Senior Python Engineer

Job description: Role Summary  We are seeking an expert and autonomous contract Senior Python Engineer to accelerate the creation of our Developer Platform. Your primary mission will be to build the V1 of our "Python Paved Road", a standardized framework for deploying reliable, observable, and performant AI services. You will be a key builder on a new initiative, channeling your deep expertise in production Python services into foundational tools that will be used by every engineer in the company. This role is for a hands-on engineer who is a master of their craft. You will be fully empowered to own the implementation of our core developer libraries and templates, directly unblocking our most critical product initiatives.   Key Responsibilities  Build the "Python Paved Road": Own the end-to-end creation of our V1 framework for on-demand Python services, including cookiecutter templates and the python-commons shared library. Embed Production Best Practices: Implement the core patterns for writing reliable, observable, and performant Python microservices directly into our foundational libraries and templates. Champion Developer Experience (DX): Partner closely with our internal engineering teams to gather feedback and ensure the tools you build are intuitive, well-documented, and solve their most pressing problems. Deliver Pragmatic Solutions: Consistently make pragmatic technical decisions that prioritize business value and speed of delivery, in line with our early-stage startup environment. Prototype and Enable: Collaborate on the design and initial implementation of our "Internal App Sandbox", a platform for deploying data science prototypes.   Required Qualifications  5+ years of dedicated software engineering experience, with a strong focus on backend or platform systems. Expertise in Building Production Python Services: You have a proven track record of architecting, building, and operating robust, scalable, and maintainable backend services in Python. Deep Backend Knowledge: You have a strong understanding of concurrency models (e.g., asyncio), API design (REST, gRPC), performance optimization, and testing strategies for complex services. Full Lifecycle Experience: You are intimately familiar with the full lifecycle of a service,  including containerization (Docker), CI/CD, and production observability (structured logging, tracing, metrics) Passion for Developer Tooling: You have a demonstrated passion for channeling your backend expertise into building tools, libraries, or frameworks that provide leverage and make other developers better. Familiarity with Go is a strong plus.   Preferred Qualifications  AWS Experience: Familiarity with core AWS services used in a platform context (Kubernetes/EKS, RDS, S3, IAM). Experience in a Startup Environment: Comfortable with ambiguity and a fast-paced setting.   (Note: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to every candidate individually. If you have not received a response from GFT regarding your application within 10 workdays, please consider that we have decided to proceed with other candidates. We truly appreciate your interest in GFT and thank you for your understanding.)