Lead Backend Developer
We’re looking for a Lead Backend Developer to help us build, scale, and evolve our royalty systems. This role combines hands-on backend development with technical leadership and people management, working closely with Product, Monetization, Analytics, and external partners. You’ll play a key role in ensuring accurate royalty calculations, reliable reporting, and high-quality data exchange with publishers.
Key responsibilities
- Develop new features for the royalty system and royalty reporting
- Build and maintain the blocking system (including DMCA processing and automated blocking for UGC content)
- Develop and improve the author interface
- Design and implement publisher catalog ingestion and processing
- Develop and maintain Muse DB
- Debug and resolve complex technical and production issues
- Collaborate with Product and Monetization teams to implement changes in royalty calculation logic
- Work closely with the Analytics team to implement and evolve royalty metrics
- Collaborate with publishers and external partners to set up and maintain data exchange processes (data delivery, ETL, integrations)
- Continuously improve code quality, architecture, and system performance
Leadership & team responsibilities
- Take ownership of task planning, prioritization, and delivery
- Act as a technical point of contact for stakeholders across the company
- Lead developer's onboarding, mentor and support knowledge transfer
Required experience
Technical
- Proven experience leading a software development team
- 7+ years of hands-on experience with modern PHP (PHP 8.0)
- Strong understanding of PHP best practices and modern language features
- Solid experience with Yii2
- Strong skills in designing and optimizing relational databases (MySQL, ClickHouse)
- Deep understanding of PHP application performance optimization under high load
- Experience debugging complex systems and production issues
Professional & soft skills
- Ability to estimate tasks accurately and communicate risks early
- Strong result-oriented mindset
- Clear understanding of when a solution can be delivered quickly and when it requires a more robust implementation
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams
- Fluent English
Benefits
Creativity every day: Make inspiring products for musicians, artists and creators – no day is the same.
Impactful work Influence the future of the music industry and change the lives of millions worldwide.
Work set up: We’ll make sure you’re set up for success with the right work equipment, whether that’s company-provided hardware or an equipment allowance.
Growth and development: Receive specialized training, language lessons, conferences and learning materials.
Team well-being: Support for your mental health and wellbeing, including confidential help during life’s tougher moments.
Muse Group empowers music makers
We create the worldʼs most popular apps for playing, recording and composing music. Through our innovative learning tools, expansive music catalogs and free open-source software, we make it easier for millions — from beginners to experienced musicians — to be creative every day. Our talented team of music lovers collaborates all over the globe, from Limassol to Seoul and Boston to Berlin.
We’re an ambitious company with the drive and culture of a startup — with many more exciting Muse Group developments to come. Hal Leonard, which joined Muse Group in 2023, is the world leader in sheet music publishing and music education. The company has a storied history of providing music learners with the very best methods and arrangements of popular music for over 70 years. Hal Leonard is also a major distributor of popular brands of instruments, gear, and software to the music trade worldwide.
