Senior Backend Developer (Python)

Our client is a Hamburg, Germany-based scale-up pioneering AI-powered precision medicine to improve outcomes for cancer patients. Their technology enables pathologists and oncologists to make better diagnostic decisions by predicting which patients will benefit from specific treatments. Over 40.000 patients have been diagnosed with the help of their product. 

Their software assists pathologists in analyzing medical images more efficiently and accurately, especially in histopathology, where they’ve already achieved clinical deployment in the U.S. The company seeks to solve a key healthcare issue: the increasing demand for diagnostics with a limited number of expert pathologists.

As a Senior Software Developer specializing in Python, you will play a pivotal role in our development team, driving the creation of our lab tools and shaping our technologies from the ground up. Digital pathology presents significant challenges, such as managing large images with file sizes of several gigabytes and dimensions of 100,000 x 100,000 pixels. You will for example work on solutions to efficiently stream these images using an advanced image server.

Note: This position does not involve AI model development. Our dedicated machine learning team develops the AI models. Your role as a Senior Backend Developer will focus on integrating, scaling, and serving these models within robust software systems.

A robustly engineered product is crucial to our mission of making pathology accessible worldwide. You will report directly to our VP of Engineering.

Requirements:

• At least 3-5 years of professional working experience with influential work on products.

• MSc degree in Computer Science/ similar field or equivalent practical experience.

• Strong software development background in Python, Django and web development.

• Curiosity for technical hardware devices and experience in interfacing them using APIs.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment with shifting priorities.

• Curiosity about the technological ecosystem in laboratories, including whole-slide scanners and image viewers.

• Enjoying interdisciplinary teamwork, thinking outside the box.

• Capability to work independently on your own projects.

• Strong analytical skills and a commitment to continuous learning, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.

• Experience working with Linux (Ubuntu), Docker and AWS (Lambda, EC2, SQS, Cognito).

• Fluent in English (at least Upper-Intermediate level).

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and improve software to serve machine learning models in production with high-quality, maintainable code.

• Build automation tools to optimize the efficiency of our data annotation pipeline.

• Utilize state-of-the-art technologies like Docker, AWS, Python, and React to shape top-tier digital pathology tools.

• Integrate existing pathology hardware and software solutions (scanners, image viewers, laboratory information systems) into automated workflows.

• Manage individual project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables.

• Collaborate with product, design, front-end, deep learning, and infrastructure specialists to ensure smooth daily operations.

• Select the best approach for each task to ensure efficient and effective results.

Would be a plus:

• Experience with JavaScript / Typescript, React / Redux and CSS knowledge.

• Linux server administration and operations skills.

• Hands-on practice with Postgres and Redis.

• Familiarity with Ruff, Pytest, Nvidia-Pytorch, Django-Ninja.

• Exposure to Docker-Swarm and Gitlab CI/CD.

• Knowledge of German.

What we offer:

• Long-term employment with competitive compensation, based on experience.

• Possibility to work remotely.

• An open, transparent and fun work culture.

• Multi-national team and collaborative work environment.

• Continuous knowledge sharing with engaged co-workers.

• Career and professional growth opportunities.