Backend Python Engineer (Expert)

Expected

Optional

Operating system

Design and build backend systems in Python with a focus on system architecture and reliability. You’ll shape solutions end-to-end, from data flows to integration with distributed components (e.g. messaging). Expect ownership, mentoring juniors, and space to influence technical direction. Great role for someone who enjoys system design and growing into a lead architect.

In collaboration with client bioinformatics and data science teams, we are building a platform to manage data flows from hundreds of connected laboratory instruments. The main objective is to industrialise the current MVP into a production-grade system. The solution provides a single source of truth for scientific data, supports data lineage and versioning (“time travel”), ensures reliable cold storage, and enables near real-time streaming and processing for analysis.

Tech stack:

Python (3.10+) with FastAPI and async stack

Kafka / AWS Kinesis for eventing

Postgres for metadata and operational state

AWS (MSK, S3, Lambda, IAM) as cloud backbone

Next.js + Tauri frontend for instrument interaction

GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, AWS CDK)

Challenges:

The current MVP, built rapidly to prove feasibility, requires transformation into a reliable and extensible production platform. The main challenge is dealing with the heterogeneity of hundreds of lab instruments, mostly Windows-based, and ensuring consistent data capture and lineage. Another challenge is balancing scientific requirements with sound software engineering practices, while ensuring the architecture remains future-proof.

Team:

The team consists of 10 engineers distributed across Poland and Brazil, supported by domain experts in bioinformatics. The client’s team is primarily bioinformatics specialists with strong domain expertise but limited experience in system design. Our role is to provide architectural leadership, backend expertise, and hands-on mentoring to enable them to build a sustainable platform.

• Design and build backend services in Python to support scientific data pipelines.
• Architect and implement event-driven integrations using Kafka and/or AWS Kinesis.
• Ensure robustness and scalability of the system for future instrument onboarding.
• Work on reliable data ingestion from Windows-based scientific instruments.
• Provide near real-time data streaming as well as secure long-term storage.
• Develop architecture patterns for extensibility and maintainability.
• Mentor and support a junior-heavy client team to raise engineering standards.

This is how we work

• conferences in Poland
• development budget
• industry-specific e-learning platforms
• intracompany training
• substantive support from technological leaders
• technical knowledge exchange within the company

• Building tech community
• Flexible hybrid work model
• Home office reimbursement
• Language lessons
• MyBenefit points
• Private healthcare
• Training Package
• Virtusity / in-house training

• sharing the costs of sports activities
• private medical care
• sharing the costs of foreign language classes
• sharing the costs of professional training & courses
• remote work opportunities
• flexible working time
• integration events

VirtusLab Sp. z o.o.