Principal Software Engineer - Python (Team Lead)

About the role

We are a Travel and Hospitality Technology Consulting company partnering with online travel agencies, travel management providers, and tech startups to deliver tailored software solutions. With a strong track record of helping hundreds of businesses worldwide, we combine deep domain expertise with modern engineering practices to build impactful products. We are looking for a Principal Python Engineer (Team Lead) who is passionate about solving complex business challenges and shaping high-quality technical solutions.

Project

In this role, you will play a key role in launching and leading a new Python team from scratch, while actively contributing to architecture, development, and client collaboration. You will work closely with Solution Architects, Business Analysts, and other domain experts, participating in pre-sales, solution design, and technical consulting. This is a hands-on leadership position where you will both guide the team and contribute to the codebase, ensuring scalable and maintainable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and build a new Python development team from the ground up
• Participate in the full software development lifecycle from planning to deployment
• Design and implement scalable software solutions using Python
• Make key technical decisions and communicate them to stakeholders
• Mentor team members and conduct code reviews
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (BA, QA, DevOps, UI/UX)
• Participate in client meetings and technical discussions
• Ensure code quality and adherence to best practices
• Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines
• Contribute to architecture decisions and technical strategy
• Coordinate with distributed teams across different time zones
• Stay updated with the latest Python technologies and industry trends
• Participate in solution design sessions

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience with Python and backend development
• Strong expertise in software architecture and system design (microservices, distributed systems, scalable solutions)
• Proven experience leading engineering teams or acting as a technical leader
• Hands-on experience with modern Python frameworks (Django, FastAPI, Flask, or similar)
• Solid understanding of RESTful API design and backend integration patterns
• Experience with relational and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.)
• Knowledge of CI/CD processes and DevOps practices • Strong experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
• Deep understanding of software development best practices, code quality, and design patterns
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make informed technical decisions
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work directly with clients and stakeholders
• Experience mentoring engineers and conducting code reviews
• Ability to work in distributed teams and coordinate across time zones
• Experience using AI coding assistants (e.g., Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or similar) in day-to-day development tasks

Nice to have

• Experience in Travel Tech or related domains (booking systems, airline or hotel platforms, etc.)
• Experience designing and implementing GraphQL APIs
• Knowledge of application security best practices and secure coding standards
• Previous experience building teams from scratch
• Experience in pre-sales, technical consulting, or solution architecture
• Experience building AI-powered solutions or integrating AI pipelines/APIs into software projects

Work-life Balance

• Possibility to work remotely

Health Care

• Reimbursement of medical expenses
• Online morning exercise

Education

• Compensation for trainings, seminars, conferences
• Free access to the Pluralsight and ACloudGuru knowledge base
• Access to the AltexSoft library with top-notch materials
• A mentor for a probation period
• Engagement in our Mentorship Hub program as a mentor or a mentee to foster professional growth and development

Development

• Horizontally - master new technologies at internal courses
• Vertically - choose your own career path through Competency trees

Recognition Program

• All your activities are marked by points that can be exchanged for gifts to fit any taste.