BackendStartupSMBEnterprise

Python Developer

[Company Name] is seeking a Python Developer to build and maintain backend services, APIs, and automation tools that power our products. You will work with modern Python frameworks and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ship features that directly impact our users. This role is perfect for someone who loves Python's versatility and wants to work on challenging backend problems.

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Key Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain backend services and REST APIs using Django, FastAPI, or Flask
Write clean, idiomatic Python code with comprehensive test coverage
Design and optimize database schemas and queries for PostgreSQL or other data stores
Build and maintain data processing pipelines, scheduled jobs, and automation scripts
Integrate with third-party APIs and services as needed for product features
Collaborate with frontend engineers to define API contracts and ensure seamless integration
Contribute to infrastructure improvements including containerization, deployment automation, and monitoring

Required Skills & Experience

2+ years of professional Python development experience (Python 3.8+)
Strong experience with at least one Python web framework (Django, FastAPI, or Flask)
Proficiency with relational databases (PostgreSQL or MySQL) and ORM tools (Django ORM, SQLAlchemy)
Understanding of RESTful API design and HTTP protocol fundamentals
Experience writing unit and integration tests using pytest or unittest
Familiarity with virtual environments, dependency management (pip, Poetry, or uv), and packaging
Working knowledge of Docker and basic cloud services (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
Experience with Git-based workflows and code review practices

Nice-to-Have

Experience with asynchronous Python (asyncio, ASGI, FastAPI async endpoints)
Familiarity with task queues and background processing (Celery, Redis Queue, or Dramatiq)
Exposure to data engineering or ETL pipelines using pandas, Airflow, or similar
Knowledge of type hints and static analysis tools (mypy, Ruff, or Black)
Experience with GraphQL APIs (Strawberry, Ariadne, or Graphene)

Tech Stack

Python 3.11+Django or FastAPIPostgreSQLRedisCeleryDockerAWSpytestGit

What We Offer

Competitive salary and meaningful equity
Fully remote or hybrid flexibility
Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
Annual learning budget for PyCon, courses, and technical books
Generous PTO and flexible working hours
Build impactful products at [Company Name] using cutting-edge Python tooling

Interview Process

1Recruiter phone screen (30 min) — experience overview, role expectations, and logistics
2Technical phone screen (45 min) — Python fundamentals, web framework concepts, and SQL basics
3Take-home coding exercise — build a small API with database interaction and tests
4On-site or virtual loop (3 hours) — system design, live coding, and team fit conversations
5Offer and reference checks

Hiring for this role? You might also need:

Interview Scorecards

Bar Raiser

Bar Raiser — Cross-Functional

Independent bar-raiser assessment ensuring the candidate raises the team's overall bar.

Coding Interview

Coding Interview — Backend

Live coding scorecard for backend: algorithms, data structures, and API implementation.

Culture & Values

Culture & Values Interview

Behavioral interview scorecard covering collaboration, ownership, and growth mindset.

Hiring Manager

Hiring Manager Final Round

Final evaluation by hiring manager: team fit, role alignment, and leadership potential.

Email Templates

Sourcing

Cold Outreach — Passive Developer

A personalized first-touch email to engage passive developers who aren't actively job hunting.

Interview Scheduling

Technical Interview Invitation

An email inviting a candidate to a technical interview with details on format, duration, and how to prepare.

Decision & Offer

Offer Letter Email

A congratulatory email extending a formal job offer with key terms and the attached offer letter.

Related Templates

Backend

Backend Developer

Design and implement server-side logic, APIs, and database integrations.

Data

Data Engineer

Build and maintain data pipelines, warehouses, and ETL processes at scale.

Full-Stack

Full-Stack Developer

Work across the entire stack — frontend UI, backend APIs, and database layer.

Back to all templates

Common Screening Mistakes

Requiring Django experience when the candidate has strong FastAPI or Flask skills — Python web frameworks share the same underlying concepts (routing, middleware, ORM) and switching between them takes days, not months
Conflating Python scripting experience with backend development — a candidate who only wrote automation scripts may lack the API design and database skills needed for this role; ask specifically about web service experience
Overlooking candidates from data science or ML backgrounds who are transitioning to backend — they often have excellent Python skills and just need guidance on web framework patterns

Red Flags

Cannot explain the difference between a list and a dictionary or when to use each — this is fundamental Python knowledge that every developer should have internalized
Has never written tests in Python or dismisses testing as unnecessary — untested Python code in production is a liability, and professional Python developers embrace testing as core practice
Shows no awareness of Python's GIL (Global Interpreter Lock) or concurrency model — while not every project requires async, understanding why Python handles concurrency differently from other languages shows depth

What Good Looks Like

A strong Python developer candidate writes idiomatic Python (using list comprehensions — context managers, and generators naturally) rather than writing Java-style Python.
They can discuss the trade-offs between Django's batteries-included approach and FastAPI's lightweight philosophy.
They think about data validation — error handling, and API design holistically rather than just getting endpoints to work.

Key Tech to Listen For

Django ORM vs. SQLAlchemy trade-offs
FastAPI type hints and Pydantic validation
Celery task queues and async patterns
pytest fixtures and parametrize
Python packaging and dependency management
Virtual environments and containerization