Senior Developer (Python / Django)

Full-time, Permanent | Remote (UK) Shortlister Solutions is scaling fast. We build interview and assessment technology that helps employers hire fairly and efficiently. Our platform supports high-stakes recruitment and admissions workflows, so reliability, security and clean engineering decisions matter. We’re looking for a Senior Back-End Developer with strong Python/Django experience who wants to take real ownership of systems and grow towards a Technical Lead role over time.

This is a hands-on role with influence, ideal for someone who enjoys shaping how software is built, not just delivering features. If you’ve worked in agency, consultancy, or contracting environments, you’ll likely thrive here: fast pace, varied problems, high autonomy, direct stakeholder access, and the satisfaction of building a long-term product. Why this role is a strong step towards Technical Lead This isn’t just a “write code” role.

You’ll: Own meaningful parts of the platform and influence technical directionHelp shape delivery standards (quality, patterns, testing, sensible automation)Lead technical discovery for new features and improvementsWork directly with product and commercial stakeholders, translating real needs into robust solutionsMentor others and raise the bar for engineering quality As the team scales, this role naturally expands into formal technical leadership.

The role You’ll join our product and engineering team working on a Django back end and REST API that powers the Shortlister platform. You’ll ship new capabilities, improve reliability and performance, and help evolve how we deliver software. We have an ambition to leverage AI and automation to accelerate delivery and improve quality, but we use it pragmatically, only where it adds clear value. You’ll be trusted to make good decisions, communicate trade-offs clearly, and drive work through with confidence.

What you’ll be responsible for: Delivery & Technical Ownership Design, build, and deploy back-end features that support our roadmap and customer outcomesOwn and enhance our Django REST API, improving performance, security, maintainability and developer experienceImprove core services (scalability, observability, resilience and cost efficiency)Maintain strong automated testing and contribute to a robust CI/CD pipeline Practical Automation and AIUse modern tooling, including AI where appropriate, to reduce friction and strengthen the SDLC, such as: Rapid prototyping and iterationTest generation and coverage expansionRefactoring and codebase modernisationDebugging support and PR review assistanceKeeping technical documentation accurate and up to dateHelp standardise repeatable ways of working that improve throughput without sacrificing quality Leadership-Shaped ContributionLead technical discovery for initiatives (solution options, risks, estimates, dependencies)Suggest and introduce patterns and best practices that make the team faster and saferReview PRs with a coaching mindset and consistently raise engineering qualitySupport and mentor junior developers as the team growsBecome a go-to person in your domain, someone others rely on for clarity and direction Stakeholder Partnership Work closely with product and commercial stakeholders to shape requirements into strong technical solutionsCommunicate progress, constraints and trade-offs early and clearlyChallenge assumptions constructively and keep delivery aligned to real outcomes What we’re looking for: Must have3+ years’ back-end development experienceStrong Python and Django experience (ORM, Django REST Framework, testing)Solid understanding of API design and HTTP fundamentals (authentication, headers, CORS, versioning)PostgreSQL and data modelling fluencyTrack record of shipping reliable production software end-to-endComfortable in high-autonomy environments with multiple prioritiesClear communicator who enjoys working with non-technical stakeholders Nice to haveHeroku deployments and operations experienceAWS exposure (S3, CloudFront, Lambda or similar)Familiarity with modern dev tooling (Docker/devcontainers, CI/CD, monitoring)Prior agency, consultancy, or contractor experienceExposure to system design across multiple services What success looks like in the first 6–12 monthsYou take ownership of key areas quickly and ship improvements confidentlyYou improve the platform, not just features (reliability, test coverage, patterns, tooling)You use automation and AI pragmatically to move faster while maintaining qualityYou’re trusted by stakeholders and peers for your judgement, clarity and follow-throughYou begin to lead technical discovery and mentor others naturally BenefitsCompetitive Salary based on skills and experience25 days holiday plus bank holidaysFully remote / work from homeVisible impact in a fast-moving product teamReal runway towards technical leadership as we scaleSale Bonus Plan: eligibility for a meanful bonus linked to a future company sale