Contract Senior Backend Developer - Python

The Motley Fool is seeking a Senior Python Developer to help us develop APIs and microservices using Python-based frameworks such as FastAPI, Django, or Flask.  We need a talented individual with a proven track record of building scalable and highly available APIs consumed by tens of thousands to millions of users daily.  You must have significant experience in using data caching strategies, asynchronous processes, and query and index tuning to optimize systems.

You will be actively coding with cutting-edge technologies, as well as leading a team of engineers to develop and enhance the microservices that power our customer-facing investing data and tools - from real-time market data to cryptocurrencies.

If you're passionate about problem solving, software engineering, and leading teams to excellence, this role puts you at the forefront of innovation at one of the most respected names in financial media.

This is a contract role with potential for a full-time salaried role down the line. Strong preference will be given to candidates who reside in one of the following States. If you're open to relocation - please note that on your application! 

Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, and Wisconsin.

Who are we?

The Motley Fool is a purpose-driven financial services company on a mission to make the world smarter, happier, and richer. For 30 years we’ve been helping people make better investment decisions through transparency, education, and Foolish fun. We’re a fast-moving, collaborative team that values high-quality work, curiosity, and initiative. We care deeply about what we do, and we’re driven by the impact our work has on real people’s financial futures.

What does this team do?

Ready to contribute to a dynamic engineering team that powers investment decisions for millions? This role puts you at the helm of The Motley Fool's investing microservices, where you'll orchestrate systems that handle everything from real-time market data to cutting-edge crypto analytics.

This role involves innovating at the intersection of fintech and software engineering, creating solutions that help investors make smarter decisions. You'll be working with cutting-edge technologies while ensuring performance and reliability for mission-critical financial data.

If you're passionate about building scalable financial systems and leading teams to excellence, this role puts you at the forefront of investment technology innovation at one of the most respected names in financial media.

What would you do in this role? 

• Develop The Motley Fool’s investing microservices.
• Build systems and data vital to our investing products, websites, tools, and subscribers.
• Integrate with various third-party providers and tools.
• Ensure that critical data remains fresh, accurate, and highly available with failover capabilities.
• Collaborate with the product owner and project manager to define work, value, and acceptance criteria.
• Partner with multiple in-house teams and external providers to launch customer-facing solutions.
• Utilize AI tools like Claude or GitHub Copilot to support the team (e.g., developing architectural concepts and diagrams, starter code, and automated tests).
• Review code and be part of an on-call rotation
  
  

Must-Have Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in building, delivering, enhancing, and maintaining APIs consumed by multiple systems using Python-based frameworks like Fast API and Django.
• Experience building scalable, high performance backends served to hundreds of thousands of simultaneous users.
• Significant experience in data caching and caching strategies.
• Experience with asynchronous data retrieval and processing.
• Experience working with relational databases, ORMs, and SQL.
• Experience with query tuning and optimization.
• Experience with Docker, containerization, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Proficient in system monitoring and telemetry.
• Ability to translate business goals and requirements into technical solutions.
• Demonstrated success within high-performance teams where cross-functional collaboration is valued.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills.
  
  

Nice-to-Have Qualities:

• Experience in architecting and developing financial microservices.
• Experience with Redis and Postgres.
• Experience with AWS services including AWS SQS, AWS RDS, AWS Dynamo
• Familiarity with Next.js, React, and JavaScript.
• Experience with portfolio aggregation services, such as Plaid.
• Knowledge of investing.

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