Senior Backend Engineer

Outsized; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Part time

Job summary

Outsized in Melbourne is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer for a 3-month contract to lead data workflows, orchestration, and SDK modernization. You will design end-to-end data pipelines using Airflow, Python and FastAPI, and deploy cloud-native services on Google Cloud Platform.

The role offers a hybrid setup (home-based in Victoria with on-site milestones) and requires strong Docker, BigQuery, Pub/Sub, and CI/CD experience to deliver scalable backend architectures.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of backend and microservices experience with data orchestration.
• Expertise with Google Cloud Composer / Apache Airflow.
• Strong Python 3.x, asynchronous programming and FastAPI.
• GCP foundation across Cloud Composer, Cloud Run and Cloud Functions.
• Experience integrating microservices with data pipelines (BigQuery, Dataflow).
• Docker containerization and CI/CD via GitHub Actions or Cloud Build.
• SDK management including API design, versioning, and client integration.
• DevOps focus with pytest and automated integration tests.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and optimization of end-to-end data pipelines and workflows using Airflow.
• Drive modernization of application SDKs and core microservices across ecosystems.
• Architect production-grade Python apps and FastAPI microservices.
• Build cloud-native architectures on Google Cloud (Cloud Composer, Run, Functions).
• Interface backend services with BigQuery, Dataflow and Pub/Sub for large datasets.
• Maintain Git-based CI/CD workflows for zero-downtime releases.

Skills

Python

Airflow

FastAPI

Docker

GCP

BigQuery

Cloud Dataflow

Pub/Sub

GitHub Actions

CI/CD

pytest

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Cloud Composer

GitHub Actions

Job description

Project Overview

Requirement Description

A fast-growing technology company is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer for a 3-month contract to lead workflow orchestration, SDK modernization, and microservices initiatives. Based in Melbourne with a hybrid working arrangement (home-based in Victoria, with on-site visits when project milestones demand), this role offers the opportunity to build automated workflows using Google Cloud Composer (Apache Airflow), construct high-performance services with FastAPI, and deploy cloud-native solutions across GCP (Cloud Run, Cloud Functions).

Working as the core backend specialist, the consultant will design and optimise end-to-end data pipelines, drive the modernization of application SDKs and core microservices, and integrate backend workflows with BigQuery, Cloud Dataflow and Pub/Sub to process large-scale datasets.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the core backend specialist leading the design, implementation, and optimization of end-to-end data pipelines and workflow orchestration using Google Cloud Composer (Apache Airflow).
• Drive software engineering initiatives to facilitate the seamless transition, integration, and continuous upgrade of application SDKs and core microservices across client ecosystems.
• Architect production-grade Python applications, write complex Airflow workflows/custom plugins, and build high-performance asynchronous microservices with FastAPI.
• Build cloud-native architectures on Google Cloud Platform, with expertise in Cloud Composer, Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, and containerization via Docker.
• Interface backend microservices and orchestration workflows with BigQuery, Cloud Dataflow, and Pub/Sub to process, manage, and transform large-scale datasets.
• Maintain robust Git-based CI/CD workflows for automated pipeline deployment, zero-downtime SDK releases, and seamless backend updates.

Your Background

Essential:

• 5+ years of experience in backend software engineering, data orchestration, and microservices architecture.
• Strong hands-on expertise with Google Cloud Composer / Apache Airflow, including workflow authoring, dynamic task generation, custom operators, and pipeline management.
• Mastery of Python 3.x, asynchronous programming, and modern frameworks (e.g. FastAPI, AsyncIO).
• Strong GCP foundation with hands-on experience across Cloud Composer, Cloud Run and Cloud Functions.
• Direct experience integrating microservices and orchestrated workflows with data pipelines, BigQuery, and Cloud Dataflow.
• Robust containerization skills using Docker for container creation, optimization, and deployment.
• Proven track record in SDK management, including API/SDK design, versioning, and seamless client integration.
• Proficiency in DevOps & CI/CD tools (Git, GitHub Actions, Cloud Build) for continuous deployment of code and orchestration workflows.
• Commitment to software quality through rigorous testing frameworks like pytest and automated integration tests.

Desirable:

• Advanced Airflow/Composer mastery — experience managing enterprise-grade Airflow clusters, performance tuning, and building modular workflow frameworks.
• GCP certifications — Google Cloud Certified Professional Data Engineer, Cloud Developer, or Cloud Architect.
• SDK publishing experience — practical experience publishing, versioning, and maintaining public or internal open-source SDK packages (e.g. PyPI packages).
• Enterprise modernization experience — modernizing legacy batch or monolithic systems into scalable, event-driven, orchestrated cloud microservices.
• Stream processing familiarity — Apache Beam, Pub/Sub, or Kafka for real-time and event-driven data architectures.
• Security & compliance familiarity — API and workflow security standards (OAuth2, OIDC, IAM, secret management, zero-trust frameworks).
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.