Senior Backend Engineer

Role Summary

Randstad is hiring a Senior (Lead) Backend Engineer to design, build, and scale high-throughput microservices and data platforms across a hybrid Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and AWS environment. You will lead the core backend architecture powering our global labor market taxonomies, search, and vector retrieval engines.

• Location: Hybrid – Diemen, The Netherlands.

Role Differentiation 

Important Distinction: This is a Backend Architecture & Distributed Data Engineering Role, NOT a front-end or internal IT support role. It centers on high-volume cloud systems, API latency reduction, vector search retrieval, and MLOps deployment pipelines.

What You Will Achieve

• Multi-Cloud Architecture: Build and maintain scalable backend services primarily hosted on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) with integrations into AWS.
• Vector & Search Retrieval: Own the engineering and performance of search engines and vector retrieval workflows powered by AWS OpenSearch.
• Pipeline Automation: Design resilient, event-driven streaming and batch pipelines using modern DataOps best practices.
• ML Integration: Partner directly with data scientists to put production-grade MLOps pipelines into live multi-cloud environments.
• Engineering Standards: Coach junior and mid-level engineers while shaping technical roadmaps and data governance frameworks.

What You Need to Succeed

• Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
• Track Record: 5+ years of production experience as a Backend or Data Engineer working with distributed systems.
• Core Tech Stack:
  • Languages: Advanced proficiency in Python (main API frameworks) and SQL (Rust is a strong plus).
  • Cloud Infrastructure: 5+ years with GCP; solid familiarity with AWS services.
  • Data & Pipeline Frameworks: Hands-on expertise with Apache Beam, Spark, Airflow, and CI/CD tools (GitLab).
  • Search & Retrieval: Deep working knowledge of distributed search clusters (e.g., OpenSearch/Elasticsearch) and vector indexes.
• Communication: Professional fluency in English (written and verbal).

What We Offer

• Compensation & Equity: Competitive base salary, variable performance pay, and access to Randstad’s Employee Share Purchase Plan.
• Professional Development: Dedicated annual learning budget for GCP/AWS certifications, technical courses, and global conferences.
• Setup & Mobility: Top-tier workstation setup, home-office budget, and full business mobility or commuting allowance.
• Impact & Culture: Lead high-visibility distributed systems initiatives within the world's leading talent organization.

apply today to join the team:

Reach out to our recruitment business partner, [email protected] for the full job spec and a confidential discussion.