How to Apply for a Job at Hopper
Your complete guide to landing a position at Hopper. Follow these steps to maximize your chances of getting hired.
8 Steps to Apply at Hopper
Research Hopper's Travel Tech Focus Before Applying
Hopper is a travel platform company, so familiarize yourself with their product, recent news, and competitive positioning in the travel tech space. Visit hopper.com, explore their app, and understand their value proposition around flight and hotel booking optimization. This context will help you speak authentically about why you want to work at Hopper specifically.
Tailor Your Resume to Hopper's Engineering and Operations Needs
Hopper's current open roles focus on areas like customer experience platforms and operations enablement. Review the specific job posting carefully and highlight relevant experience in customer-facing systems, platform development, or operational scaling. Use keywords from the job description to ensure your resume passes through Hopper's initial screening process.
Prepare Examples of Customer-Centric Problem Solving
Given Hopper's emphasis on customer experience (as evidenced by their Senior Software Engineer - Customer Experience Platform role), prepare concrete examples of how you've solved problems from the user's perspective. Be ready to discuss how you've balanced technical constraints with customer needs in previous roles.
Identify the Right Recruiter at Hopper for Your Background
Hopper has 7 recruiters and HR professionals in our contact database. Before reaching out, determine which recruiter handles your function area (engineering, operations, people operations, etc.). Email is the most effective outreach channel for Hopper, so finding the right recruiter's email address will significantly improve your chances of getting noticed.
Craft a Personalized Outreach Message
Rather than sending generic applications, craft a brief, personalized email to a Hopper recruiter that mentions a specific reason you're interested in the company—whether it's their product innovation, their market position, or a particular project they've undertaken. Keep it to 3-4 sentences and include a clear call to action.
Highlight International Experience if Applicable
If you're an international candidate, note that Hopper has approved 51 H-1B visas and 19 Canadian LMIA sponsorships between 2013-2024, showing a commitment to hiring global talent. If you have relevant international work experience or language skills, make sure these are prominent in your application materials.
Follow Up Strategically After Initial Outreach
Hopper is a selective company with limited open positions (1 tracked position at time of research). If you don't hear back within 5-7 business days, send a polite follow-up email. Keep your follow-up brief and reference your original message to show persistence without being pushy.
Prepare for a Rigorous Technical or Operational Interview
Given Hopper's selective hiring approach and focus on customer experience platforms and operations leadership, expect a thorough interview process. Prepare for technical depth questions (if applying for engineering) or strategic operations questions (if applying for ops roles). Research Hopper's market challenges and be ready to discuss how you'd approach them.
Reach hiring managers at Hopper
What Hopper Recruiters Look For
- Deep understanding of Hopper's product and competitive position in the travel tech market
- Demonstrated experience building or improving customer-facing platforms and user experiences
- Ability to think strategically about operations, scaling, and business enablement
- Strong communication skills, especially for cross-functional collaboration in a selective, high-performing environment
- Proactive problem-solving mindset with concrete examples of impact in previous roles
- Genuine interest in the travel industry or fintech applications within travel
- Track record of working effectively in fast-paced, growth-oriented companies
Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Hopper
- Applying to Hopper without demonstrating knowledge of their product—recruiters can tell when you haven't used the app or visited their website
- Sending a generic resume without tailoring it to the specific role; Hopper's selective hiring means they expect customization
- Overlooking the operations and people operations roles at Hopper; many candidates only focus on engineering positions and miss opportunities
- Failing to mention relevant experience with customer experience optimization or platform scaling—key themes in Hopper's hiring
- Not following up after an initial email; with limited open positions, persistence (done respectfully) can make a difference
- Ignoring visa sponsorship eligibility if you're international; Hopper clearly sponsors visas, so mentioning this upfront if relevant can help
Hopper Application FAQ
What type of candidates is Hopper actively hiring for right now?
Hopper is currently selective in its hiring, with limited open positions. Based on recent postings, they're looking for Senior Software Engineers focused on customer experience platforms, as well as operations and people operations professionals. Their common roles also include leadership positions in IT operations and operations enablement for customer support. If you're applying to Hopper, check their careers page frequently, as positions fill quickly given their selective approach.
Does Hopper sponsor work visas for international candidates?
Yes, Hopper has a strong track record of visa sponsorship. Between 2013-2023, they approved 51 H-1B visas for US positions, and between 2016-2024, they approved 19 Canadian LMIA sponsorships. This demonstrates a genuine commitment to hiring international talent. If you're a non-citizen candidate, you can confidently apply knowing that visa sponsorship is a realistic possibility, though you should still research current immigration policies and company-specific sponsorship criteria.
How competitive is the hiring process at Hopper?
Hopper maintains a selective hiring approach, which means the competition is relatively high but the candidate pool is more focused. Rather than receiving thousands of applications for each role, Hopper likely receives fewer but higher-quality applications. This works in your favor if you're a strong fit—your application will stand out more easily. However, it also means you need to be well-prepared, with a tailored resume and genuine interest in the company demonstrated in your outreach.
What should I emphasize in my resume when applying to Hopper?
Focus on experience that directly relates to Hopper's business: customer experience optimization, platform development, operations scaling, or travel/fintech industry knowledge. Use specific metrics and results (e.g., 'improved customer retention by X%' or 'scaled operations to support Y% growth'). Since Hopper values both technical excellence and operational efficiency, highlight projects where you've balanced innovation with practical business outcomes. If you have experience in customer support operations or people operations, make that prominent—these are active hiring areas for Hopper.
How long does the Hopper hiring process typically take?
While specific timelines vary by role and department, selective companies like Hopper typically take 2-4 weeks from initial contact to final offer, depending on the position's seniority level. Operations and leadership roles may take longer due to more stakeholders involved. During this time, be responsive to recruiter communications and prepared to move quickly through interview rounds. If you haven't heard back within 10 business days of your initial outreach, a polite follow-up email is appropriate.