Abenezer Abebe

About Abenezer Abebe

I’m a Senior Software Engineer in Spotify’s Personalization mission, where I design and operate the systems that power how millions of people discover music. My work sits at the intersection of engineering, data, and product, building the infrastructure behind experiences like AI DJ, Daylist, Blend, and About the Song, while keeping listeners and artists at the center of every decision. I’m drawn to complex systems with a human heartbeat. Whether it’s scaling distributed services, orchestrating data pipelines, or building AI agents, I focus on how technology can make creativity more discoverable and deeply felt. Recently, I’ve focused on AI and agentic architectures — building Java-native LLM agents that reason, replan, and adapt in real time, shaping how Spotify’s personalization platform powers emerging AI-driven experiences. Beyond engineering, I help grow Spotify’s internal craft. I’ve led system design courses that have reached hundreds of engineers, teaching how to connect strong technical foundations to real product impact. Previously, I led backend engineering for music distribution at Epidemic Sound, helping artists get their music heard globally. Outside of work, I’ve shared ideas on creativity and technology through TEDx and by teaching programming at institutions like Hyper Island and Berghs School of Communication.

Experience

1. Senior Software Engineer, Personalization

   Spotify

   Oct 2022 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Design and operate the personalization platform that powers experiences like AI DJ, Daylist, Blend, Niche Mixes, and About the Song.Lead backend and data architecture for systems that enable teams across Spotify to prototype, launch, and scale personalized listening features.Build and integrate AI and agentic systems, including Java-native LLM agents capable of multi-step reasoning and real-time adaptation.Drive collaboration across engineering, research, and product to bring emerging AI capabilities into Spotify’s personalization stack.Mentor engineers and lead internal System Design courses, advancing architectural best practices across Spotify.

Education

• Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa

  Honours Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), E-Business/Electronic Commerce

  2012 — 2016

• Hyper Island

  Certificate, Digital Data Strategist

  2016 — 2018

• Uppsala University

  International Exchange, Business/Managerial Economics

  2015 — 2016

Skills

• Data Analysis
• Data Collection
• Html
• Google Tag Manager
• Analytics
• Quality Assurance
• Teaching
• Time Management
• Conversion Optimization
• Blogging
• Editing
• Web Design
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Node
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Communication
• Google Analytics
• Event Management
• Creative Writing
• Cascading Style Sheets (Css)
• Community Outreach
• Problem Solving
• Data Visualization
• Itil
• Project Management
• Web Development
• Test Driven Development
• Data Entry
• Machine Learning
• Javascript
• Mastering
• React.js
• Research
• Data Mining
• Numpy
• Retail
• Databases
• Agile Methodologies