SumUp

Senior Backend Engineer - Golang

••
1 week ago
Estimated salary
€4,949 – €7,388per month

Auto-estimated from similar roles, location, experience & market data. Actual pay may vary.

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Description

Senior backend engineering role in SumUp's newly formed Commercial Systems and Intelligence squad, building the infrastructure that attributes merchant acquisition, calculates sales commissions and models the merchant lifecycle. You design data models, API contracts and rule definitions in Go, build a centralized Lifecycle Event Log with the Merchant Intelligence squad, and create internal backoffices and APIs for sales teams. You establish testing, observability and incident-response practices for the greenfield squad. The role requires strong Go (or typed-language) backend experience with distributed systems, PostgreSQL/Snowflake and Kafka-based event-driven architectures.

Requirements

  • Strong backend engineering background in Go, or a typed-language generalist ready to ramp up quickly
  • Experience designing APIs and distributed systems with clear contracts, versioning and integration patterns
  • Fluency with relational and analytical databases (PostgreSQL, Snowflake)
  • Experience building Kafka-based, event-driven systems and understanding of event sourcing and CDC patterns
  • Experience with testing, observability and incident-response practices as first-class concerns
  • Ability to bridge technical and non-technical audiences

Experience Level

InternEntry LevelMid-levelSeniorLeadExecutive

Benefits

Hack Days every second Friday and global Hack Weeks
EUR 2,000 annual learning & development budget
Virtual Stock Option programme
Corporate pension scheme matching up to 20% of contributions
30 days sabbatical after 3 years of service
Referral bonus
Urban Sports Club subsidy, Kita placement assistance, relocation assistance and subsidised office lunches

💰 Net Salary Calculator

Tax class 1, no church tax
Gross Salary
€74,016/year
€6,168/month
Total Deductions
€29,204
39% effective rate
Net Salary (Take Home)
€3,734/mo
€44,812/year

Deduction Breakdown

🏛️ Income Tax€13,582
🏦 Pension Insurance€6,883
🏥 Health Insurance€6,103
🫶 Care Insurance€1,674
📋 Unemployment Insurance€962

🏠 Cost of Living in Cologne

Monthly Essentials

Rent (1BR)
€1050
Groceries
€290
Transport
€75
Utilities
€220
Internet
€40

Lifestyle & Entertainment

Eating Out
€13
Gym/Month
€45
Coffee
€4
Beer (0.5L)
€4
Cinema
€12
Monthly Net Salary:€3,734
Comfortable Living:€1,726
Monthly Savings:€2,008 (54%)
💰

Strong savings potential: You could save €2,008 monthly, which is €24,096 per year.

💡 These estimates are based on average costs in Cologne. Actual expenses vary based on lifestyle, neighborhood, and personal choices. "Comfortable living" includes rent, utilities, groceries, transport, and reasonable dining/entertainment.

Eligible for the EU Blue Card

A salary of €74,022 meets the EU Blue Card minimum of €45,300 (2026).

The EU Blue Card is a residence permit for highly qualified non-EU workers. It offers a fast track to permanent residency and allows family reunification.

Processing
4-12 weeks
Visa fee
€100
Requirements
University degree + Job offer

Also eligible: EU Blue Card (Shortage Occupation) (€41,042+)

Documents needed

Valid passport
Recognised university degree
Employment contract or binding job offer
Proof of salary meeting threshold
Health insurance coverage
Biometric passport photo
Explore visa & relocation guides

📍 Life in Cologne

👥
Population
1.1M
⭐
Quality of Life
7.0
🇬🇧
English Friendly
7.0
💻
Tech Scene
6.0
🌍
International
7.0
🚇
Public Transport
8.0
🚴
Bikeability
8.0
🌬️
Air Quality
5.0
🌳
Green Spaces
7.0
🚗
Car Free
7.0
ℹ️

About Cologne

  • •Media and TV hub
  • •Large student population
  • •Vibrant local culture
🌤️

Climate

  • •Temperate oceanic
  • •Mild winters
  • •Moderate summers
  • •Regular rainfall
❄️Jan: 3°C☀️Jul: 19°C📅Avg: 11°C
☀️1600 sunshine hours/year
🛡️

Safety

  • •Generally safe
  • •Moderate crime levels
  • •Carnival can be crowded
Overall:7.0
🏥

Healthcare

  • •Good hospital network
  • •University hospital
  • •Adequate services
Quality: 8.0Access: 8.0
🎭

Culture

  • •Famous cathedral
  • •Roman heritage
  • •Carnival tradition
8.0
🎉

Nightlife

  • •Famous for Kölsch beer
  • •Student bars
  • •Carnival season
8.0
🏞️

Recreation

  • •Rhine riverfront
  • •City parks
  • •Beer gardens
7.0
💰

Cost of Living

  • •More affordable than Frankfurt/Munich
  • •Balanced cost of living
  • •Good value for money
🏠 Rent (1BR center):€1050
⚡ Utilities:€220
🛒 Groceries:€290
🍽️ Dining out:€16
€per month
€2kthis job posts €5k – €7k€20k

Your situation in Germany

The default for anyone single, divorced or widowed.

Only changes the church tax rate — 8% in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9% everywhere else.

Childless employees over 23 pay a higher Pflegeversicherung (care insurance) rate.