Principal Backend Engineer

Description & Requirements

Principal Backend Engineer – Music Discovery Platform - Roon

About the Role

At Harman International, we are revolutionizing music metadata management and discovery .  We’re seeking a Principal Backend Engineer to lead the development of scalable, high-performance backend systems powering our music discovery platform. As a Backend Engineer on our Data Team, you will be at the forefront of building scalable, cutting-edge solutions that power our world-class music metadata services. We are seeking experienced developers passionate about working with data and backend technologies to drive our continued growth and solidify our position as a global leader in music data.

In this role, y ou’ll architect and build APIs that enable seamless music search, recommendation, personalization, and user interaction .  Your work will ensure users can seamlessly discover the music they love by driving backend services that deliver high-quality, accurate data to our product teams reliably. You will collaborate closely with your colleagues in the Data Team and the broader Harman Software Experiences organization, contributing to developing and deploying data-driven features that enhance the user experience.

What you will Do:

• Architect and develop robust, scalable, and secure APIs for music catalog, recommendation, and search.

• Design data models and manage integrations with third-party music metadata providers, streaming services, and analytics platforms.

• Lead backend engineering efforts , setting coding standards, reviewing code, and mentoring junior engineers.

• Collaborate with product, frontend, and data teams to define API contracts and deliver seamless user experiences.

• Optimize performance of backend services, ensuring low latency and high availability.

• Implement observability tools for monitoring, logging, and alerting to ensure system reliability.

• Drive technical innovation , evaluating new technologies and frameworks to improve development velocity and system capabilities.

What you need to Be Successful:

• 10+ years of backend services development

• Technical Skills: Strong understanding of modern backend development tools.

• Strong proficiency in Node.js, Python, or Go or similar backend languages.

• Deep understanding of API design , microservices architecture , and cloud-native development

• Cloud Platforms: Hands-on experience with GCP, AWS, and Azure

• Deployment Technologies: Expertise with Docker, Kubernetes, and Serverless architectures.

• CI/CD: Proficient with automated pipelines for continuous build and integration systems.

• Experience with databases ( e.g., Postgre SQL, Big Query ), caching strategies , and message queues (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ).

• Familiarity with music metadata standards , recommendation systems, or audio streaming APIs is a plus.

Bonus Points if You Have:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or another related field.

• Experience with machine learning pipelines or recommendation engines (strongly desired)

• Experience working with machine learning workloads in production 

• Experience working with audio music streaming services 

• Knowledge of music theory , audio fingerprinting , or digital signal processing .

• Familiarity with C# and . NET based technologies.

• Contributions to open-source projects or technical blogs.

• A passion for delivering top-notch audio experiences to users and an interest in the audio technology domain

What Makes You Eligible:

• Position is 100% Remote

• You must be available for meetings and team interaction during typical continental US business hours.

• Be willing to travel up to 5%, domestically and internationally .  

• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment

What We Offer 

• Competitive wellness benefits and 401K Retirement Savings plan.

• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages career development opportunities.

• Flexible work schedule with a culture encouraging work-life integration and collaboration in a global environment.

• Professional development opportunities through HARMAN University’s business and leadership academies and extensive course catalog.

• Tuition Reimbursement.

• Access to employee discounts on world-class HARMAN products (JBL, Harman/Kardon, etc.).

• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program.

#LI - Remote

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Pay Transparency

$ 125,250 - $ 183,700

Dependent on the position offered, other forms of compensation are also available, such as bonuses or commission.

Pay is based on a wide range of factors, including, without limitation, skill set, experience, training, location, and business need. While the above range is a reasonable estimate of the wage range for this position, please note the disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographical differential associated with the location where the position may be filled.

Benefits

HARMAN is interested in the health and wellbeing of you and your family and offers a range of benefits designed to support your needs for holistic wellbeing. Benefits and perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment with HARMAN, and may include paid vacation and holidays, paid sick leave, volunteer leave, and paid bonding and care giver leave. Employees may also be eligible to participate in comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, fertility support and adoption assistance, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, retirement savings plan with employer match, short and long term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

You Belong Here 

HARMAN is committed to making every employee feel welcomed, valued, and empowered. No matter what role you play, we encourage you to share your ideas, voice your distinct perspective, and bring your whole self with you – all within a support-minded culture that celebrates what makes each of us unique. We also recognize that learning is a lifelong pursuit and want you to flourish. We proudly offer added opportunities for training, development, and continuing education, further empowering you to live the career you want.  

About HARMAN: Where Innovation Unleashes Next-Level Technology 

Ever since the 1920s, we’ve been amplifying the sense of sound. Today, that legacy endures, with integrated technology platforms that make the world smarter, safer, and more connected.  

Across automotive, lifestyle, and digital transformation solutions, we create innovative technologies that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences. Our renowned automotive and lifestyle solutions can be found everywhere, from the music we play in our cars and homes to venues that feature today’s most sought-after performers, while our digital transformation solutions serve humanity by addressing the world’s ever-evolving needs and demands. Marketing our award-winning portfolio under 16 iconic brands, such as JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel, we set ourselves apart by exceeding the highest engineering and design standards for our customers, our partners and each other. 

If you’re ready to innovate and do work that makes a lasting impact, join our talent community today!

Important Notice: Recruitment Scams

Please be aware that HARMAN recruiters will always communicate with you from an '@harman.com', ‘@careers.harman.com’ or ‘@harmanglobal.avature.net’ email address. We will never ask for payments, banking, credit card, personal financial information or access to your LinkedIn/email account during the screening, interview, or recruitment process. If you are asked for such information or receive communication from an email address not ending in one of the above email domains about a job with HARMAN, please cease communication immediately and report the incident to us through: View email address on jobsearch.harman.com.

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. HARMAN strives to hire the best qualified candidates and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse marketplaces and communities of our global colleagues and customers.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. HARMAN attracts, hires, and develops employees based on merit, qualifications and job-related performance.()