Senior Full Stack Developer

About The Role

🚀 Scale. Refactor. Own It. Make an Impact.

At Blinkist, we don’t just build software—we create products that inspire millions to learn and grow. Our Web Team is evolving, and we need a Senior Full Stack Developer with a strong backend focus who can help deprecate or maintain our existing Ruby on Rails stack while driving backend modernisation in TypeScript.

If you have strong TypeScript and React skills, enough Ruby on Rails experience to navigate and improve legacy systems, and the ability to make strategic decisions that balance technical and business impact, keep reading.

Check out the hiring process for this position here: https://jobs.blinkist.com/m8a 

Who We Are

Our Web Team powers the Blinkist platform, ensuring a seamless experience for millions of users. You’ll be joining a high-impact engineering team of:

• Two Senior Engineers – Deep expertise across the stack, setting technical direction.
• One Mid-Level Engineer – Solid, fast-growing, needs mentorship and guidance.
• One Junior Engineer – Learning fast, eager to improve.

We need a Senior Full Stack Engineer who can hit the ground running, refactor complex codebases, and lead TypeScript-based backend development while making high-level architectural decisions that drive long-term success.

Who You Are

• You’re a backend powerhouse. Strong TypeScript backend experience is a must—you build performant, scalable, and maintainable APIs and services.
• You have strong React expertise. You can develop complex, scalable frontends that work seamlessly with a modern backend architecture.
• You have a solid grasp of Ruby on Rails. You can work with existing Rails applications, deprecate old systems, and maintain critical backend functionality as needed.
• You have a strong grasp of refactoring. You can untangle complex legacy code, improve performance, and make sustainable changes with confidence.
• You quickly understand legacy architecture. You get up to speed fast and identify areas for improvement, making meaningful contributions early on. You don’t just work around issues—you improve them for the next developer.
• You think beyond code. You understand business needs, prioritise strategically, and align technical improvements with company goals.
• You take ownership. You identify problems, solve them, and drive improvements—without waiting for direction.
• You lead with impact. You mentor mid-level and junior devs, helping them level up.
• You execute relentlessly. You balance speed with scalability—no over-engineering, just smart decisions.

What You'll Do

• Led backend modernization efforts, transitioning from Ruby on Rails to a TypeScript-based backend while ensuring long-term scalability.
• Navigate and improve existing systems, identifying weaknesses and delivering long-term fixes, especially in Ruby on Rails.
• Deprecate or maintain our Rails stack, ensuring business continuity while transitioning backend logic to TypeScript.
• Develop and optimize front-end applications using React and TypeScript, ensuring a seamless and scalable user experience.
• Make high-impact technical and architectural decisions that balance scalability, maintainability, and business goals.
• Mentor and support mid-level and junior developers, shaping their growth.
• Collaborate cross-functionally, turning complex business needs into elegant, practical solutions.

What You Need To Have

• 5+ years of experience in full-stack web development, with a strong backend focus.
• Deep expertise in TypeScript backend development—you’ve built scalable, production-grade APIs and services.
• Strong React experience—you can architect and build scalable frontend applications.
• Enough Ruby on Rails experience to work with legacy systems, refactor as needed, and ensure backend stability.
• A track record of tackling tech debt and leading large-scale refactoring efforts.
• Experience designing and optimizing scalable applications—you know when to refactor when to scale, and when to ship.
• Strong business acumen—you don’t just see code, you see the bigger picture and make decisions that drive business impact.
• A bias for action—you own problems end-to-end and move fast.
• Excellent technical communication—you explain decisions clearly and help others grow.
• Proficiency in English (and ideally, you’re in Berlin).

Why Join Us?

• You’ll own major refactoring efforts and drive backend modernization at scale.
• You’ll have the freedom to transition our backend to a TypeScript-based stack.
• You’ll work on cutting-edge frontend solutions using React and TypeScript.
• You’ll mentor and grow a team that’s pushing boundaries.
• You’ll have full ownership, with no bureaucratic nonsense.

If you’re a backend-heavy full-stack engineer with strong TypeScript, React, and enough Ruby on Rails experience to maintain or deprecate legacy systems, we'd love to hear from you! 

At Blinkist, our unique culture of empowerment, mutual respect, and transparency has always been our defining characteristic. We support each other and carve out opportunities for every individual to develop and grow. We strongly believe that diversity powers innovation, thus we celebrate and support our differences, providing equal opportunities for employment and career growth. We embrace a flexible, remote-friendly way of working that supports different needs and lifestyles. 

These are some of our most valued benefits:

• 30 PTO days + Wellbeing days + Learning days 
• Flexible approach to work
• Monthly work-from-home or transport reimbursement
• One time work from home office set up budget
• Employee Stock Option Plan
• Unlimited access to the Go1 Learning Hub and Blinkist app
• Professional development fund
• Volunteer leave to give back to the community
• Family planning & parental leave, plus support for parents returning to work
• Wellness initiatives and an Employee Assistance Program

If you choose to join our team in Berlin, you'll have access to our modern office space in Neukölln and enjoy healthy plant-based meals prepared fresh every day by our very own chef. 🥑