Job Description

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 direction
Help shape delivery standards (quality, patterns, testing, sensible automation)
Lead technical discovery for new features and improvements
Work directly with product and commercial stakeholders, translating real needs into robust solutions
Mentor 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 outcomes
Own and enhance our Django REST API, improving performance, security, maintainability and developer experience
Improve core services (scalability, observability, resilience and cost efficiency)
Maintain strong automated testing and contribute to a robust CI/CD pipeline
Practical Automation and AI
Use modern tooling, including AI where appropriate, to reduce friction and strengthen the SDLC, such as:

• Rapid prototyping and iteration
• Test generation and coverage expansion
• Refactoring and codebase modernisation
• Debugging support and PR review assistance
• Keeping technical documentation accurate and up to date
• Help standardise repeatable ways of working that improve throughput without sacrificing quality

Leadership-Shaped Contribution

• Lead technical discovery for initiatives (solution options, risks, estimates, dependencies)
• Suggest and introduce patterns and best practices that make the team faster and safer
• Review PRs with a coaching mindset and consistently raise engineering quality
• Support and mentor junior developers as the team grows
• Become 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 solutions
Communicate progress, constraints and trade-offs early and clearly
Challenge assumptions constructively and keep delivery aligned to real outcomes
What we're looking for:
Must have

• 3+ years' back-end development experience
• Strong 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 fluency
• Track record of shipping reliable production software end-to-end
• Comfortable in high-autonomy environments with multiple priorities
• Clear communicator who enjoys working with non-technical stakeholders

Nice to have

• Heroku deployments and operations experience
• AWS exposure (S3, CloudFront, Lambda or similar)
• Familiarity with modern dev tooling (Docker/devcontainers, CI/CD, monitoring)
• Prior agency, consultancy, or contractor experience
• Exposure to system design across multiple services

What success looks like in the first 6-12 months

• You take ownership of key areas quickly and ship improvements confidently
• You improve the platform, not just features (reliability, test coverage, patterns, tooling)
• You use automation and AI pragmatically to move faster while maintaining quality
• You're trusted by stakeholders and peers for your judgement, clarity and follow-through
• You begin to lead technical discovery and mentor others naturally

Benefits

• Competitive Salary based on skills and experience
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Fully remote / work from home
• Visible impact in a fast-moving product team
• Real runway towards technical leadership as we scale
• Sale Bonus Plan: eligibility for a meanful bonus linked to a future company sale

Skills Required