Remote Senior Backend Engineer (Python/Django)

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work arrangement

Competitive salary and bonuses

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Professional development stipend

Paid time off

Home office equipment stipend

Flexible working hours

Regular virtual team-building

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to join a fully remote team and help build robust data processing pipelines and scalable backend services using Python and Django.

You will design RESTful APIs, work with PostgreSQL and Redis, and collaborate with global teammates in a remote-first culture focused on autonomy and results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional backend development experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python and Django ORM ecosystem.
• Experience designing and building RESTful APIs.
• Proficiency with PostgreSQL and Redis databases.
• Experience with caching mechanisms like Redis.
• Familiarity with asynchronous programming in Python.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Excellent communication skills for effective remote collaboration.
• Ability to work independently in a remote setting.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and Docker is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain robust, scalable backend services using Python and Django.
• Design and implement RESTful APIs for internal and external consumption.
• Work with PostgreSQL and Redis to manage data storage and retrieval.
• Integrate with third-party services and APIs.
• Write unit and integration tests to ensure code quality.
• Participate in architectural discussions and contribute to technical strategy.
• Collaborate with frontend engineers and data scientists to deliver features.
• Monitor and troubleshoot production systems, ensuring uptime and performance.
• Optimize application performance and database queries.
• Stay up-to-date with backend technologies and best practices.

Skills

Python

Django

RESTful APIs

Async programming

System design

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Software Engineering

Tools

PostgreSQL

Redis

Docker

CI/CD

AWS

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a leading innovator in the data analytics space, seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Backend Engineer to join their fully remote team. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of sophisticated data processing pipelines and scalable backend services that power their flagship product. As a remote-first organization, we emphasize clear communication, asynchronous collaboration, and autonomy. You will play a critical role in designing, implementing, and maintaining the core infrastructure, ensuring high performance, reliability, and security. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver with a deep understanding of Python and Django, comfortable working independently and contributing to a high-achieving distributed team. This role is designed for individuals who thrive in a flexible, remote work environment and are passionate about building robust backend systems. This position offers the flexibility to work from anywhere, with a strong focus on results and collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain robust, scalable, and high-performance backend services using Python and the Django framework.
• Design and implement RESTful APIs for internal and external consumption.
• Work with databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, Redis) to manage and optimize data storage and retrieval.
• Integrate with third-party services and APIs.
• Write comprehensive unit and integration tests to ensure code quality and stability.
• Participate in architectural discussions and contribute to technical strategy.
• Collaborate with frontend engineers and data scientists to deliver seamless product features.
• Monitor and troubleshoot production systems, ensuring uptime and performance.
• Optimize application performance and database queries.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest backend technologies and best practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional backend development experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python and extensive experience with the Django ORM and ecosystem.
• Demonstrated experience designing and building RESTful APIs.
• Proficiency with relational databases such as PostgreSQL .
• Experience with caching mechanisms like Redis.
• Solid understanding of software development principles, data structures, and algorithms.Familiarity with asynchronous programming in Python.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication skills for effective remote collaboration.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively in a remote setting.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and Docker is a plus.

Benefits

• Fully remote work arrangement, offering maximum flexibility.
• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• Generous provision for professional development, conferences, and training.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Home office equipment stipend.
• Opportunity to work on challenging, impactful projects with a talented global team.
• Flexible working hours.
• Regular virtual team-building activities.