We are a growing international team with big dreams and even bigger goals.
Our Herdquarters are located in Haarlem (The Netherlands). We have over 15 nationalities and share a passion for creating apps that our customers will enjoy.
We are always looking for new talent to join our multicultural team.
If you think you could be a great fit, we’d love to hear from you!
As we work in a hybrid setup, we see our office, referred to as our Herdquarters, as a key place for everyone to come together and collaborate. We have a great event space for All Hands meetings, along with our popular parties and karaoke nights. We’ve created cozy corners and homey meeting rooms that accommodate those working remotely as well as team members in-office, along with call booths and one-on-one spaces. Our style blends playful items, vintage touches, and design, aiming to make everyone feel at home.
We love to share testimonials from our Herd members. This way, you can see who you will be working with and hear about their experiences with us. We hope it helps you feel more connected and gives you a better understanding of our community and company culture.
Our Piano App is my favorite Impala App atm.
I enjoy music, and being able to play around with some tunes while on the bus is great fun. Also, knowing what they have cooking is exciting!
You can't live in the NL and not explore all the museums 😉
Listening to music and podcasts is a must when I am working and travelling
I downloaded the Impala photo widget for the occasion, and its showing my latest photo's. This one is of the golf course I went to. I love playing golf in my spare time.
What can I say about Sky Guide.. I'm still waiting for the day that my stars will allign 😛
Yes.. I am that person I'm afraid.
Josh Erasmus
Principal Developer
You recently relocated from South Africa all the way to Haarlem to join us, which is a huge move! How did the team at Impala help you land on your feet (and was there any “Dutch directness” or culture shock)?
Impala was a great help, everybody that was involved put in a lot of effort to ensure things ran smooth and that I was taken care of. Arriving in winter was tough coming from sunny South Africa, but the Impala culture was warm and welcoming. I found my place very quickly and felt like part of the herd from the beginning.
What’s the most exciting technical challenge your Studio is tackling right now?
We are currently building a weather radar which displays rain, wind and other information. The exciting part is figuring out how to optimise it and find a balance between performance, information, and beauty.
In your opinion, what makes an app go from ‘useful’ to ‘essential’?
I think if an app becomes too complicated to use, it becomes useless. There is a general rule of thumb that a user should not click / tap more than 3 times to get to their desired information. If info is hidden away, it is no longer valuable.
I love music, listening to it and making it. I've played guitar ever since I was 11 years old and also moved on to learn Piano, Drums and Bass. Music, food, games and tech are my biggest passions and I get to combine 3 out of 4 in the app we're developing. There's nothing more fulfilling than reading our users share with us how our app helps them succeed in their music lessons, learn their favorite songs or discover the magic of making music for the first time. It takes me back to when I was a kid and I could not leave my guitar aside for a single minute. Being able to give that back to the world is as rewarding and fulfilling as it gets.
The best app for when I have family traveling from abroad.
Of course it's here. We live in the Netherlands where weather is unpredictable!
The best way to get a nice surprise from my photos every time I open my phone.
I don't go anywhere without my music.
Can't live without it these days.
Where I get my clothes.
If I don't take a note of it, I will not remember it.
My quick reference when trying to figure out songs.
Federico Annelli
Product Manager
You’ve brought your Argentinian energy to the Dutch studio life. What is the one thing about the Impala culture that makes it the right “stage” for a creative Product Manager?
The multicultural environment at Impala Studios is unique and mind-opening. The diversity of ideas and approaches is unparalleled. Not only am I constantly learning how to become a better professional every day by getting everyone’s point of view, but I’m also enjoying discovering new international music I’ve never heard of, learning how to properly cook new international dishes and also learning how to say “cheers!” in multiple new languages. Every single angle of my lifestyle is enriched by a multitude of different mindsets that help craft truly global and inclusive products. The human factor at Impala Studios really stands out and is what helps us stay close and keep moving forward.
You’re responsible for Growth on the Piano app. In a world of millions of apps, how do you balance “aiming high” with data while keeping the user’s musical experience fun and frustration-free?
Regardless of how big or small the market we’re in is, our radical focus is set on our users and what is valuable to them. Data is the layer that guides us to make sound business decisions, but all of our initiatives start from an App Store review, an email or an insight from our in-house playtesting sessions. We seek to develop an emotional connection between our product and our users. If we notice excitement, surprise, joy, laughter or fun, we build and validate around it. Aiming high for us means having as many happy users as possible.
