Senior Backend Developer (Services) - Relocation to Cyprus

payabl.; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Learning Budget

Company celebrations

International events

Job summary

payabl. is seeking a Senior Python Backend Developer to evolve our service layer through reliable, scalable microservices.

You will extract business logic from legacy code and reimplement it into modern Python services with a strong emphasis on correctness, resilience, and maintainability. The role involves designing APIs, ensuring data integrity, and contributing to CI/CD, Docker, and Kubernetes infrastructure where relevant.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of backend engineering experience with strong Python expertise and AsyncIO proficiency.
• Production-grade FastAPI experience required.
• Experience with MySQL and/or PostgreSQL including schema migrations.
• Experience writing unit and integration tests (pytest preferred).
• Knowledge of API design, reliability patterns, and distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Read legacy code, extract business logic, and reimplement it within modern microservices.
• Ensure idempotency, data integrity, and graceful error handling across services.
• Split time between building new features and refactoring legacy modules.
• Design and consume external APIs with robust retry policies and webhooks.
• Collaborate in agile sprints with strong English communication.

Skills

Python

AsyncIO

FastAPI

Microservices

Code quality

English communication

Tools

MySQL

PostgreSQL

Docker

Kubernetes

pytest

Job description

The role is about:
We are looking for a Senior Python Backend Developer (Services) to join our engineering team and contribute to the evolution of our service layer architecture.

This role is focused on designing and building reliable, scalable microservices while also working with and gradually transforming legacy systems. You will play a key role in extracting business logic from existing codebases and reimplementing it into modern, maintainable Python services.

This is a hands‑on engineering role requiring strong problem‑solving skills, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of backend systems reliability. Success in this role means going beyond “it works” ensuring correctness, resilience, and long-term maintainability.

• Location:Remote from Poland (Contractor arrangement) or Cyprus Onsite (Relocation support provided)
• Reporting to: Technical Lead

What you will do:

• Legacy Modernisation:Read legacy code (PHP, Perl, or JavaScript), extract the business logic, and reimplement it correctly within a modern microservices architecture.
• Reliability First:Ensure idempotency, data integrity, and graceful error handling across all services - “almost working” is never good enough.
• Greenfield & Refactoring:Split your time between building new features from scratch and refactoring existing legacy modules into clean, maintainable code.
• API Engineering:Design and consume external APIs with a deep understanding of webhooks, callbacks, and complex retry policies.
• Agile Collaboration:Maintain clean and strong English communication to effectively collaborate with multiple stakeholders across departments working in agile sprints.
• Product Thinking:Go beyond the “what” and “how” of the code - bring a product-focused mindset to understand the business logic and end-user impact of what you build.
• Infrastructure Contribution:Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, Docker, or Kubernetes infrastructure where relevant. If you have a passion for infra, you are more than welcome to bring it.
• Innovation:Propose and advocate for tools or technologies that can demonstrably improve our performance, security, or development speed.

What we need:

• Python Mastery:5+ years of backend engineering experience with strong Python expertise. Deep AsyncIO proficiency - you must be comfortable building non-blocking, high-reliability microservices.
• Framework Expertise:Production-grade experience withFastAPI(not just familiarity).
• Databases:Experience with MySQL and/or PostgreSQL - query design, schema understanding, and migration strategies.
• Testing Discipline:Experience writing unit and integration tests (pytest preferred).
• API & Reliability Patterns:Expertise in designing and consuming external APIs with a deep understanding of webhooks, callbacks, and complex retry policies.
• Ownership Mindset:Willingness to take full ownership of high-traffic, always-up applications and operate independently within an established architectural vision.
• Confidence in Complex Systems:Comfortable in complex distributed environments where reliability is non-negotiable.
• Clean & Intentional Code:We value deep engineering logic over AI-generated snippets. You must be able to explain the reasoning behind every line you ship.
• Curiosity for Product:You care about the “why” behind a feature - how it works for the end-user and what it means for the business.
• Strong English:Both written and verbal to collaborate effectively across multi-functional teams.
• Nice to Have:
• Experience with PHP, Perl, or JavaScript - a strong bonus signal for legacy comprehension.
• Kafka / Redis experience.
• Docker / CI/CD / Kubernetes familiarity.
• Financial industry exposure - fintech, payments, 3DS, Token Management Systems, or payment gateway integrations.
• Track record of successfully migrating systems from one language or paradigm to another.

Hiring Process:

• Step 1 - Thinking in Action (40 minutes) Your first conversation will be with our Talent Acquisition team. We’ll explore your background, career journey, motivations, and overall fit for the role. As part of this discussion, you’ll also complete a short technical screening that will be reviewed by our engineering team. This stage helps us understand both your experience and how you approach technical challenges.
• Step 2 - Build in Production (60-90 minutes) Meet with the Team Lead and technical experts for a practical assessment. Depending on the role, this may involve a live coding exercise or a real-world scenario designed to evaluate your technical skills, problem‑solving approach, and ability to work through challenges similar to those faced by our teams.
• Step 3 - Final Interview (45 minutes) The final stage is a group interview with senior members of our Technology squad, which may include the CTO, CPO, and Team Lead. Together, we’ll discuss team fit, collaboration style, expectations from both sides, and any remaining questions about the role, team, or technology domain. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about our culture and ways of working.

The perks of being a payabl.er:

• Grow with Us: Annual Learning Budget for professional development (eligible after probation) - because your growth is our growth.
• Celebrate Together: We bring colleagues from all offices together for unforgettable company celebrations.
• Global Collaboration & Events: Opportunities to participate in international company events and initiatives, connecting with colleagues from all regions and contributing to a truly global community

This is a fully remote role for candidates based in Poland. If you are open to a relocation to Cyprus, your assigned Talent Acquisition Partner will walk you through the specific working arrangements and any applicable conditions during the process.

Let’s embark on a journey to redefine the landscape of payments together. We’re not just offering a role; we’re inviting you to be a part of something bigger. Join our team, and let’s innovate, disrupt, and lead the future of payments. Together, we can make an impact that resonates. Welcome to the team!

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