Mid Senior Software Engineer — Backend

Backend Engineering • Python / Django / DRF • SaaS ProductsExperience: 3+ years (must-have) | Role Type: Full-time | Stack: Python, Django, DRF, PostgreSQL, Redis, Celery, Docker, CloudAbout the RoleWe're hiring a Backend Engineer with a minimum of 3 years of hands-on Python and Django experience to build backend features, APIs, integrations, and data-processing workflows for our SaaS products.This is a role for someone who has shipped real Django/DRF code in production handled migrations that mattered, debugged Celery tasks at 2 AM, designed schemas they'd defend in a code review, and integrated third-party APIs that didn't behave the way the docs promised. You'll work with senior engineers and grow into deeper ownership across async systems, cloud integrations, and modern AI-assisted engineering practices.Note on the hiring process: Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a focused take-home assignment (~2 days) involving Python and Django, followed by a 45-minute live walkthrough where we read your code with you and extend the problem on the spot. We use AI tools daily and expect you to as well but you should be ready to defend every line as your own.Key ResponsibilitiesBuild and maintain backend APIs using Python, Django, and Django REST Framework.Implement business logic, serializers, validations, permissions, and database models.Work with PostgreSQL, Redis, Celery, and background jobs.Support integrations with third-party APIs, payment systems, cloud storage, and email providers.Handle file uploads, Excel/PDF processing, reports, and data-import workflows.Write clean, readable, and testable code with proper error handling.Work with Docker-based local development environments.Participate in code reviews and improve code based on feedback.Collaborate with senior engineers, frontend, QA, product, and DevOps teams.Use AI coding tools responsibly for productivity, debugging, and documentation support.Required Skills (Must Have)Minimum 3 years of hands-on backend development experience with Python, Django, and Django REST Framework. Applications below this threshold will not be considered.Strong working knowledge of PostgreSQL migrations, indexing, and query optimization (N+1 problems, EXPLAIN plans, etc.).Practical experience with Redis, Celery, and background/async jobs.Strong REST API development skills.Solid understanding of authentication: JWT, OAuth, RBAC, or session-based auth.Hands-on experience with Git and Docker.Experience consuming and integrating third-party APIs.Ability to debug production issues, read logs, and write unit/integration tests.Comfortable using AI assisted coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude, Codex) and reviewing what they produce.Strong written communication able to document design decisions and trade-offs clearly.AI Coding PracticesWe use AI tools as part of daily development, but reviewing and testing all generated code is non-negotiable. Expected usage includes:Understanding unfamiliar code faster.Generating boilerplate or test cases.Debugging issues with support from logs and stack traces.Improving documentation or code comments.Never exposing secrets, credentials, customer data, or production data to external AI tools.Additional Tech Stack (Preferred)RabbitMQ or Kafka for message queues and event-driven systems.Node.js and Express.js basics.Azure Blob Storage, Azure Queue Storage, Azure Functions, or AWS S3.MongoDB basics.Django Channels or WebSockets exposure.Stripe or payment gateway integration experience.OpenAI, LLM workflow, RAG, or embeddings exposure.PDF, Excel, CSV, document-processing (pandas, numpy, openpyxl).Testing: pytest, Django tests, Jest, or Playwright.OpenAPI/Swagger documentation basics.Security basics: CORS, rate limiting, secret handling, webhook verification.Parsing fundamentals (lexers, ASTs) or experience designing small DSLs a strong plus.Good to HaveExperience working on SaaS products.Exposure to multi-tenant systems.Understanding of retries, idempotency, and queue based workflows.Experience in financial, audit, merchant, ERP/CRM, incident-management, or workflow-automation products.Genuine interest in AI enabled backend systems.Who You AreA backend engineer who can take an ambiguous problem, impose sensible structure on it, ship reliable code, debug independently, and defend your design choices in a live review. You use modern tools including AI to move faster, not to outsource judgment.