Curious About our Recruiting Process?

The interview process at applike group is seamless, fast, and fun for you! Recruiting is a two-way street, so that’s why our process is designed for both you and us to get to know each other. Our Talent Acquisition team is there to guide you through the process, making sure you will receive the best candidate experience. The process is usually divided into 5 major steps:
Recruiting FAQs
Screening Process
Simply apply with your updated resume, we don’t need any cover letters or additional documents. If you have a relevant protfolio, you can of course share this as well. After reviewing, we will get in touch with you quickly.
First Interview
In the first interview you will meet someone from the Talent Acquisition team to get to know more about the company, our culture and the open role.
Case Study Step
We designed this step to get a deeper understanding of your skills and also give you some insights into tasks that might be awaiting you in the new role.
Final Interviews
In the final interviews you will get the chance to meet you future Lead, Team and also Managing Director to get the full picture of what it could be like working here.
The offer
Finally – after clearing all steps successfully, you are going to receive an offer from our side. Congrats, we want you on our team! … and we hope you accept the offer and join us! 🙂

Open jobs

Do you want to build awesome, engaging mobile games and scale them to millions of users?

Staff Go Backend Developer (f/m/d)

  • Hamburg
  • adjoe
  • Demand Core
  • Full time
Apply for this job

adjoe builds the technologies behind mobile apps growth and monetization. With our core product Playtime Arcade, we’ve become the global leader in rewarded advertising, an ad unit built on a simple premise: users earn real in-app rewards for engaging with new apps. The result is one of the most effective value exchanges in adtech, connecting advertisers and publishers with over 770 million users annually.

 

Architecting the sub-millisecond decision engine that powers 200 million daily ad interactions

 

The Demand Core team and backend platform squads build the foundational infrastructure that determines which of our thousands of active advertising campaigns are relevant to a user the moment they open Playtime. At our scale, system latency is a business failure: downtime means advertisers stop spending, users stop earning rewards, and publisher revenue stalls. As a Staff Backend Developer, you will own the architectural integrity, reliability, and long-term evolution of the distributed systems that power these decisions 200 million times every day across multiple teams.

Go microservices load the active ad campaign catalog into memory, evaluating 40+ targeting constraints and 30+ real-time signals like geo, fraud status, budget caps, to rank potential user performance in milliseconds. Beyond individual services, you will define architectural patterns across the entire ad interaction chain: high-throughput processing of clicks, views, MMP postbacks from Adjust and AppsFlyer, and reward-triggering in-app events. You will govern our hybrid messaging architecture using SNS/SQS and Kafka, standardize backend data patterns across DynamoDB, relational, and analytical data stores, and ensure our core ad scoring pipelines remain resilient under massive load.

 

Your Mission & Who We Are Looking For:

 

  • Production Golang Systems & Architecture Mastery: You bring extensive backend development experience (7+ years, with deep production Go expertise in distributed environments). You will define service boundaries, concurrency models, and runtime optimizations for our +99% Go microservice architecture, scaling the platform reliably beyond hundreds of millions of monthly active users.

  • High-Throughput Event Streaming & Architecture Patterns: You have deep experience architecting and standardizing asynchronous microservice communication using event backbones like Kafka, SQS/SNS, and Kinesis. You will establish org-wide streaming standards, schema evolution, and CDC patterns to process billions of daily API events and aggregate them into our data lake for sub-second querying.

  • Large-Scale Data Architecture & Platform Optimization: You understand database internals, distributed storage trade-offs, and low-level web standards. You will standardize data patterns (sharding, replication, DR) across hundreds of terabytes in DynamoDB, MySQL, Druid, and Athena, while leading high-stakes, zero-downtime database migrations and deprecations.

  • Data Science & Algorithmic Integration at Scale: You quickly grasp complex technical topics, distributed systems trade-offs, and applied mathematics. You will partner with our Data Science team to architect the runtime infrastructure that serves predictive models and machine learning algorithms directly within our sub-millisecond real-time ad targeting engine.

  • Technical Leadership & Organizational Leverage: You communicate fluently and precisely in spoken and written English. You drive alignment across squads through RFCs and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), define org-level SLIs/SLOs, sponsor major technical migrations, and mentor Senior engineers across an international engineering team.

