Senior Backend Team Lead f​/m​/x; Python​/IoT​/Cloud

This job posting is not for madewithlove but for one of our clients whom we consciously chose to work with:
Sailsense Analytics is building the leading IoT and data intelligence platform for the maritime industry
. Their mission is to give sailors, fleet operators, and boat builders real-time insights into the state of their boats — from navigation to energy systems, engines, sensors, alerts, maintenance, and much more.

Their ecosystem includes:

⚓️ The Sailsense Hub

An onboard IoT gateway collecting telemetry (NMEA
2000, CAN, Zigbee, GPS, engine data...) and sending it securely to the cloud.

⚡️ Powerail

A next-generation digital switching module replacing traditional breakers, enabling remote control, energy monitoring, and automation.

📱
Sailsense Cloud Platform

A modern web and mobile suite used by thousands of boat owners, rental fleets, technicians, and shipyards to:

• monitor boats in real time
• receive alerts
• analyse navigation & telemetry
• manage maintenance
• track tasks & tickets
• integrate OEM systems (Volvo Penta, Master volt...)

They combine embedded hardware, real-time telemetry, high-availability cloud systems, machine learning, and delightful UI/UX into one coherent platform. Sailsense is scaling quickly, and they are expanding the engineering team with a Senior Backend Team Lead (f/m/x) who will take ownership of backend architecture, data pipelines, infrastructure reliability, and high-impact technical decisions.

We are looking for a hands‑on Senior Backend Engineer who also acts as Team Lead and Technical Owner
. This is not a CTO role, but you will be the senior technical reference for the backend team and a key contributor to system design, architecture, and reliability.

You will:

• Make architectural choices
• Lead major migrations
• Review designs & propose improvements
• Build core backend features
• Work with firmware, mobile, and product teams
• Mentor developers
• Drive engineering excellence

This role is perfect for someone who enjoys both deep technical work (70–80%) and technical leadership (20–30%), and who wants to influence architecture without carrying C‑level responsibilities
.

1. Backend Architecture & Core Development

You will be responsible for the architecture, quality, and scalability of our backend, built primarily in Python.

• Architect & implement backend services (Python, Django, FastAPI)
• Lead design discussions & own technical decisions for backend modules
• Improve performance, reliability, scalability, and maintainability
• Ensure high code quality through reviews, mentoring, and best practices
• Write production‑grade code — you remain highly hands‑on

2. Real‑Time IoT & Data Pipelines

You will shape the backbone of our real‑time telemetry ingestion & processing.

• Improve MQTT ingestion pipelines from the Sailsense Hub
• Optimise streaming flows for tens of thousands of data points per minute
• Work with structured & unstructured telemetry (GPS, engines, sensors, alerts)
• Collaborate with firmware engineers on protocols (NMEA
  2000, CAN, Zigbee)
• Troubleshoot end‑to‑end IoT flows from edge to cloud

3. Infrastructure, Dev Ops, and Observability

You’ll help maintain and evolve a modern, reliable infrastructure.

• Improve CI/CD pipelines
• Optimise cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP)
• Enhance observability: logs, metrics, tracing, alerting
• Strengthen platform security & reliability
• Drive cost efficiency and resource optimisation

4. System Design & Technical Decision Making

You will be the go‑to person for backend design choices.

• Lead architectural proposals and RFC reviews
• Oversee migrations (database schemas, services, data formats)
• Improve resilience and fault‑tolerance
• Ensure API consistency, versioning, and stability
• Collaborate closely with product on feasibility & technical scoping

5. Technical Leadership (No HR management)

You will guide the team through your technical expertise.

• Mentor senior and mid‑level developers
• Lead code reviews & share best practices
• Support requirements refinement with the product team
• Drive engineering standards across backend & platform
• Help the team make better architectural decisions

You do not manage HR processes, salaries, or company‑wide strategy — this is a technical leadership role.