Senior Python Engineer / Technical Lead

We are looking for a Senior Python Engineer / Technical Lead to join our software team in the financial sector. This role is not limited to writing code or delivering assigned tasks. We are looking for someone who can take ownership of the technical direction of systems, design scalable architectures, make key engineering decisions, and provide technical leadership to the development team. You will work closely with product owners, business analysts, and engineers to translate business requirements into robust, scalable, maintainable software architectures — while remaining hands-on with Python and backend development. What We Are Looking For • Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field • 5+ years of professional software development experience, with strong expertise in Python • Strong knowledge and hands-on experience with PostgreSQL and SQL • Advanced experience in backend and API development • Strong understanding of software architecture, system design, and design principles • Experience designing and developing scalable and distributed systems • Hands-on experience with asynchronous programming and high-concurrency systems • Experience with at least one message broker / event-driven technology such as RabbitMQ or Kafka • Understanding of inter-service communication and distributed system patterns • Ability to make and defend architectural and technical decisions • Ability to take end-to-end technical ownership of projects, from requirements and system design through implementation and production • Strong understanding of trade-offs between scalability, performance, maintainability, development speed, and technical complexity • Experience identifying and reducing technical debt • Strong code review, technical documentation, and engineering standards mindset • Experience in technical leadership, mentoring, or team management • Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with product, business, and technical stakeholders Responsibilities Architecture & Technical Leadership • Define and evolve the technical architecture of new and existing systems • Translate business and product requirements into technical designs and architectural solutions • Make key decisions regarding system structure, technologies, integrations, data flow, and communication patterns • Design systems with scalability, reliability, performance, security, and maintainability in mind • Identify architectural bottlenecks and lead initiatives to improve system scalability and reliability • Establish and maintain engineering standards, design principles, and development practices • Evaluate technical trade-offs and choose appropriate solutions based on business and technical requirements Engineering • Develop and maintain Python-based financial applications and backend services • Design and implement high-performance and asynchronous services • Design and manage event-driven and messaging-based architectures using technologies such as RabbitMQ or Kafka • Design inter-service communication and distributed system components • Design data models and optimise complex PostgreSQL queries and database performance • Conduct and lead code reviews • Improve code quality, maintainability, observability, and system performance • Identify and reduce technical debt Team Leadership • Provide technical direction and mentorship to software engineers • Support developers in solving complex technical problems • Establish development standards and contribute to the team's engineering culture • Participate in technical planning, task prioritisation, and project planning • Help distribute technical work according to project priorities and team capabilities • Drive knowledge sharing and encourage engineering best practices • Work closely with product owners, business analysts, and other technical teams to ensure successful delivery • Take responsibility for the team's technical execution and engineering quality Technical Expectations Must Have • Python • PostgreSQL / SQL • REST APIs / Backend Development • Async Programming • RabbitMQ or Kafka • Git • Software Architecture & System Design • Distributed Systems • Design Patterns & Software Engineering Principles Nice to Have • Microservices architecture • Event-driven architecture • Redis • Docker • CI/CD • Cloud technologies • Observability / monitoring • Experience with financial systems / fintech • Experience designing high-volume or high-performance systems What Makes This Role Different? This position is for an engineer who wants to move beyond feature development and task execution. You will have a direct impact on: • How our systems are architected • How services communicate with each other • How our infrastructure scales • How technical decisions are made • How engineering standards are established • How technical debt is managed • How developers grow technically • How the software team executes and delivers We are looking for someone who can think at system level, remain hands-on when necessary, and provide technical direction to the team. If you enjoy solving complex engineering problems, designing systems from the ground up, challenging technical assumptions, and helping a team become stronger — we would like to meet you. Position: Senior Python Engineer / Technical Lead Experience: 5+ years Work Model: On-site Location: Istanbul / Şişli