Hiring Python Developers: The Complete Guide

# Python Developer

**Location:** Austin, TX (Hybrid)
**Employment Type:** Full-time
**Salary Range:** $130,000 - $170,000

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## About [Company]

[Company] is transforming how businesses manage and process data at scale. Our platform powers critical infrastructure for thousands of organizations, handling millions of requests daily. We believe in writing clean, maintainable Python code and building systems that are as elegant as they are powerful. Join us as we tackle interesting technical challenges and shape the future of data processing.

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## The Role

We're looking for a Python Developer to join our backend engineering team. You'll build and maintain the services that power our core platform—designing APIs, automating workflows, and ensuring our systems run smoothly at scale. This is a hands-on role where you'll write production Python code daily, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and have a direct impact on our product's reliability and performance.

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## Objectives

- Develop robust backend services that handle high throughput with minimal latency
- Improve system reliability and reduce technical debt through thoughtful refactoring
- Establish testing patterns and documentation standards for the team
- Contribute to architectural decisions that support long-term scalability

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## Responsibilities

- Design and build RESTful APIs and backend services using Python
- Develop automation scripts and tools to streamline operations and deployments
- Write data processing pipelines for ETL and batch operations
- Implement and maintain integrations with third-party services and internal systems
- Optimize existing code for performance, scalability, and maintainability
- Write comprehensive tests (unit, integration, end-to-end) using pytest
- Participate in code reviews and contribute to engineering best practices
- Collaborate with frontend, DevOps, and product teams to deliver features
- Troubleshoot and debug production issues, performing root cause analysis
- Document technical designs, APIs, and system architecture

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## Required Skills

- 3+ years of professional Python development experience
- Strong proficiency with at least one Python web framework (Django, FastAPI, or Flask)
- Experience designing and building RESTful APIs
- Solid understanding of SQL and relational databases (PostgreSQL preferred)
- Familiarity with testing frameworks (pytest) and test-driven development
- Experience with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
- Understanding of software design patterns and clean code principles
- Knowledge of async programming in Python (asyncio)
- Strong debugging and problem-solving skills
- Clear communication skills and ability to document technical decisions

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## Preferred Skills

- Experience with message queues (Redis, RabbitMQ, Celery)
- Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes)
- Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
- Experience with ORM tools (SQLAlchemy, Django ORM)
- Knowledge of caching strategies and implementation
- Understanding of API security best practices (OAuth, JWT)
- Experience with monitoring and observability tools (Datadog, Prometheus)
- Contributions to open-source Python projects

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## Tech Stack

- Python 3.10+ with type hints
- FastAPI and Django for web services
- PostgreSQL for primary data storage
- Redis for caching and queuing
- Celery for background task processing
- Docker and Kubernetes for deployment
- AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda)
- GitHub Actions for CI/CD
- pytest and mypy for testing and type checking
- Datadog for monitoring and alerting

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## Compensation and Benefits

- Base salary: $130,000 - $170,000 (based on experience)
- Equity package with standard 4-year vesting
- Annual performance bonus
- 401(k) with 4% company match
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
- Flexible PTO policy
- $2,000 annual learning and development budget
- Home office stipend for remote setup
- Hybrid work model: 3 days in-office, 2 days remote

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## Interview Process

1. **Application Review** – Resume and portfolio evaluation (3-5 business days)
2. **Recruiter Screen** – 30-minute call to discuss your background and interests
3. **Technical Screen** – 60-minute session covering Python fundamentals and past projects
4. **Coding Exercise** – 90-minute practical exercise building an API or debugging a service
5. **System Design** – 60-minute discussion on designing scalable Python systems
6. **Team Interviews** – Meet potential teammates and discuss collaboration style
7. **Offer** – Final decision within 5 business days of final interview

We aim to complete the entire process within 2-3 weeks and provide feedback at every stage.

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## Equal Opportunity

[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.