Senior Backend Engineer (Python)
Location: Fully Remote (Italy)
Rate: €250.00 per day
Contract Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: ASAP
Travel: Up to 4 business trips per year
Language Requirements:
- Italian: Native or Full Professional Proficiency
- English: Fluent / Excellent (mandatory)
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Senior Backend Engineer (Python) to join the Digital Innovation Technology team on a contract basis.
You will play a key role in integrating heterogeneous devices into a unified IoT platform by developing robust backend services and gateway applications. This position focuses heavily on protocol integration, cloud connectivity, and scalable IoT architectures.
The ideal candidate is hands-on, technically curious, and comfortable working with complex distributed systems and low-level device communication technologies.
Key Responsibilities
Backend & IoT Development
- Design, develop, and maintain high-performance backend services in Python
- Build and maintain IoT gateway applications running on Yocto Linux
- Implement communication layers and integrations using protocols such as:
- Serial
- TCP/UDP
- RS485
- Modbus
- BACnet
- CAN
- Ensure reliability through robust retry logic, error handling, and offline buffering
- Integrate devices with cloud platforms using protocols such as MQTTS and HTTPS
- Contribute to backend architecture and continuously improve development practices and tooling
Device Protocol Integration
- Analyze and integrate legacy, proprietary, and non-standard HVAC/building automation protocols
- Reverse engineer undocumented or partially documented protocols where necessary
- Develop Python drivers and parsers to convert device-level communication into standardized internal models
Cloud Integration & Data Modelling
- Map device data structures into Digital Twin models
- Collaborate closely with Cloud and Mobile teams to ensure semantic consistency across products
- Contribute reusable integration patterns, standards, and best practices
Testing & Validation
- Perform end-to-end testing across device, gateway, cloud, and mobile layers
- Conduct code reviews, debugging, optimization, and performance tuning
- Support troubleshooting and field validation activities when required
Collaboration & Documentation
- Work closely with firmware, cloud, app, and product engineering teams
- Participate in cross-functional international collaboration
- Produce clear technical documentation and share integration knowledge across teams
Required Skills & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related discipline
- 5+ years of professional experience in backend software development
- Advanced Python development experience with production-grade systems
- Strong experience with Docker containerization
- Experience designing and managing Kubernetes-based infrastructures
- Solid knowledge of:
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- MongoDB
- Redis
- Experience working with IoT systems and communication protocols
- Strong understanding of scalable backend architectures and cloud integrations
- Fluent English communication skills
Nice to Have
- Experience with Yocto Linux
- HVAC, industrial automation, or building technology domain knowledge
- Exposure to Digital Twin architectures
- Experience reverse engineering communication protocols
Soft Skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset
- Curious and passionate about technology
- Structured yet pragmatic approach to engineering
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Ability to work independently in a remote-first environment
- Goal-oriented with strong ownership mentality
What’s on Offer
- Fully remote contract engagement
- Opportunity to work on cutting-edge IoT and cloud integration projects
- International and collaborative engineering environment
- Flexible working culture with strong work–life balance
- Exposure to innovative technologies in sustainability and smart building systems