Lead/Senior Backend Developer - Python

Description : Senior Backend Developer Lead Engineer.

Location : Gurgaon (WFO, 5 Days).

Department : Technology / Product Engineering.

Reporting To : CMO / CDO.

Employment Type : Full-Time, Permanent.

Experience : 5+ Years.

Company Profile

Ken Research is a global strategy consulting and market intelligence firm serving enterprises, investors, and government institutions across India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and global markets.

Our Technology Team Builds Scalable Platforms Powering

• Research & consulting automation.
• Expert network systems.
• Market intelligence engines.
• AI-enabled workflows and internal productivity tools.
  
  

We operate with a high-ownership, fast-paced, startup mindset where engineering excellence, automation, and performance matter.

Role Summary

We are hiring a Senior Backend Developer (Lead Engineer) to architect, develop, and scale backend systems across our digital ecosystem.

This Role Demands Deep Experience In

• Python, Django, DRF.
• MySQL & PostgreSQL.
• Elasticsearch.
• All types of API development & integrations.
• DevOps, CI/CD, scalable deployments.
• System architecture & backend design.
  
  

You will work directly with the CMO/CDO on product architecture, backend vision, AI integrations, and platform performance.

This is a startup-like engineering ownership role with high autonomy and high accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Backend Engineering & Architecture :

• Architect and build scalable backend systems using Python, Django, DRF.
• Design microservices, modular backend layers, domain-driven architecture.
• Build robust systems with high fault tolerance and performance.
• Conduct architectural reviews, suggest design optimizations.
  
  

Database Engineering (MySQL/PostgreSQL)

• Design relational schemas with normalization and performance considerations.
• Optimize SQL queries, indexes, and data pipelines.
• Implement caching strategies using Redis/Memcached.
• Handle migrations, data integrity, and transaction flows.
  
  

API Engineering (All Types)

You will build and maintain all kinds of APIs, including :

• REST APIs.
• Internal service APIs.
• Webhooks & event-driven APIs.
• Authentication & RBAC APIs.
• Reporting & analytics APIs.
• Third-party integrations (CRM, analytics, tools).
• AI/LLM API integrations (OpenAI, Gemini, Claude, etc.
  
  

Responsibilities

• Design API layers following best practices & security standards.
• Handle throttling, rate limiting, versioning, API documentation.
• Ensure high throughput and low-latency performance.
  
  

Search Engineering (Elasticsearch)

• Implement Elasticsearch for high-speed search & filtering.
• Design mappings, analyzers, indexing strategies.
• Build search microservices with optimized queries.
• Ensure query accuracy, speed, and relevance.
  
  

DevOps, CI/CD & Deployment

• Set up and maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions/Jenkins/GitLab).
• Manage automated deployments with rollback strategies.
• Work with Docker, Nginx, Linux servers, and environment configs.
• Implement logging, monitoring, alerting (ELK/Sentry).
• Improve system uptime, security, and release stability.
  
  

Collaboration, Ownership & Leadership

• Own backend modules end-to-end from design development deployment.
• Work closely with CMO/CDO on architecture, roadmap, and engineering priorities.
• Collaborate with frontend, DevOps, data, AI, and product teams.
• Review code, enforce quality standards, and mentor junior engineers.
• Drive engineering improvements, documentation, and internal tooling.
  
  

Preferred Technical Exposure (Value-Add Bonus)

(Not mandatory but highly beneficial).

• LLM integration, embeddings, vector search.
• FastAPI or async Python frameworks.
• Kubernetes / container orchestration.
• Event-driven systems (Kafka, SQS, Pub/Sub).
• Large-scale caching strategies.
  
  

Education

Qualifications & Skills Required :

• Bachelors/Masters in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical fields.
  
  

Experience

• 5+ years backend engineering.
• Experience building production systems from scratch (startup or high-growth preferred).
• Strong experience in Python, Django, DRF, MySQL, Elasticsearch.
  
  

Technical Skills

• Python, Django, DRF.
• MySQL & PostgreSQL.
• Elasticsearch.
• Redis, Celery/RQ.
• Docker, Nginx, Linux.
• CI/CD (GitHub Actions/Jenkins/GitLab).
• REST APIs, service integrations, webhooks.
• System architecture & debugging.
• Version control (GitHub).
  
  

Soft Skills & Mindset

• Startup mindset : speed, ownership, clarity, problem-solving.
• Strong communication with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to translate business requirements into technical designs.
• High accountability and engineering discipline.
  
  

(ref:hirist.tech)