Python Backend Engineer (Remote, Full - Time)
First seen by Alion on Nov 4, 2026.
About Smart Working
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Our mission is simple: to break down geographic barriers and connect skilled professionals with outstanding global teams and products for full-time, long-term roles. We help you discover meaningful work with teams that invest in your success, where you're empowered to grow personally and professionally.
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About the Role
As a Backend Engineer (Python), you will contribute to building an AI-native cybersecurity platform, helping customers operate and manage their own fleets of AI agents. You will develop backend systems supporting security detection, investigation and AI-assisted resolution.
You will join a team of 14+ engineers across Backend, DevOps, Endpoint, Frontend and Design, reporting to the VP of Engineering and AI. The team follows a flat structure and a single-owner model, with one engineer per discipline per project.
This role is suited to an autonomous, customer-focused engineer who takes end-to-end ownership, collaborates effectively and uses AI to deliver high-impact solutions.
Responsibilities
- Build the Agent Control Plane, enabling customers to run and manage their own fleet of AI agents
- Design, develop and deliver Python services using FastAPI and Flask for security detection, investigation and AI-assisted resolution
- Build the AI agent layer, including tool calling, Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations and human approval mechanisms before actions are performed on live systems
- Model and query large security datasets using ClickHouse, ensuring strict tenant isolation
- Take end-to-end ownership of assigned projects, from understanding customer problems through to delivering solutions
- Engage directly with customers to understand their requirements and ensure their problems are resolved
- Independently manage priorities and deliver high-impact work while maintaining continuous communication and collaboration with the team
- Use AI agents and frontier models to learn unfamiliar technologies, navigate unfamiliar codebases and manage multiple projects
- Manage two major projects alongside smaller AI-driven tasks
Requirements
- Minimum 5 years of overall software engineering experience
- Minimum 5 years of hands-on production Python development experience
- Daily, hands-on experience using AI agents and frontier AI models to build software
- Demonstrated ability to use LLMs independently to learn unfamiliar technical areas, work across unfamiliar codebases and deliver software solutions
- Experience in system design for distributed services
- Strong understanding of API design and data modelling
- High standards for software testing, correctness and observability
- Ability to take complete ownership of features and projects, from understanding customer requirements to resolving customer problems
- Strong customer focus, with a willingness to communicate directly with customers rather than simply completing assigned tickets
- Ability to identify urgent priorities, respond quickly and focus on delivering work with the greatest impact
- Ability to work autonomously, set priorities and make decisions without constant supervision while maintaining effective communication and collaboration
- A growth mindset, with openness to constructive criticism, willingness to discard or rework code and projects when necessary, and commitment to improving the wider team
- A trustworthy and accountable approach, demonstrating honesty, attention to detail, early communication of problems and consistent delivery
- Ability to work effectively with colleagues rather than in isolation
- Ability to clearly explain technical decisions, implementation approaches and solutions
- Willingness to own projects end to end
- Availability to work remotely during UK working hours
- Ability to join as soon as possible
Nice to Have
- Experience with FastAPI or Flask
- Experience with ClickHouse or other columnar analytics databases
- Production experience with agent harnesses, LLM tool use, Model Context Protocol (MCP) or Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Experience developing or maintaining multi-tenant SaaS platforms
- Experience in cybersecurity, detection engineering or large-scale event processing
- Some experience with C++ or TypeScript
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.