  • Plus: Cloud Resilience & Tooling: Hands-on experience with continuous profiling (e.g., Pyroscope, goroutine dumps), chaos engineering drills, and infrastructure automation using Terraform, Kubernetes, or AWS cloud networking.
    ‌

🌎 We welcome applications from talent worldwide and provide relocation support to Hamburg, Germany for those ready to join our team.

 

What’s in It for You?

 

At adjoe, you’re not here to just close JIRA tickets, you’re shaping the architectural foundation behind one of the most impactful platforms in adtech. The systems and patterns you design will reach hundreds of millions of users and power billions of decisions every day.

 

  • Go Big. Own the technical direction and platform architecture with impact on 770M users and push adtech boundaries.

  • Move Fast. Ship solutions multiple times a day, establish golden paths that unlock engineering speed, and keep momentum.

  • Be Direct. Solve complex architectural bottlenecks openly and drive alignment across cross-functional teams.

  • Thrive Together. Grow with and elevate a diverse, global team of engineers from over 40 different countries that learn from each other.

  • Have Fun. Celebrate wins, solve hard computer science challenges, and bring your energy.

We welcome applications from people who will contribute to the diversity of our company.

Apply for this job

Tips & Tricks to Nail Your Interviews!

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Skip cover letters

Since we want to keep everything fast and easy for you, we don’t want you to waste time on a cover letter – we would rather take a look at your CV and if it’s a match, we directly invite you to a first call.
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Check your equipment

Test your internet connection, camera, mic, and speakers beforehand. Time for each interview is limited, and we’d like to spend as much of it as possible on getting to know each other. If the interview is online, always have your camera on! It’s way easier to create a meaningful interaction if we also see each other.
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Do some research

We will give you all the information about the role & company’s culture, but it’s always nice to see how you perceive us after doing some online detective work. 😉
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Prepare an elevator pitch

We will certainly ask you to briefly summarize your work experiences in a short overview. Think of what you’re going to say beforehand so you can fit all of the essential information in 2-3 minutes. Keep the goal of the interview in mind, and make sure everything you say is relevant to the position you’re applying for.
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Structure your answers

Be specific, but don’t get caught up in details – following the STAR method can help you: Situation (set the scene and give the necessary details of your example) – Task (describe what your responsibility was in that situation) – Action (explain exactly what steps you took to address it) – Result (share what outcomes your actions achieved).
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Let your personality shine

It is a recruiting process, but this doesn’t mean you can’t loosen up and showcase your personality. We are looking for an authentic character and we are open to having some small talk or a funny joke thrown into the mix. This might even show us that you’re a good cultural fit. Remember, next to all our ambition we like to have fun!
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Come with your questions

At the end of the interview, we will ask you whether you have any questions for us. Use this time to get answers to all your questions or clear out any curiosities. Always have two or three questions prepared, whether about the position specifically or about career development, upcoming projects, or company culture.
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Don’t be afraid of rescheduling

Even if you’ve already scheduled an interview, urgent things might pop up in your schedule or you might not feel fit to attend the interview. We are all humans & we treat these situations with empathy. It’s better to reschedule rather than not be 100% prepared to attend the interview. Simply communicate the change with your TA Manager and we will find a solution.

