Senior Software Engineer – AI, Python & Rust

IdeaCrate; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 350,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

IdeaCrate is seeking a senior backend engineer to design, build and operate backend services, data pipelines and AI-enabled workflows anchored around Odoo ERP. You will own integrations across procurement, inventory, accounting and CRM, while collaborating with the CDO and vendors to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.

The role emphasizes hands-on development, architecture, security and observability in a startup-like environment, with a focus on data accuracy and rapid iteration.

Qualifications

• 6–8 years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong backend and integration focus.
• Strong production Python skills, including API development and relational database design.
• Hands‑on Odoo technical development experience: custom modules, ORM, models and views, and deployment on Odoo.sh or self‑hosted environments.
• Working understanding of core Odoo business processes (purchase, inventory, accounting, POS) sufficient to design integrations that produce correct business records.
• Proven delivery of integrations between ERP, CRM, POS, HRMS or payment platforms, including error handling, monitoring and reconciliation.
• Experience building data pipelines and data models for reporting or analytics.
• Practical experience integrating LLM APIs into business applications or workflows.
• Experience in a startup, scale‑up or product-owning organization; direct product ownership preferred over exclusively outsourced service delivery.
• Working knowledge of cloud infrastructure, Git, CI/CD, containers, testing and secure engineering practices.
• Excellent spoken and written English, stakeholder communication and technical documentation.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated experience.

Responsibilities

• Backend engineering & architecture
• Build and maintain production backend services in Python, using TypeScript/JavaScript where needed.
• Design APIs, data models and relational databases; own code reviews, testing, security and performance.
• Manage the software development lifecycle from requirements and design through CI/CD, deployment, monitoring and maintenance.
• Work effectively in an AI-assisted development workflow, including rigorous review and testing of AI-generated code.
• Systems integration & Odoo
• Build and maintain REST APIs, webhooks and middleware connecting Odoo with POS, procurement, HRMS, finance, CRM and marketing platforms.
• Develop and maintain custom Odoo modules and Odoo.sh deployments, following Odoo development standards and upgrade-safe practices.
• Design integrations around the underlying business process to create correct records.
• Ensure secure data synchronization, idempotent processing, resilient error handling, reconciliation and observability.
• Data pipelines & reporting
• Build and operate ETL/ELT pipelines feeding the data platform and dashboards.
• Model data for reporting, ensuring freshness and accuracy.
• Replace manual reporting with automated, monitored data flows.
• Applied AI & automation
• Build LLM-powered features and automated workflows using model APIs and tools like n8n.
• Define AI use cases with stakeholders, evaluate output quality and cost, monitor AI features in production.
• Implement data protection, access controls and human oversight for AI-enabled processes.
• Product ownership & collaboration
• Translate business needs into technical specs, milestones and MVPs; balance speed with maintainability.
• Coordinate with the CDO and stakeholders; communicate risks and progress clearly.
• Produce architecture diagrams, API docs and release notes.

Skills

Python

API development

Odoo

Relational databases

English communication

CI/CD

Cloud infrastructure

Data modeling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

PostgreSQL

Odoo.sh

n8n

Git

CI/CD pipelines

Containers

Testing

Job description

Role Purpose

Design, build and run the backend services, system integrations and data pipelines that connect the organization’s business platforms, with Odoo as the core ERP, so that operations, finance and leadership work from accurate, timely data. Work closely with the CDO to translate business requirements into reliable, well-documented solutions with a hands‑on, startup-oriented approach, applying AI and automation where they deliver clear operational value.

Role Purpose

Design, build and run the backend services, system integrations and data pipelines that connect the organization’s business platforms, with Odoo as the core ERP, so that operations, finance and leadership work from accurate, timely data. Work closely with the CDO to translate business requirements into reliable, well-documented solutions with a hands‑on, startup-oriented approach, applying AI and automation where they deliver clear operational value.

Key Responsibilities

Backend engineering & architecture

• Develop and maintain production backend services in Python, using TypeScript/JavaScript where existing tools or serverless platforms require it.
• Design APIs, data models and relational databases (PostgreSQL preferred); own code reviews, testing, security and performance.
• Manage the software development lifecycle from requirements and design through CI/CD, deployment, monitoring and maintenance.
• Work effectively in an AI-assisted development workflow (e.g. Claude Code), including rigorous review and testing of AI-generated code.

Systems integration & Odoo

• Build and maintain REST APIs, webhooks and middleware connecting Odoo with POS, procurement, HRMS, finance, CRM and marketing platforms.
• Develop and maintain custom Odoo modules and Odoo.sh deployments, following Odoo development standards and upgrade-safe practices.
• Design integrations around the underlying business process (purchase, inventory, accounting, POS) so they create correct, reconcilable business records.
• Ensure secure data synchronization, idempotent processing, resilient error handling, reconciliation and observability.

Data pipelines & reporting

• Build and operate ETL/ELT pipelines feeding the data platform and management dashboards.
• Model data for reporting, ensuring freshness, accuracy and clear definitions of key business metrics.
• Replace manual, spreadsheet-based reporting with automated, monitored data flows.

Applied AI & automation

• Build LLM-powered features and automated workflows using commercial model APIs and workflow tools such as n8n.
• Define AI use cases with stakeholders, evaluate output quality and cost, and monitor AI features in production.
• Implement data protection, access controls and human oversight for AI-enabled processes.

Product ownership & collaboration

• Translate business needs into technical specifications, delivery milestones and MVPs; prioritize speed with maintainability.
• Coordinate with the CDO, functional Odoo owners, internal stakeholders and vendors; communicate risks, progress and trade-offs clearly. Functional owners retain responsibility for business configuration and user support.
• Produce architecture diagrams, API and integration documentation, release notes, runbooks and handover materials.

Required Qualifications And Experience

• 6–8 years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong backend and integration focus.
• Strong production Python skills, including API development and relational database design.
• Hands‑on Odoo technical development experience: custom modules, ORM, models and views, and deployment on Odoo.sh or self‑hosted environments.
• Working understanding of core Odoo business processes (purchase, inventory, accounting, POS) sufficient to design integrations that produce correct business records.
• Proven delivery of integrations between ERP, CRM, POS, HRMS or payment platforms, including error handling, monitoring and reconciliation.
• Experience building data pipelines and data models for reporting or analytics.
• Practical experience integrating LLM APIs into business applications or workflows.
• Experience in a startup, scale‑up or product-owning organization; direct product ownership preferred over exclusively outsourced service delivery.
• Working knowledge of cloud infrastructure, Git, CI/CD, containers, testing and secure engineering practices.
• Excellent spoken and written English, stakeholder communication and technical documentation.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated experience.

Preferred Experience

Odoo functional configuration (accounting, inventory, purchase); TypeScript/JavaScript and serverless platforms such as Cloudflare Workers; PostgreSQL-based backends; n8n or similar workflow automation; WhatsApp Business API and telephony or call‑centre integrations; data lake/warehouse and BI tooling; RAG and LLM evaluation; Rust or other systems languages; retail, education, entertainment or other consumer‑facing, multi‑site operations.