Backend-leaning Tech Lead (Kotlin)

Location: Hybrid in Berlin, Germany, with two work-from-home days as the standard setup. Regular in-person collaboration and presence in the Berlin office are required. Relocation support to Berlin is available.

Company

hirify.global is a profitable, Berlin-headquartered software company building an AI-powered messaging platform used by more than 10,000 businesses worldwide.

What you will do

• Lead a team of 3–4 engineers and own its effectiveness, technical quality, delivery, and team development.
• Spend approximately 50% of the role contributing to architecture, implementation, code reviews, and important technical projects.
• Work with the Product Manager to understand customer problems, shape solutions, scope projects, and set priorities.
• Establish technical direction while enabling engineers to make decisions and develop their judgment.
• Run 1:1s, provide actionable feedback, support performance and growth, and contribute to technical hiring.
• Improve engineering practices, remove blockers, manage dependencies, and explore AI across the software-development lifecycle.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience as a Senior or Staff Engineer with continued hands-on involvement in software development.
• Substantial experience with Java or another JVM language and ownership of production systems.
• Experience with architecture, implementation, code review, and solving complex technical problems.
• Interest or experience in people leadership, including supporting engineers’ growth and performance.
• Ability to translate product goals into pragmatic technical solutions and deliver in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Willingness to collaborate regularly in person and be present in Berlin.

Nice to have

• Experience with Kotlin and AWS.
• Experience with hybrid Tech Lead responsibilities or a short period as an Engineering Manager.
• Experience with Kotlin/Quarkus, TypeScript, React, Next.js, or LangGraph.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work with the Berlin office as the center of gravity and two work-from-home days per week.
• Annual personal development budget of €500 for conferences, courses, books, coaching, and related learning.
• Choice of an Urban Sports Club or John Reed membership, or a public transport/Dance subscription.
• Regular company and team events, an inclusive startup environment, and a direct feedback culture.
• Berlin office with free snacks, drinks, and professional equipment.
• Practical relocation assistance for candidates moving to Berlin.

Hiring process

• Participate in technical interviews, provide structured candidate feedback, and hold candidate conversations as part of the hiring process.