Finding Home Abroad – Relocation Stories

We’re supporting new colleagues from all over the world to move to Hamburg, Germany – see what they have to share about their relocation experience:
Read Relocation Article
“Unlike other companies, justDice/applike was there for me from the beginning. After signing the offer, I got comprehensive support in getting my visa, finding a temporary apartment in Hamburg & covering travel expenses for my whole family. All of this made our relocation significantly easier and more enjoyable.”
Grigory – justDice
relocated from Georgia with spouse
“I moved to Hamburg from New Zealand. It is easily the most beautiful city in Germany, and in my eyes, the whole world. My story is a little different, as I was already living here when I found my role at applike group, but the experience was just as seamless. applike supported me through the full visa change process from day one. The People team made something very complex feel simple, clear, and fully taken care of. You are in good hands!”
Gemma – applike group
relocated Hamburg from New Zealand
“Relocating always comes with plenty of challenges, but applike helped make the entire process very straightforward. From quick visa support to helping secure accommodation, my family (wife and son) and I were able to smoothly move to Hamburg within just two months. Just 2 weeks in, all essential paperwork had already been sorted, and my son was already attending kindergarten, allowing me to fully focus on my new role and getting settled in.”
Yuriy – adjoe
relocated from Israel to Hamburg with spouse and child
“Relocating to Hamburg with my family of four was a significant undertaking, but applike’s comprehensive support made the transition smooth and stress-free. From arranging our family’s transfer to assisting with residence permits, Applike’s thorough planning and financial backing ensured we felt welcomed and settled in our new home from day one.”
Roman – Sunday
relocated from Kazakhstan with spouse and 2 kids
“Relocating to another country is challenging, but applike group made the process significantly smoother by providing comprehensive support: from handling paperwork to offering a relocation allowance.”
Min – justtrack
relocated from Thailand with spouse
“My relocation process was supposed to be quick and easy yet we stumbled across delays from the embassy. So, the People team was extremely helpful, providing us with all necessary support with documentation, appointments, and processes; all in order to speed up the process and make sure we get to Germany as fast and as easily as possible.”
Mia – applike group
relocated from North Macedonia with spouse
“Moving to Hamburg was a breeze thanks to adjoe/applike. They managed every detail, from flights to accommodation, and their thorough support made me feel valued even before starting my new role. The entire experience was smooth and memorable, making my transition to this beautiful city unforgettable.”
Kim – adjoe
relocated from the Philippines

Recruiting FAQs

Frequently asked questions
How long does your recruiting process take?

We aim to make our recruiting process as fast and efficient as possible, but the duration can vary depending on the role you are applying for. Usually we are really fast, though (less than 4 weeks).

Can I apply for more than one role?

Yes, if you see multiple roles open that match your skill set, you can apply for them simultaneously. Our Talent Acquisition team will review your application and contact you about the role that best seems to match your skills. 

Can I apply for multiple companies within applike group?

Yes, if you see multiple roles that match your skill set, you can apply for them simultaneously. Our Talent Acquisition team will review your application and contact you about the role that best matches your skills.

I just handed in my application, what are the next steps?

Great! Please allow a few days for our team to review your application. We will contact you with the next steps as soon as possible.

How do I know I’m really being contacted by someone from applike group?

We’ll never ask you for money, fees, or sensitive information (like bank details, tax forms, or credit card numbers) during the hiring process.
If anything feels off, you can always double-check by reaching out to our Talent Acquisition team at ta@applike-group.com.
Once you’ve signed your contract, our HR team may request personal details, but only from our official email: hr@applike-group.com.

Do I need to be located in Germany to be able to apply for your jobs?

No, we do provide full visa and relocation support. 

Do you help with my relocation?

We do! You can find more information about our relocation support and the succesful relocation of our colleagues here on this website.

What if I want to relocate together with my family?

No problem! Our visa and relocation support does also include your partner or kids. (Please be aware that legal marriage is often times a requirement to obtain a partner-visa).

Can I work remotely?

If you prefer 100% remote companies, applike is not the right place for you because we strongly believe in face-to-face collaboration. However, we did implement a hybrid working model where we are in the office at least three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) and can work remotely the remaining two days. Additionally, you get three whole weeks per year to work fully remotely if you want.

What does hybrid working and flexible working hours mean?

Our hybrid working approach involves being in the office at least three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) and the option to work remotely the remaining two days. Flexible working hours mean that we work Monday-Friday, but do not have fixed working hours. Just make sure to adapt to the rhythm of your team.

Where is your main-office located?

The headquarters of the applike group and all its subsidiaries are located in Hamburg, Germany. We do have offices in the US and APAC.

What is so great about your office?

Well next to the fact that you are able to see and collaborate with your colleagues face-to-face, we have a super modern office that leave no wishes open: from Drinks & Snack, areas to work away from your desk to a fully equiped gym.

Can I really bring my dog to the office?

Yes, you can!

Couldn’t find the perfect job offer?

Nevermind! We are always interested to get in touch with new talents.

Contact us