Principal Backend Engineer (Go)

Company: Stream provides APIs and SDKs for building scalable and engaging in-app Chat, Video & Audio, and Activity Feeds. We empower developers to launch faster with enterprise-grade infrastructure, serving major apps like Strava, Nextdoor, Patreon, and Midjourney. Our culture emphasizes innovation, transparency, and excellence.

Role: As a Principal Backend Engineer at Stream, you will be a key technical leader, driving innovation and tackling the most complex challenges across our Go-based backend systems. You'll influence the technical direction of the entire engineering organization, mentor senior engineers, and architect solutions for extreme scale and performance.

Responsibilities:
*   Lead the design and architecture of Stream's most critical and complex backend systems (Video SFU, Chat API, Moderation, Feeds) using Go, CockroachDB, RocksDB, WebRTC, Raft, Redis.
*   Solve ambiguous and challenging technical problems related to scalability, reliability, and performance at the billion-user scale.
*   Define and advocate for long-term technical strategy and architectural patterns.
*   Mentor and influence senior engineers and technical leads across the organization.
*   Identify and champion new technologies and approaches to improve our platform.
*   Act as a technical expert and thought leader both internally and potentially externally.
*   Collaborate closely with leadership on strategic initiatives.

Ideal Candidate:
*   Extensive and deep experience in designing, building, and operating large-scale, complex distributed systems.
*   Recognized expertise in backend technologies, particularly Go or similar systems languages.
*   Mastery of database technologies, caching, networking, concurrency, and relevant algorithms (e.g., Raft, WebRTC principles).
*   Proven ability to architect robust, scalable, and maintainable systems.
*   Strong track record of technical leadership, mentorship, and influencing skills.
*   Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.

Onboarding: While targeted at seasoned experts, our 10-week Go onboarding can serve as a structured ramp-up into Stream's specific stack and challenges.

Why Join? Opportunity to work on cutting-edge, high-scale technical problems, have a profound impact on the technical direction of the company, work alongside other top engineers, enjoy growth in a stable startup environment. Visa sponsorship available for the Netherlands.

Compensation: €70,000–€160,000 depending on seniority (Principal level typically at the highest end, potentially exceeding the stated range based on experience) and location.