Backend Developer*in

Mein Grundeinkommen e.V. is looking for a Backend Developer to join us in Berlin at the earliest possible date, working 32 hours per week.

What happens to society when people no longer have to live with the fear of not being able to make ends meet? Since 2014, we have been looking for practical answers to this question. To do so, we collect donations through crowdfunding and distribute them as an Universal Basic Income (UBI). In this way, we make basic income tangible and explore how it works in practice. Through our practical experience, research findings, and a reach of more than three million people, we contribute to advancing the public and political debate around Universal Basic Income.

To implement impactful projects together, we are now looking for a Backend Developer who shares our vision.

With our work, we particularly want to reach people and communities whose perspectives are still underrepresented in public debates. That is why intersectionality and awareness of discrimination are central components of our organizational culture. We want to create a working environment in which equitable participation is actively practiced and different experiences, perspectives, and strengths are valued. We explicitly encourage applications from people with a migration or refugee background as well as from BIPoC communities. In order to continuously develop our structures, we are engaged in an ongoing anti-racism process with external support, including from Tupoka Ogette & Stephen Lawson and i-PÄD.

Your responsibilities

As a Backend Developer, you will be part of our experienced product and development team and work on further developing key functions of our platform. This includes implementing new features for our community as well as maintaining and optimizing existing systems, for example those related to our lottery and payout logic. In addition, you will develop technical solutions and tools that support our colleagues in editorial, campaigns, and communications in reaching people effectively and making our work visible.

You will work in an agile, interdisciplinary team and bring your technical perspective into the planning, conceptualization, and prioritization of new initiatives at an early stage. Together with Product Management, Design, and other stakeholders, you will develop robust solutions and ensure that ideas are not only technically feasible but also sustainable, secure, and scalable. You will take responsibility for the quality and ongoing development of our systems and actively contribute to technical decision-making.

We value independent work and trust in the expertise of our team. Within the Tech Team, we enjoy working collaboratively on our 10-year-old codebase, using peer sparring and pair programming. We use AI for programming very sparingly and selectively and take responsibility for the code we create. Your scope for shaping things will grow through self-organized work, allowing you to improve processes, introduce new approaches, and further develop our platform technically. Your contribution will help us achieve our organizational goals and increase our social impact.

Your profile

• At least 5 years of experience with Ruby on Rails, or alternatively experience with another web framework and a willingness to learn Ruby on Rails.

• Experience maintaining and further developing a large web application.

• You feel comfortable working in an agile environment and work independently, proactively, and responsibly.

• You understand software development as teamwork and know how to structure your code effectively, write tests, incorporate feedback, and conduct code reviews yourself.

• If you are also interested in DevOps or already have experience in this area, you will have the opportunity to develop further in this direction and gradually grow into the role.

• An awareness of and commitment to social justice, particularly where it is obstructed by inequality resulting from racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of discrimination.

• You speak and write German at an advanced level (at least B1) as well as English (approximately B1 level). Communication across the organization is in German; technical matters within the Tech Team are largely documented in English.

• You identify with our values: appreciation, inspiration, courage, curiosity, and impact. You are willing to address conflicts openly and are interested in appreciative and/or nonviolent communication (which is also part of our onboarding).

• You enjoy and are capable of working with self-leadership and self-organization.

What we offer

• Instead of conventional hierarchies, we use Holacracy, which means dynamic participation in shaping our structures, active involvement, and shared responsibility. As an association, you are both a colleague and a member of the organization.

• A purpose-driven workplace focused on equality and providing space for personal growth.

• External support through coaching and professional development as part of agreed development goals.

• A commitment to being a learning organization with a strong drive for radical change, both internally and externally.

• We aim to create environments that are sensitive to discrimination. This includes an ongoing process of reflection in which everyone's voice matters and is heard.

• Office space in Berlin and hybrid working.

• A salary of €58,880–€65,770 gross per year for a 32-hour full-time position, plus 35 days of vacation (based on a five-day working week).

• Meal allowance and occupational pension scheme.

• Flexible working with at least 25% on-site presence in our Berlin office.

Our goal is to fill this position on a permanent basis. However, all our employment contracts are initially limited to one year so that we can jointly determine whether we want to shape the future together. Before the end of the first year, we will assess whether we want to continue working together based on professional and cultural factors.