Backend Software Engineer – Python in Belfast

A technology-driven digital business operating a large-scale consumer platform with significant daily user activity. This is a small IT function within a broader organisation, giving you direct visibility into how your work impacts the business in real time. You will see your changes go live, influence product direction, and work closely with key stakeholders across the company. The environment is collaborative and flexible, with a strong emphasis on ownership, autonomy, and practical problem solving.

This role sits within a lean IT team made up of two developers. You will work closely with the Lead Developer, who also acts as the technical manager, bringing a complementary Python skill set. Beyond engineering, you will collaborate directly with marketing, operations and the Managing Director, helping translate business needs into technical solutions that drive the company forward. The platform is highly data-driven, so the role is predominantly backend focused, with an approximate split of 80 percent backend and 20 percent frontend. Frontend work is increasingly supported by AI-assisted development tools, making experience with AI-driven workflows essential.

This position would suit someone who is comfortable working independently, while also partnering closely with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What we are looking for:

• This is an ideal opportunity for a hands-on Python engineer who enjoys solving real-world problems, working with data, and building efficient backend systems.
• The successful candidate will join a small, collaborative engineering team where flexibility, curiosity, and a willingness to learn are highly valued.
• The role is primarily backend-focused, with strong emphasis on Python development, data processing, and system performance.
• You will contribute to the ongoing improvement of a high-traffic web platform, helping to ensure reliability, scalability, and maintainability across the system.
• The team is particularly interested in engineers who are comfortable using modern AI tools (for example tools similar to Claude or other coding assistants) to enhance productivity, automate workflows, and improve development efficiency.

This position would suit someone who:

• Enjoys working in a small, agile team environment
• Is adaptable and comfortable wearing multiple hats
• Has an interest in data, automation, and system performance
• Takes ownership of problems and proposes practical solutions
• Is motivated to continuously learn and improve

Responsibilities:

• Developing and maintaining backend services using Python-based frameworks
• Designing and managing database schemas to support reliable data storage and retrieval
• Writing efficient SQL queries and improving database performance where required
• Building background processing jobs and automated workflows to handle system tasks
• Creating APIs and backend functionality to support user-facing features
• Supporting deployment, monitoring, and reliability of cloud-hosted systems
• Investigating and resolving production issues in a timely manner
• Contributing to system improvements and identifying opportunities to simplify or modernize existing components
• Supporting data-related initiatives, including reporting, analytics, and data movement between systems
• Using AI-assisted tools to streamline development, testing, and troubleshooting activities

Technical Requirements:

• 4+ years commercial experience developing applications in Python
• Experience working with relational databases, particularly PostgreSQL
• Ability to write and optimize SQL queries for performance and scalability
• Familiarity with asynchronous processing or background job systems
• Experience building or supporting APIs and backend services
• Understanding of cloud-hosted environments (e.g., AWS or similar platforms)
• Exposure to version control systems and collaborative development practices
• Comfortable working with data pipelines, reporting, or analytics workflows
• Interest in leveraging AI tools to improve development efficiency

Additional Information:

• Fully remote role within Ireland or Northern Ireland
• Monthly visit to the office (one overnight stay, fully covered by the company)
• Office located approximately one hour north of Dublin
• High level of autonomy and direct impact on business outcomes