As a massive music lover, if the Piano app team had a ‘walk-on’ song every time you shipped a major new feature, what would it be and why?
“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen! The high energy of this tune is unparalleled, and we’re not stopping anytime soon ourselves either. We’re a rocketship on our way to Mars!
I'm a dinosaur, what can I say.
Quick text help when I need a second brain.
A prototype I'm building with Claude Code. Designer turned developer.
Hockey and CrossFit. Keeps me sharp and fit.
Of course it's here. We live in the Netherlands where weather is unpredictable!
For when the shows are better than the weather.
Mirroring and prototyping on the go.
We're rebuilding it from the ground up — redesigning the experience, tightening the UX, making it sharper than ever. Genuinely happy to be part of this one.
Frans Baud
Principal Marketing Designer
Marketing design has shifted from print-heavy to digital-first to AI-driven. How have you managed to stay ahead of these trends while maintaining the core of the Impala brand?
I’ve never done print — my marketing design started digital and stayed there. ASO screenshots, custom product pages, deep linking, funnels for Flight Tracker and Weather Radar, campaigns around hurricanes and high-season events. Staying ahead isn’t a strategy for me, it’s curiosity. New tool drops, I try it. If it makes the work better or more fun, it sticks. You unlock skills on the job — that’s how the role keeps evolving.
Is there a specific campaign or project from the last decade that you are most proud of? What made it stand out to you personally?
Honestly? I’m almost legacy myself — 14 years in, bit of a dinosaur. I’m proud of all of it: the product design years, the marketing design years, and now moving into product development with Helios. The thing that stands out isn’t one campaign — it’s watching Impala grow from a startup into a thriving company, and having had a hand in the products along the way.
As a mentor to many, what’s the most important lesson or “design truth” you try to pass on to junior designers joining the team today?
Don’t get stuck with what you know. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Expand your design horizon — that’s how you stay relevant, and honestly, how you stay interested.
Great app to learn swift, since I am a Junior this app helped me in my learning
Inspiration photo about Japan, it reminds me what I still want to visit and see.
Playground app for Astrology, journaling and manifesting
Great app to wind down, nothing beats some relaxing colouring while the code is compiling!
My favourite and most used app, catching them all is my (side) quest.
Roberta Paracchini
Junior Developer
You’ve traded your “Intern” title for “Junior Developer.” How has your approach to work changed?
The biggest difference is moving from “individual contributor” to “team collaborator.” During my internship, I focused on a solo project. Now, being part of the team brings a deeper sense of belonging and responsibility in our shared codebase.
You’ve made an impact with your automation project for the Coloring Book app. What’s the next big skill you want to tackle at Impala?
I’m excited to master Swift and iOS development. Understanding core mechanics is essential for effective automation. Mentorship from Senior and Lead developers will help me absorb best practices that you can’t learn alone. Transitioning from individual work to the Star team’s collective intelligence is what I look forward to most.
As a Pokémon fan in the Star Studio, which Pokémon would be the team mascot and why?
I choose Jirachi. It’s a Mythical Pokémon known for its rarity and wish-granting abilities, symbolizing how our team turns app ideas into reality!
I keep my Game of Thrones series nearby. You never know when it comes in handy at a wedding banquet.
Trying to get through my list of favorited movies and series…
Enjoying my coffee every day, converting the added sugar into code.
Is GTA VI released yet?
Every year at Impala we try to unmask the saboteur and see who wins the poule.
Keeping myself trained and up to date with the technologies we work with and the trends around them.
I’ve seen this app since its birth, growing into a young and ambitious project that keeps evolving every year. It sounds great, and I personally love the game mode. I’m really looking forward to the next ambitious plans for this app.
I enjoy being involved in the backend of this project as it requires a lot of streaming data and high-performance processing. The app is very useful and helps travelers all over the world, myself included.
I’ve worked a lot on the backend of the weather apps and I’m proud to see all that data visualized in such a useful way. It’s very accurate and tells me every day what to expect.
I need a professional calculator in my day-to-day tasks, so this is a must-have. It has so many features, so why would I use three other apps when this one can do it all?
We should never stop sharpening our regular expression skills!
Ronald Dragstra
Senior Backend Developer
You’ve been with Impala for over 11 years. From the early days to our current Studio/Chapter setup, what is the most surprising thing that has changed—and what is the one core thing that has stayed exactly the same?
