An Associate Lead Backend Developer with a minimum of five years of experience to help support our various interventions through data platforms and tools, focusing on development to infrastructure management. This position requires a developer who can help us scope, build and scale our backend stack that powers our data platforms.

Key Responsibilities: Lead the design and architecture of scalable, resilient backend systems that process large-scale, multi-sector, multi-geography data. Drive best practices in backend engineering, ensuring high-quality code, performance optimisation, and system reliability across teams. Oversee monitoring, evaluation, and observability systems for backend infrastructure, ensuring proactive issue detection and continuous improvement. Guide the development of robust data pipelines, capable of handling diverse datasets with automated scheduling, monitoring, and fault tolerance. Architect and implement APIs that power large-scale platforms and integrate with Open Source Solutions and external systems. Mentor and support backend engineers, conducting reviews, providing technical direction, and fostering a high-performing team culture. Champion open-source development, building and managing projects that contribute to the broader tech ecosystem. Ensure security, privacy, compliance, and governance across distributed data systems and backend architecture. Collaborate cross-functionally with product, data, and platform teams to align backend capabilities with organisational goals. Drive infrastructure scalability efforts, including orchestration, automation, and cloud architecture modernisation.

Skill sets & Requirements: 5–8 years of experience in backend engineering, including leadership or mentorship responsibilities. Strong proficiency with Python and backend frameworks such as Django, Flask, or FastAPI; experience in Golang, Ruby, or JavaScript is welcome, with a willingness to work primarily in Python. Deep understanding of databases (relational + NoSQL), including indexing, normalisation, query optimisation, caching strategies, and data modelling at scale. Solid experience with Git workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and modern DevOps practices. Familiarity with GitHub-based project management is a plus. Hands-on experience with scalable, distributed architectures, microservices, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), load balancing, and production-grade cloud deployments. Proficiency with cloud environments such as AWS, GCP, or Azure. Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to break down complex technical requirements, align stakeholder expectations, and influence decision-making. Demonstrated ability to take ownership, lead initiatives, and deliver high-impact backend solutions. Good to have: Experience contributing to or maintaining Open Source projects. Experience collaborating with government, civic-tech, research, or community-driven organisations. Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and container orchestration. Basic understanding of message queues such as Redis, RabbitMQ, or Celery. A healthy sense of humour and a collaborative mindset.