Take full technical ownership of backend services powering platforms used by millions. In this contract role, you'll design, implement, and optimize distributed systems with a focus on performance, reliability, and scalability. Working within the Central European Time zone (CET ±2 hours), you'll collaborate daily with engineers in Sofia to deliver robust backend solutions using Python, Django, and Kafka.
What You’ll Do
- Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of backend services—from architecture and development to deployment and ongoing optimization
- Build low-latency, highly available systems using Python and Django, leveraging asyncio for asynchronous operations
- Design and maintain distributed components including APIs, message brokers (Kafka), caching layers, and data pipelines
- Collaborate across product, frontend, and DevOps to deliver features efficiently without sacrificing stability
- Guide junior engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and knowledge transfer sessions
- Ensure system resilience by optimizing for throughput, fault tolerance, and performance under load
- Implement comprehensive testing strategies covering unit, integration, and performance scenarios
- Enhance observability using monitoring and logging tools such as Prometheus and Grafana
- Participate in on-call rotations to support production systems when needed
What We’re Looking For
- At least 5 years of professional experience in Python backend development with a demonstrated ability to lead technical projects
- Hands-on experience with Django and asynchronous programming using asyncio
- Proven work with Apache Kafka in production environments
- Solid understanding of distributed systems, ideally in microservices architectures
- Experience deploying containerized applications using Docker; Kubernetes is a plus
- Familiarity with cloud platforms—AWS preferred
- Strong SQL skills, particularly with PostgreSQL; NoSQL experience is beneficial
- Working knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks
- Exposure to monitoring ecosystems like Prometheus and Grafana
- Experience supporting systems at scale—1M+ users is a strong advantage
- Agile mindset and comfort with iterative development practices
- Commitment to code quality, system ownership, and proactive problem-solving
Nice to Have
- Familiarity with event sourcing or CQRS patterns
- Basic understanding of frontend technologies such as React
- Experience with big data tools like Flink or NiFi
- Exposure to infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform
- Practical experience with Docker and Kubernetes in production
- Background in sports, betting, or real-time data domains
Work Environment
This is a fully remote position requiring alignment with Central European Time (CET ±2 hours) for real-time collaboration. You’ll work in a stimulating, inclusive, and knowledge-driven environment that values innovation, teamwork, and continuous learning.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
We believe diverse perspectives strengthen our technology and culture. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and identities and ensure equitable consideration regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