What has changed a lot is the way we work together. We’ve moved from working in small, isolated teams to fully cross-functional teams, with high involvement, where everyone’s input matters. What used to be more of a single-person effort is now a true team effort. The end result is much better and more rewarding. What has stayed the same is the culture: people from all over the world working together in a fun and respectful way. At Impala Studios we’re not just colleagues, we’re friends.
You have seen Impala grow significantly. Looking back at everything we’ve built, what are you most proud of?I’m very proud that even though we’ve changed in terms of teams, team sizes, and the way we work together, the mix of specialists and enthusiasts from all over the world has always been a core strength. We have fun building great things that we’d want to use ourselves at the end of the day.
As the veteran Senior Backend Dev, if you decided to retire tomorrow, would the apps keep running, or is there a specific “Ronald-only” piece of code keeping the whole internet together that we should know about?When I retire, everything will work like a charm! However, a backup Ronald may be needed for when backend services break at the worst possible times. It always seems to happen right before a weekend or just before Christmas. In most cases I seem to be around to fix it. I’m more than happy to do it, because I want to make sure everyone can enjoy our apps every day!
If you join the Herd, we have got a pretty sweet perks and benefits package for you, if you dont mind us saying this ourselves.
At Impala Studios we work Hybrid. This means that you can work from home, abroad and from the office, creating a better work/life balance.
We offer 28 paid holidays, based on a 40 hour workweek. We also allow you to work (max) 3 months from abroad so you can combine work and pleasure
We care about our future and yours, which is why we have invested in a strong and reliable Pension Plan for stability and security for everyone.
At Impala Studios, we recognize the significance of continuous learning to advance both business growth and personal development.
Impala Studios has partnered up with Equip, a financial platform dedicated to empower our Herd in achieving a secure and sustainable financial future. Financial well-being is important!
We love Apple! And you need it to work here, so we will provide you with a nice Macbook, Iphone, Ipad, Apple watch etc. We also have some nice Merch for you and goodies when you start.
We offer a Travel Allowance for employees traveling over 5KM to our office. You'll receive a NS business card or choose km reimbursement for car travel.
We are a Dutch company, of course we have a bike plan (fietsplan) which offers financial tax benefits when purchasing a "stalen ros".
We enjoy regular vrijmibo, BBQs, boat rides, and theme parties. We also arrange office massages, boxing lessons, or yoga sessions. If you have a cool event idea, we'll likely organize it!
We offer more than just a broodje kaas, though we have that too! We've partnered with JoinProgram for daily catering of soups, hot meals, and salads, and our Office Manager stocks your favorite snacks weekly. Trust us, we've got it covered.
Since we offer a hybrid work model, we ensure you have a solid ergonomic setup at home. We provide a desk, chair, and monitor if needed, along with a daily WFH allowance for coffee and an internet allowance to keep you connected.
At Impala Studios, we provide our team members with a Phone Allowance that conveniently covers 50% of your monthly phone subscription charges. This allowance is part of our commitment to ensuring that you stay connected and accessible.
We offer various recognition programs because every win, big or small, deserves celebration. Our offerings include a karma platform, Sparks program, Spot bonus, anniversary bonus, and more!
Nothing says bonding better than spending 40 hours a week together working on an app, but we believe in including some downtime too. That's why we provide a Bonding Budget for teams to organize their own events and outings.
We strive to cultivate a team of like-minded individuals who contribute positivity, expertise, and enthusiasm. Therefore, we offer a referral bonus of €500 for successful introductions of qualified candidates.
We care deeply about our Herd members, which is why finding the right people for each job is very important. We focus not just on hard skills, but also on soft skills, passions, and how well someone fits with our culture. If you see a job opening and want to apply to join the Herd, here are the steps you can expect.
We are happy that we caught your attention! Please apply for the job by hitting the "Apply here" button and by sending in your resume and a brief note about why you’d be a great fit for The Herd. We can’t wait to hear from you!
If your resume and cover letter catch our attention, we will schedule a call/interview with you, the Hiring Manager and a team member to learn more about you and discuss the job opening.
Once we confirm that you would be an excellent fit for our team, we will request that you complete a Profile Dynamics test, as well as an assignment or programming test relevant to the role.
After the assignment, we will set up a follow-up interview with the team. This will be a chance for you to share your ideas and feedback on the test.
If all goes well, we will make you an offer you can't refuse!
Or well, you can, but we hope you will not because at this point we have already grown attached to you;)
