Backend Engineer (Python) (Consultant)

Backend Engineer (Python)

Location: Worldwide (Remote)
Duration: 6 months (with possible extension)
Hours: 40 hours/week
Rate: To be proposed by the candidate; competitive based on experience

Introduction

The Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) is a Syrian human rights non-profit organization working for meaningful justice and accountability for Syria that holds perpetrators accountable and addresses grievances, leading to lasting peace.

Bayanat is an open-source data management solution for processing large volumes of data relevant to human rights abuses and war crimes, developed and maintained by SJAC. SJAC, as well as several other NGOs, uses Bayanat to collect, analyze, and share documentation of human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

SJAC is seeking a Backend Engineer to help build and maintain Bayanat, our open‑source human rights documentation platform. This is a remote consulting role with a six‑month probationary period. The consulting agreement can be extended beyond this period based on satisfactory performance and funding availability for up to three years.

Position Summary

We use open-source technologies (Linux, PostgreSQL, Python, Nginx). We use modern technologies with an emphasis on reliability, scaling, maintainability, and seamless web experiences. Our team operates with agility and a mission-driven approach, closely collaborating with users.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Backend Engineer with expertise in Python and PostgreSQL to join our mission-driven team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining backend services that power Bayanat and other internal tools. You will collaborate closely with other developers to ensure scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems.

The ideal candidate will have deep experience with Python (Flask or Django), strong database skills, and a passion for building robust backend infrastructure. You will contribute to architectural decisions and help shape the technical direction of our platform, with a focus on performance, security, and long-term sustainability.

Applicants should be available for 40 hours/week to fulfill SJAC’s web development needs. The position is remote with flexible hours.

Scope of Work

• Design, build, and maintain backend services using Python with Flask

• Work with PostgreSQL: schema design, migrations, query optimization, reliability at scale

• Write clean, testable, maintainable code; contribute to code reviews and CI

• Troubleshoot and improve deployments; performance, scalability, and stability

• Integrate with internal and external APIs; collaborate closely with the Bayanat team

• Write and maintain unit and integration tests to ensure code quality and reliability

• Participate in agile processes and weekly team calls

Required Qualifications

• BSc in Computer Science or related field. Significant work experience in web development may be acceptable in lieu of a formal degree

• 3+ years professional python backend development experience

• Strong hands‑on experience with PostgreSQL, Linux, and Git

• Solid understanding of web architecture, APIs, OOP, and REST principles

• Comfortable in remote, agile teams; can take ownership and deliver independently

• Professional proficiency in English

Bonus Skills

• Database optimization and scaling experience; indexing, EXPLAIN, connection pooling

• Familiarity with Nginx, containerization, and testing frameworks (especially pytest)

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation (kindly propose an hourly rate)

• Flexible working hours and remote work

Candidates may be sent a short hiring exercise that simulates the work a successful candidate will be doing. The exercise is designed to take approximately 1–2 hours and will entail making a change to Bayanat’s code.