Staff Engineer (Java)

Check out to learn about why we chose Java! 💻

At Picnic, we’re revolutionizing the way people buy groceries with our innovative and sustainable app-only service. We do almost everything in-house, developing cutting-edge technologies and processes to ensure we continue to grow rapidly without missing a beat. If you’re a passionate Staff Engineer (Java) we’re offering you the opportunity to join the diverse team at our Amsterdam HQ and make a real difference in our scaleup environment.

🥜 In a nutshell

Picnic has over 20 Java backend development teams, each highly involved with and essential to all parts of the company. From enabling a smooth shopping experience, to ensuring we fulfill our customers’ orders efficiently in our warehouses: there’s a wide range of products to work on. Product teams are also supported by the work of our platform teams on key technologies and infrastructure. Finding the right team to join is a breeze through a ‘Tech Safari’ that will be organized after your onboarding. You’ll get to join three different teams for a week, to find the best match.

At Picnic your skills will be complemented with the latest tech and our diverse projects will keep you challenged and motivated. From designing, developing, and testing new user-facing features, to optimizing supply chain systems and improving the scalability and security of our platform: you’ll be managing individual project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables, while finding yourself fully immersed in an engaging startup culture.

🎯 What you’ll do

• As a Staff Engineer in one of our domains, you’ll work with stakeholders from tech and the business to translate requirements into resilient and scalable solutions
• You’ll provide expertise in cross-product projects and company-wide technology decisions
• You feel at home writing reliable code and proactively look for ways to improve code, technologies, and processes employed by your team
• You are able to communicate your views both when specifying new features with stakeholders and while providing technical mentorship to your colleagues
• As a Staff Engineer, you’ll lead by example, not by title

We don’t hide what we do. Instead, we open-source with the community that helped us grow. Here’s proof:

💻 Technologies we use

• Java 21 (Spring 6 with Spring Boot 3, Reactor, Immutables, Maven)
• Python 3.x
• RabbitMQ and Kafka
• PostgreSQL, MongoDB
• Git and Docker
• AWS, Helm, Terraform, Kubernetes, Vault and Datadog

Hungry for more? Check out for an overview of our tech stack.

⭐ About you

• You have a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Computer Engineering or a related technical field
• You have at least 7 years of experience and a profound understanding of back-end development including Java, Spring Boot, MongoDB and PostgreSQL
• You have solid problem solving skills and enjoy complex challenges
• You have great English skills (no Dutch required) and are able to structure your thoughts and express them clearly verbally and in writing

📖 Picnic Perks

Every expert was once a beginner!

• You’ll get plenty of opportunities to challenge yourself and grow, including the Picnic Tech Academy, Lunch & Learn sessions, and tailored soft skills training. We also offer free professional weekly language courses.

Make a difference

• You’ll work in an awesome startup environment with the freedom to drive your own projects and create a visible impact.
• Our fully electric vehicles and sustainable business model mean you’ll also be contributing to making the world a better place!

Teamwork makes the dream work

• With more than 80 nationalities across 3 countries, you’ll be part of a diverse company with plenty of cool stuff to get involved with, from board game evenings to after-work drinks to our company ski trip and more!

You are what you eat

• You’ll get freshly prepared, healthy lunches and snacks (with plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and halal options). Coffee snob? Don’t worry, our amazing Picnic barista has you covered.

Stay healthy

• Mental health is important. As well as having the option to speak with Picnic colleagues who act as confidential advisors, our collaboration with OpenUp gives you easy access to professional psychologists, along with workshops and materials.
• There are plenty of sports communities and events to get involved with, from tennis to yoga, to climbing!

Attractive package

• We offer competitive compensation and a pension plan that looks out for your future self, as well as 25 vacation days per year, so you can recharge your batteries

Benefits for expats

It can be daunting starting a new job AND moving to a new country. That’s why we offer lots of support for our many expat colleagues, including:

• Relocation package: If you join Picnic from abroad, we’ll cover your trip to Amsterdam, sponsor your Visa, and offer you a month of accommodation while you settle in (as long as regulations allow).
• In the Netherlands, we offer support with your first tax report as well as arranging the 30% ruling.
• From health insurance to living arrangements to pet passports, there are always colleagues who’ve faced the same challenges and are more than happy to help!

Commitment to equal opportunities

Picnic is an equal opportunity employer—this means that all decisions regarding applications will be based on qualifications and merit. Applicants will be regarded independently of age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, skin color, civil status, religious beliefs, physical or mental disability, or any other factors protected by law.

At Picnic, we celebrate and value our differences and are committed to building a safe and inclusive working environment where everyone can be themselves.