Sr. Backend Engineer - Python / Microservices

Company Overview

At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with our people. We’re a global close-knit community, united by the relentless pursuit to help keep people safer everywhere. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Connect with a career that matters, and help us build a safer future.

Department Overview

Job Description

We are looking for a highly experienced Senior Software Developer with deep expertise in Python and a strong background in both computer networking, DevOps, and message brokers. This role is for a hands-on engineer who can bridge the gap between software development, network engineering, and operational excellence. You will be responsible for designing, developing, and deploying mission- critical applications that are not only secure and reliable but also scalable and easily maintainable in production.

Your Mission

• Build & Scale: Design and develop scalable backend services and microservices for cloud and IoT-scale systems on a Cloud Platform.

• APIs & Event-Driven Systems: Build REST/gRPC APIs and pub/sub architectures using message brokers such as MQTT, Kafka, RabbitMQ, and Pub/Sub.

• IoT & Messaging: Enable secure device-to-cloud and service-to-service communication using MQTT, IoT concepts, and event-driven patterns.

• Automate & Deploy: Build and operate automated CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native deployments using Docker and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).

• Network & Debug: Apply deep knowledge of TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, TLS, and Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networking; troubleshoot complex issues using tools like Wireshark.

• Data & Security: Design efficient SQL/NoSQL data models and implement security best practices using IAM, Cloud KMS, and Secret Manager.

• Collaborate & Lead: Partner with network and security teams, mentor engineers, conduct code reviews, and uphold engineering best practices.

Qualifications:

• Proven Expertise: 5+ years of software development experience with a strong focus on modern backend development languages (e.g., Python, Go, Java, C++, or Node.js) and enterprise frameworks.

• Event-Driven Systems: Hands-on experience designing and operating event-driven architectures using message brokers and pub/sub systems (MQTT required; Kafka, RabbitMQ, or Google Pub/Sub a plus).

• GCP & Cloud Networking: Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or other major cloud providers (AWS/Azure), including core services like VPCs, subnets, Cloud Load Balancing, and Cloud Firewalls.

• DevOps Mindset: Strong hands-on experience building and managing CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions.

• Containerization: Proficiency with Docker and Kubernetes (GKE preferred), including deployment, scaling, and configuration management.

• Data Driven: Experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, or GCP Cloud SQL/Datastore), with an understanding of performance and reliability trade-offs.

• API Alchemist: Solid background in API design (REST/gRPC) and integrating distributed systems using synchronous and asynchronous patterns.

• Problem Solver: Exceptional debugging skills across application, messaging, network, and infrastructure layers.

• Leadership & Communication: Excellent communication skills with demonstrated technical leadership, mentoring, and code review experience.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience preferred.

Bonus Points

• Previous experience building and managing high-scale distributed systems.

• Experience building IoT platforms or large-scale device telemetry and command/control systems.

• Hands-on experience with GCP-native services such as Pub/Sub, Cloud Run, GKE, IAM, Cloud Monitoring/Logging.

• Experience with network automation tools such as Ansible, Netmiko, or Nornir.

• Knowledge of edge computing, SDN, or distributed messaging at scale.

• Experience with observability and monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/OpenSearch).

• Prior experience building and operating high-scale, distributed, event-driven systems.

Target Base Salary Range: $100,000 - $130,000 USD

Consistent with Motorola Solutions values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Pay within this range varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate.

Basic Requirements

• 5+ years of professional software development experience

• 3+ years of backend development experience using modern languages (Python, Go, Java, C++, or Node.js), along with exposure to GCP or public cloud environments, DevOps practices, and networking fundamentals.

• Hands-on experience designing and operating event-driven architectures using message brokers and pub/sub systems (MQTT required; Google Pub/Sub, Kafka, or RabbitMQ a plus).

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. indefinitely is required. Employer work permit sponsorship is not available for this position.

Travel Requirements

Relocation Provided

Position Type

Referral Payment Plan

Our U.S. Benefits include:

• Incentive Bonus Plans

• Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

• 401K with Company Match

• 10 Paid Holidays

• Generous Paid Time Off Packages

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

• Paid Parental & Family Leave

• and more!

EEO Statement

Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected characteristic.

We are proud of our people-first and community-focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you’d like to join our team but feel that you don’t quite meet all of the preferred skills, we’d still love to hear why you think you’d be a great addition to our team.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience for candidates with disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions. To request an accommodation, please complete this Reasonable Accommodations Form so we can assist you.