Senior Backend Engineer

At Sytac, we build high-performing engineering teams for leading organizations. We combine a pragmatic, people-first culture with technical craftsmanship, giving engineers the autonomy to do their best work in real production environments. We are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer – Kotlin / Java to join one of our key clients in the Netherlands. You are a software engineer who takes pride in clean, production-grade code and you treat craftsmanship as a standard, not an extra. What you'll do Build, own, and operate backend services in Kotlin or Java using Spring Boot on cloud infrastructure (Azure, GCP or equivalent).Write clean, well-tested, maintainable code, comprehensive test coverage is part of how you work.Run services in production: CI/CD, incident response, and continuous improvement in a Kubernetes environment.Apply solid design patterns and clean code principles to keep things healthy at scale.Work with SQL and NoSQL databases and choose the right one for the job.Collaborate actively with engineers and business stakeholders, flag issues early, and help shape a strong team culture.Use AI and agentic development tools where they genuinely add value. What we're looking for 8+ years of backend engineering experience in complex, fast-moving environments.Strong hands-on Kotlin and/or Java (JVM) skills with Spring Boot.Solid cloud experience, Azure, GCP, or similar.Deep understanding of software craftsmanship, clean code, and design patterns.Experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases.Day-to-day Kubernetes and CI/CD experience in production.Independent and proactive, you focus on what matters and move fast when it counts.Clear communicator who connects well with both technical and business teams.Affinity with AI-assisted and agentic development approaches. Nice to have Python and/or ReactJS experience.Experience in regulated or high-availability environments.History of contributing to engineering standards, team culture, or internal knowledge sharing. Life at Sytac Working at Sytac means joining a community that prioritizes your growth: Unlimited Growth Days: Time off for learning, conferences, and Sytac activities. 📚The Best Gear: Choose your own laptop (up to €4,000, we cover 50%) plus a tech budget. 💻Invest in You: €2,400 annual budget for training and certifications. 🌿Future Proof: 3.75% employer pension contribution.Legendary Trips: Ski trips, beach BBQs, and epic parties. ⛷️