Senior Backend Engineer - Python & DAM Systems (Hybrid)

New York Public Library; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The New York Public Library seeks a Software Engineer III to join the Digital Asset Preservation and Access (DAPA) team in New York City. You will help modernize systems delivering high-resolution images and OCR processing, collaborating with partners across NYPL and Research libraries.

The role emphasizes improving engineering practices, owning technical decisions across projects, and guiding junior engineers while delivering robust, observable software in a hybrid in-office setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 4+ years of software development experience in a scale environment.
• Equivalent 4+ years hands-on backend development experience.
• 3+ years in backend development with Python or Ruby.
• Proficiency with Python web frameworks such as Flask or Django.
• Strong SQL experience with relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• Experience with version control systems, Git, and CI/CD workflows (GitHub Actions).
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and AWS cloud platform.

Responsibilities

• Understand project needs and implement technical solutions.
• Own and maintain key systems and contribute to platform improvements.
• Collaborate with engineers to design new software and migrate legacy components.
• Contribute to testing, documentation, and best practices across NYPL Digital.

Skills

Python

Ruby

Backend development

Flask

Django

SQL

Git

GitHub Actions

AWS

PostgreSQL

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

4+ years software dev experience

Tools

GitHub Actions

AWS

PostgreSQL

Job description

The New York Public Library seeks a Software Engineer III to join the Digital Asset Preservation and Access (DAPA) team in New York City. You will help modernize systems delivering high-resolution images and OCR processing, collaborating with partners across NYPL and Research libraries.

The role emphasizes improving engineering practices, owning technical decisions across projects, and guiding junior engineers while delivering robust, observable software in a hybrid in-office setting.