Software Engineer, Backend (Python)

About this role

About the role: - Build and maintain backend systems using Python in a production environment - Work with Django or equivalent frameworks to design and implement scalable APIs - Optimize database performance through SQL query analysis and indexing strategies - Develop asynchronous Python code that handles real-world traffic loads - Debug and resolve issues in production systems, then implement solutions to prevent recurrence - Collaborate with the team through clear technical communication and thoughtful code reviews What we're looking for: - Demonstrated experience shipping Python applications to production; please share a project you built and describe one architectural or implementation decision you would approach differently today - Solid working knowledge of Django or a similar web framework, including models, migrations, and request handling - Proficiency in SQL beyond ORM abstractions; ability to read queries, add indexes, and explain their impact - Experience writing asynchronous Python code (asyncio or similar) in systems that processed actual production traffic - Track record of investigating and resolving real production incidents, with measurable changes made as a result - Strong technical writing skills that help clarify discussions and improve documentation Bonus experience: - Contributions to Plane itself, experience running it as self-hosted infrastructure, or maintenance of open-source projects with active users - Hands-on work with event streaming platforms or message queues such as Kafka or RabbitMQ - Understanding of deployment practices including containerization, version migrations, and customer-managed releases - Shipping software into regulated sectors like banking, defense, healthcare, or air-gapped networks - Building systems where AI agents operate on real data, with opinions on state management, access control, and audit logging