Senior Python Developer x 3

Pontoon; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 129,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

National Grid is seeking a Senior Python Engineer to join a major, multi-year technology programme. The role is home-based with occasional travel to Bristol.

You will design and build production-grade Python services, influence architecture, and collaborate with product owners in an Agile environment.

The position offers hands-on coding while guiding teams, with AWS, Kafka, DynamoDB, and NoSQL experience required; rate 700-750 per day via Umbrella.

Qualifications

• Extensive commercial Python experience.
• Strong AWS experience (Lambda, API Gateway).
• Practical experience with Kafka and event-driven architecture.
• Experience with DynamoDB or other NoSQL technologies.
• Experience with SQL and relational databases.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including testing and maintainability.
• Ability to work across multiple codebases and engineering teams.
• Ability to translate business needs into technical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Designing and building high-quality, production-grade Python services and applications.
• Contributing to the architecture and technical foundations of the new platform.
• Shaping scope, backlogs and technical roadmaps with Product Owners.
• Supporting discovery, technical design and delivery planning.
• Working across multiple codebases and development teams.
• Sharing engineering best practice and helping establish consistent standards.
• Mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews and raising engineering capability.
• Building scalable, resilient and maintainable services.
• Working with event-driven architecture and Kafka.
• Developing cloud-native solutions using AWS, including Lambda and API Gateway.
• Working with DynamoDB / NoSQL, with SQL and relational database experience desirable.
• Contributing to Agile planning, refinement and continuous improvement.

Skills

Python

AWS (Lambda, API Gateway)

Kafka / Event-driven

NoSQL (DynamoDB)

SQL / Relational DBs

Software engineering fundamentals

Agile / Scrum

Mentoring / leadership

Job description

Senior Python Engineer

Client: National Grid
Contract: 6-month rolling contract multi-year programme
Location: Home-based
Travel: Bristol approximately 4 times per year
Rate: 700- 750 per day via Umbrella

The opportunity

We're looking for an exceptional Senior Python Engineer to join a major, multi-year technology programme at National Grid, helping to build a new customer CRM platform from the ground up.

The platform is currently in the discovery phase, making this a genuine greenfield opportunity to influence architecture, engineering standards and ways of working from the outset.

The platform will support a range of customer interactions, including login issues, enquiries, complaints and wider customer service activity.

You'll work across multiple front-end and back-end engineering teams in an Agile environment. This is a hands-on engineering role - we're looking for someone who is an excellent Python engineer but can also influence, guide and share best practice across teams.

What you'll be doing

• Designing and building high-quality, production-grade Python services and applications.
• Contributing to the architecture and technical foundations of the new platform.
• Working with Product Owners to shape scope, backlogs and technical roadmaps.
• Supporting discovery, technical design and delivery planning.
• Working across multiple codebases and development teams.
• Sharing engineering best practice and helping establish consistent standards.
• Mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews and raising engineering capability.
• Building scalable, resilient and maintainable services.
• Working with event-driven architecture and Apache Kafka.
• Developing cloud-native solutions using AWS, including Lambda and API Gateway.
• Working with DynamoDB / NoSQL, with SQL and relational database experience desirable.
• Contributing to Agile planning, refinement and continuous improvement.

What we're looking for

Above all, you'll be a genuinely strong, hands-on Python engineer with the technical depth to build and the influence to help others build well.

You'll have:

• Extensive commercial Python experience.
• Strong AWS experience, including services such as Lambda and API Gateway.
• Practical experience with Kafka and event-driven architecture.
• Experience with DynamoDB or other NoSQL technologies.
• Ideally, experience with SQL and relational databases.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including testing, code quality and maintainability.
• Experience working across multiple codebases and/or engineering teams.
• The ability to work closely with Product Owners and translate business needs into effective technical solutions.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to mentor, challenge and influence others.
• Experience working within an Agile environment.

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to join a genuine greenfield programme at the discovery stage, where your technical expertise can directly influence how the platform is designed and built.

You'll work with modern Python, AWS, Kafka and event-driven technologies, collaborate with multiple engineering teams, and have a real opportunity to shape engineering practices across a major National Grid transformation.

If you're a senior Python engineer who wants to stay hands-on while having genuine technical influence, this is an opportunity worth exploring.

We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention.

Pontoon is an employment consultancy and operates as an equal opportunity's employer.

Candidates will ideally show evidence of the above in their CV to be considered.