Full-Stack Engineer - People Products (Freelance)

Our mission: Creating the freedom for SMEs to succeed in business and beyond, by delivering Europe's leading finance workspace. Our journey: Founded by Alexandre and Steve in July 2017, Qonto has rapidly gained trust, serving over 600,000 customers with a team of 1,600+ Qontoers across Europe. Our beliefs: We evaluate applicants based on skills and potential — no boxes to tick. Our team is 55% international, 44% women, and 20% parents. Discover the steps we took to create a discrimination-free hiring process.

Mission

Join us as a Freelance Full-Stack Engineer to build one of Qonto's first internal applications: a modern, high-quality People platform that transforms the daily experience of 1,700+ Qontoers – from compensation cycles and performance reviews to everyday HR workflows. You'll work hand-in-hand with Mélodie, our Head of People Systems, on a high-ownership mission: co-define the product vision, design the architecture, and ship to production. This is not a staff-augmentation engagement - it's a mandate for someone who builds like an owner.

Responsibilities

• Ship the People platform MVP by December 2026: migrate key Workday modules into a custom internal app (React for the front, Go for the back) that handles comp cycles, performance reviews, and daily HR workflows for 1,700+ Qontoers - on time and with zero compromise on quality.
• Co-define the product vision and roadmap with Mélodie: run user discovery with People teams, challenge specs, and help decide what gets built first - not just how to build it.
• Design for security and compliance from day one: architect systems that handle sensitive People data (GDPR, access controls, data residency) with the rigor the context demands.
• Ship faster with AI: leverage AI tools (Cursor, Claude Code, Copilot…) in your daily workflow and build AI-enabled features where they create real leverage for the People team.
• Enable long-term adoption: document your work, run training sessions, and set up governance so the People team can own and evolve the tools long after the mission ends.

What we're looking for

• Strong full-stack engineering (backend primary): You've shipped production apps end-to-end, handling sensitive data. React and Go are familiar - but we're evaluating craft and delivery capacity, not your exact stack.
• AI-native workflow: You use AI tools daily to ship faster - code generation, testing, architecture support. Not experimenting - actually delivering.
• Architecture & security instincts: You design for GDPR, access control, and data residency from the start. Security is not an afterthought.
• Product engineer mindset: You've shaped what to build, not just how. You run user discovery, challenge specs, and iterate on real feedback.
• High autonomy + owner mindset: You've delivered complex, ambiguous projects with minimal guidance. You set your own priorities, communicate proactively, and unblock yourself.
• Bonus: Experience with HRIS/People tools (Workday, ATS, Payroll systems) or internal tooling for large organizations.

What you'll get

• A greenfield mandate with direct access to decision-makers - no layers of approval, no waiting on committees.
• A stack built on React and Go, and the Workday REST middleware - adaptability valued over stack matching.
• Unlimited access to AI tools: Cursor, Claude Code, Copilot, Notion AI.
• A culture where autonomy is the default: you own the architecture, set the direction, and ship.
• A mission with direct impact on every Qontoer's daily life from day one.

Your manager & main point of contact

You will work day-to-day with Sébastien, Lead Corporate Automation, your functional lead for this mission, as well as Justine, our first engineer on the mission - and collaborate closely with Mélodie, Head of People Systems, on the People side of the scope. Sébastien brings 15+ years of experience as a Staff Engineer / Tech Lead on SAP and corporate systems, with stints at Sopra Steria, nearly a decade at CANAL+ Group (where he led the S/4HANA conversion and cloud migration), and VINCI Energies. He joined Qonto in September 2025 to lead Corporate Automation. Expect a hands-on, lean-minded leader who values technical excellence, clear ownership, and pairing - someone who'll spar with you on solutions and roll up his sleeves to ship the right outcome.

Hiring Process

2 Interviews (1 hour each): first with Samy (your Recruiter), and with Mélodie.

A skills test (done asynchronously and then debriefed with Sébastien) to demonstrate how you think and give you a taste of what working at Qonto could be like.

We aim to have the hiring process last 10 days max, from first interview to potential offer.