Senior Python Technical Lead / Lead Backend Engineer (Freelance Contract) - Banking Client
- Locations: Paris, France or Brussels, Belgium
- Hybrid working model: 8 days onsite per month, remainder remote
Overview
We are looking for an experienced Senior Python Technical Lead to join a high-performing engineering squad and take ownership of the design, development, and delivery of scalable backend solutions in an international and collaborative environment.
This role combines hands‑on software engineering with technical leadership responsibilities. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping architecture decisions, guiding developers, and ensuring the delivery of robust, maintainable, and high‑quality software solutions.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Python development, modern API architectures, and backend engineering best practices, alongside strong communication and leadership capabilities.
Key Responsibilities /Technical Delivery
- Analyse and understand business and technical requirements, translating them into scalable and maintainable software solutions.
- Design, validate, and implement robust backend services and APIs with a focus on reliability, performance, and long‑term operability.
- Build and maintain RESTful APIs and microservices using Python and FastAPI.
- Contribute to solution architecture and ensure alignment with engineering standards and target architecture.
- Ensure software quality through automated testing, documentation, code reviews, and continuous improvement practices.
- Support deployment and operational readiness of solutions across environments.
Technical Leadership
- Act as the technical lead for the squad, providing guidance on architecture, implementation approaches, and engineering best practices.
- Review code, validate design decisions, and ensure maintainability and scalability of delivered solutions.
- Mentor and support developers within the team, encouraging knowledge sharing and engineering excellence.
- Collaborate closely with Product Owners, architects, DevOps engineers, and cross‑functional stakeholders to ensure predictable and aligned delivery.
- Take ownership of technical outcomes including performance, resilience, security, and solution quality.
Required Experience
- Minimum 8 years of professional experience in Python software development.
- Proven track record delivering production‑grade backend applications and APIs.
- Experience working in Agile software delivery environments.
- Strong experience operating in technically complex environments with multiple stakeholders.
- Previous experience in a technical lead or senior engineering role is highly desirable.
Technical Skills
- Strong experience with FastAPI for building RESTful APIs and microservices.
- Strong understanding of API design principles, including maintainability, security, documentation, and scalability.
- Experience with testing frameworks such as Pytest for unit and integration testing.
- Solid understanding of Git version control and branching strategies.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines using tools such as GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or Jenkins.
- Basic understanding of Docker and containerised application deployment.
- Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code concepts and Terraform fundamentals.
- Understanding of NoSQL database concepts; MongoDB experience is advantageous.
Nice to Have
- Experience with asynchronous programming and concurrency in Python.
- Familiarity with API and application security best practices.
- Exposure to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
- Experience working with Azure DevOps or TFS.
- Understanding of Scrum and Kanban delivery methodologies.
Soft Skills
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder collaboration skills.
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of technical delivery.
- Adaptable and comfortable working in evolving environments.
- Leadership mindset with the ability to mentor, coach, and support team members.
Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is a hands‑on senior Python engineer who combines strong backend engineering expertise with technical leadership capabilities. They are comfortable making architecture decisions, guiding engineering standards, and collaborating across technical and business teams while remaining actively involved in development and delivery.