Job Description

Senior Python Backend Engineer to join our Digital Architecture Team (DAT). In this role, you will be the driving force behind the services that power our digital transformation, building the high-performance backend systems that turn raw engineering data into mission-critical capabilities.

You will be responsible for designing and implementing scalable, secure, and maintainable microservices that sit at the heart of our autonomous mission management and data analytics platforms. You will work at the intersection of high-performance computing and cloud-native architecture, ensuring our backend is robust enough to handle the rigors of defense-industry requirements.

Key Responsibilities
Microservice Development: Design and develop high-performance backend services using Python, focusing on scalability, maintainability, and low-latency response times.
API Design & Implementation: Lead the development of gRPC and RESTful APIs, utilizing Protobuf to ensure efficient, type-safe communication between distributed services.
System Integration: Build the "glue" that connects our containerized microservices platform to both modern cloud databases and legacy Windows-based infrastructure.
Backend Optimization: Optimize application performance through efficient concurrency models (AsyncIO), caching strategies, and database query optimization.
DevOps & Deployment: Own the containerization of your services using Docker and Kubernetes, integrating them into robust CI/CD pipelines for automated deployment.
Technical Leadership: Lead code reviews, establish Python coding standards (PEP 8), and mentor mid-level and junior engineers to ensure a high bar for software quality.

This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.

Required Skills and Education

Required Education & Experience Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 6+ years of professional experience in backend software engineering, with a heavy emphasis on the Python ecosystem.
• Core Technical Stack: Advanced Python: Mastery of Python 3.x, including asynchronous programming (AsyncIO), decorators, and type hinting.
• High-Performance Comms: Professional experience with gRPC and Protocol Buffers (Protobuf).
• Frameworks: Proficiency with modern Python frameworks (e.g., FastAPI, Flask, or Django).
• Database Interaction: Strong experience with PostgreSQL and ORMs like SQLAlchemy.
• Infrastructure: Hands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes in a production environment.
• Must be a US Citizen, eligible for a US Secret security clearance.

Preferred Skills and Education

Preferred Skills & Qualifications:

• Experience with message brokers or event-driven architectures (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ, or Redis).
• Familiarity with C# or other statically typed languages to support integration with legacy systems.
• Experience implementing OAuth2, JWT, or other secure authentication/authorization patterns.
• Knowledge of distributed system patterns (Circuit Breaker, Saga, etc.).
• Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret Clearance.
• Culture Fit
• Clean Code Advocate: A passion for writing readable, testable, and maintainable code with a strong emphasis on unit and integration testing.
• Architectural Thinker: Ability to look beyond the immediate ticket to understand how a service affects the entire system's reliability.
• Collaborative Problem Solver: A willingness to partner with Data Engineers and Frontend developers to create a seamless end-to-end user experience.
• Mission-Driven: A commitment to the reliability and security required for national security applications.