Backend Engineer

Kulaa is on a mission to build the most powerful and rewarding food community in the world; a global platform where people discover, share, and celebrate the best dishes on earth.

Forget generic restaurant reviews, we help users find the best version of the dish they're craving. Think TikTok meets Grab but powered by dish-level data, AI-driven recommendations, and a purpose-led community.

We're looking for a superstar backend engineer to help us take Kulaa to the next level. This is a freelance contract (not employment) for an initial 3-month period, with strong potential for further collaboration if there's a great fit.

• Design, build, and deploy scalable and maintainable backend systems using SpringBoot, Redis, MongoDB, and Docker
• Develop and maintain APIs powering Kulaa's web and mobile platforms
• Collaborate with product and frontend teams to bring new features to life
• Integrate external systems such as restaurant POS, analytics, and social data
• Optimise performance and reliability through clean architecture, caching, and testing
• Contribute ideas, challenge assumptions, and help shape the technical direction of Kulaa's backend

• Strong experience with Spring Boot, building scalable and well-structured REST APIs with proper validation and exception handling
• Solid understanding of API architecture, modular design principles, and RBAC / JWT security
• Proficient with MongoDB and Spring Data, with strong knowledge of database optimization, indexing, and data integrity design
• Hands-on with Docker and comfortable working in containerised environments
• Experience with Azure Cloud Services (or other major cloud platforms) is a plus
• Excellent communication skills and high English proficiency
• A self-starter who thrives in fast-paced startup environments
• Passion for building, learning, and delivering high-quality work

• Work with people who genuinely care about building something world-changing
• Flexible, remote-friendly setup that values autonomy and trust
• Be part of a mission-driven team that values boldness, creativity, and impact
• Opportunity for extended collaboration after the initial 3-month period
• Your work will directly shape a platform used and loved by foodies worldwide

• Type: Freelance contract (not employment)
• Duration: 3 months (with potential for extension)
  Location: Remote — ideally within a similar timezone to Bali (GMT+8)
• Start: November 1st

Apply now and help us feed the world, one dish at a time.We can't wait to see what you'll build.