Senior Backend Developer (AI, Python)

Project description

We are looking for a Backend Developer to join a team building scalable, cloud-native services for a major US insurance provider. You will design and deliver high-performance Python APIs on Microsoft Azure, own services end to end from development through deployment on AKS, and make sure they are well monitored, observable and reliable in production. The platform also exposes enterprise capabilities to AI agents through MCP servers, so you will work at the intersection of classic backend engineering and modern GenAI integration.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain scalable, high-performance REST APIs and backend services using Python and FastAPI. Build and maintain MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers using FastMCP to expose enterprise data and tools to AI agents and LLM-based applications. Design data models and access patterns for Azure Cosmos DB, with attention to partitioning, throughput (RU) efficiency and consistency. Implement caching strategies with Azure Cache for Redis to improve performance and reduce load on downstream systems. Containerize services with Docker and deploy and operate them on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, including automated testing, security scanning and deployments. Implement monitoring and observability: structured logging, distributed tracing, metrics, dashboards and alerting (Azure Monitor, Application Insights, OpenTelemetry). Own the full service lifecycle: design, implementation, testing, deployment, production support and incident troubleshooting. Apply secure coding practices and enterprise security standards, including secrets management and secure service-to-service communication. Use AI-assisted development tools (Claude, Codex) to accelerate delivery while maintaining high code quality. Collaborate with client stakeholders, architects, frontend engineers and QA to deliver end-to-end features. Participate in code reviews and contribute to backend architecture and engineering standards.

SKILLS

Must have

• 4+ years of professional backend development experience with a strong focus on Python. Solid experience building production REST APIs with FastAPI, including async programming, Pydantic models, dependency injection and API versioning. Hands-on experience with FastMCP or MCP server development, or strong interest and demonstrable ability to ramp up quickly. Practical experience with Microsoft Azure, including AKS, Azure Cosmos DB and Azure Cache for Redis. Experience with Docker and deploying containerized applications to Kubernetes (Helm or similar tooling is a plus). Experience building CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions. Hands-on experience with observability tooling such as Azure Monitor, Application Insights, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus or Grafana. Good understanding of scalable system design: caching, rate limiting, retries, idempotency and horizontal scaling. Experience with automated testing (pytest, integration and contract testing). Daily, confident use of VS Code and AI coding assistants such as Claude and Codex. Strong understanding of software engineering best practices: clean code, code review, Git workflows. Upper-Intermediate (B2) or higher English, with the ability to communicate directly with US-based stakeholders.

Nice to have

Experience in the insurance or broader financial services domain. Experience integrating LLMs (Azure OpenAI, OpenAI GPT, Anthropic Claude) into backend services. Familiarity with Azure services such as API Management, Key Vault, Service Bus or Event Grid. Experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Bicep). Knowledge of authentication and authorization with Azure AD / Entra ID, OAuth 2.0 and managed identities. Familiarity with data privacy and compliance requirements for handling PII in regulated industries.