Senior Python Software Engineer
Summary
Senior engineer at Workana stabilizing and modernizing legacy Python/SQL applications and scheduled jobs: reverse-engineering dependencies, refactoring fragile scripts into tested, resilient workflows, and migrating schedulers to managed Airflow on AWS, while mentoring and partnering with stakeholders. Fully remote in Latin America, paid in USD.
Workana Bogota, D.C., Capital District, Colombia
Senior Python Software Engineer
As a Senior Software Engineer (Python/SQL), you will take ownership of stabilizing and modernizing a portfolio of critical applications and scheduled jobs that power business operations. This is a hands-on role where you'll dive deep into existing Python/SQL (and occasional PHP) codebases, uncover hidden dependencies, and bring structure and reliability to legacy systems.
Your mission will be to transform fragile scripts into well-documented, testable, and resilient workflows, while leading the migration of legacy schedulers and Airflow instances into a managed Airflow environment. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys reverse-engineering complex systems, creating clarity out of chaos, and driving high-impact modernization efforts.
Responsibilities
- Map legacy systems: read Python/SQL (occasional PHP), document data flows, dependencies, and failure modes.
- Modernize & de-risk: refactor scripts, add tests, improve retries/idempotency, kill redundant jobs.
- Migrate to managed Airflow (AWS): plan DAG moves, secrets, CI/CD, and observability.
- Improve reliability/visibility: alerting, on-call-friendly logs, backfill strategies, fewer false alarms.
- Partner with stakeholders: capture the "why," translate to requirements, communicate trade-offs/timelines.
- Raise the bar: code reviews, mentoring, security/documentation culture.
Requirements
- 5+ years software engineering. Strong Python (3.x). Advanced SQL (schema design, tuning) on a major RDBMS.
- Experience owning production schedulers/pipelines (cron/Airflow/etc.).
- Comfortable reading unfamiliar code and producing clear docs/designs.
- Git, CI/CD, Linux, AWS; solid testing/debugging and pragmatic refactoring.
- Excellent communication with non-engineering partners.
Nice to Have
- PHP familiarity for legacy jobs/apps; Django.
- Airflow (DAG design, sensors/operators, backfills) and migrations to managed Airflow.
- ETL/ELT patterns; queues (SQS/Pub/Sub/Kafka); observability (Datadog/CloudWatch/Otel); IaC (Terraform); containers (Docker); secrets mgmt (Vault/SSM/Secret Manager).
Benefits
- Compensation in USD
- Fully remote in Latin America
- Career growth with international clients and dynamic projects
Note: This job posting references the senior software engineering role in Bogota, Colombia, and is intended for individuals eligible to work remotely in Latin America.
