Senior Python Backend Developer (SWAT Team)

The role is about:

We are building a new SWAT Engineering Team in Portugal to accelerate and assist our Core Gateway and Gateway Projects teams by developing a new internal platform and tooling layer.

The Senior Backend Developer will play a key role in designing and building a new payment gateway support platform, focusing on performance, scalability, and developer efficiency. This is a high-impact engineering role combining hands-on backend development, architecture ownership, and technical leadership within the squad.

You will work closely with Core Gateway, DevOps, and Platform teams to reduce complexity in legacy systems and improve system-wide efficiency.

Location: Remote from Portugal

Reporting to: Group CTO

What you will do:  

• Design and build scalable Python-based microservices supporting a new internal gateway enablement platform.
• Take ownership of system architecture decisions, ensuring long-term scalability, performance, and maintainability.
• Develop tools and services that improve efficiency of existing Core Gateway and Gateway Projects teams.
• Integrate and abstract third-party APIs and payment-related external services.
• Define engineering standards for the SWAT team (coding practices, API design, service structure).
• Collaborate closely with DevOps to design and improve CI/CD pipelines, deployment strategies, and observability.
• Lead code reviews and ensure high engineering quality across the team.
• Work across legacy (Perl) and modern systems, enabling gradual modernization.
• Identify bottlenecks in existing systems and design technical solutions to remove them.
• Act as a technical reference point within the SWAT team.

What we need:

• 6+ years of backend engineering experience, with strong Python expertise.
• Proven experience designing and delivering microservices architectures at scale.
• Strong knowledge of FastAPI or Django (FastAPI preferred).
• Experience building systems in high-performance, distributed environments.
• Strong experience with API design (RESTful services, event-driven architecture is a plus).
• Hands-on experience with Docker, CI/CD pipelines (GitLab preferred).
• Cloud experience (AWS or GCP).
• Strong understanding of system design, scalability, and reliability principles.
• Experience in fintech / payment systems / banking / high-volume transaction systems (strong plus).
• Ability to work with or maintain legacy systems (Perl exposure is a plus, but not required).
• Strong ownership mindset with ability to drive technical direction independently.

Hiring Process:

• Step 1: Initial Interview – A 30–40 minute online interview with a Talent Acquisition Partner where we explore your experience, career goals, motivations, and overall fit for the role. This is your chance to walk us through your background and highlight your key achievements.
• Step 2: Leadership Interview – A 30-minute online discussion with our CTO and CPO to align on the scope of the role, your background, and behavioral skills. We’ll focus on how your experience matches the responsibilities and expectations for the position.
• Step 3: Live Technical Assessment Interview: A live coding challenge with our team lead and designated field technical experts to assess your technical skills, the interview time will be from 60 minutes.
• Step 4 (Optional): Final Discussion – A 30-minute conversation with the CTO, Team Lead, and Talent Acquisition Partner to clarify any remaining questions about responsibilities, the domain, or the scope of the role. This is also your opportunity to learn more about our culture and expectations.

The perks of being a payabl.er:

• Grow with Us: Annual Learning Budget for professional development (eligible after probation)—because your growth is our growth.
• Celebrate Together: We bring colleagues from all offices together for unforgettable company celebrations.
• Global Collaboration & Events: Opportunities to participate in international company events and initiatives, connecting with colleagues from all regions and contributing to a truly global community

This is a fully remote role. Your assigned Talent Acquisition Partner will walk you through the specific working arrangements and any applicable conditions during the process.

Let's embark on a journey to redefine the landscape of payments together. We're not just offering a role; we're inviting you to be a part of something bigger. Join our team, and let's innovate, disrupt, and lead the future of payments. Together, we can make an impact that resonates. Welcome to the team!

If this role seems like a good match, please submit your resume all applications are treated with the strictest confidentiality. Please note that we may keep your CV for a period of one (1) year for future relevant job opportunities. For more information about how we process your data please see our privacy policy at https://payabl.com/privacy-policy