies. As home office has become the new normal for some of us, it’s even more important to be able to switch off from work and relax.

Modern family:
As part of our family-friendly company philosophy, we embrace flexible working hours, welcome families to our events, and love for our kids to visit the office and get a taste of life at Tandem.

Relocation without the stress: 
If you’re looking to relocate to Berlin, we’re ready to assist you with the infamous German bureaucracy. Many of us have been through it before, so we have plenty of tips to share. You’ll feel settled in no time.

Hybrid by design: 
We’re all about embracing a flexible, modern way of working. That’s why we focus on a hybrid approach—balancing time between our vibrant Berlin-Mitte office and the comfort of your home. It’s the best of both worlds, and we’ll support you in creating the perfect setup for this dynamic way of working.