Senior Python Backend Developer (Django/FastAPI)

Senior Python Backend Developer (Django/FastAPI)Remote, $3500 - $4500 per month, DOE. About AscendAscend (formerly FlyFlat) is a membership-based travel concierge service that delivers 24/7 end-to-end journey management for frequent travelers and corporate teams. Members save an average of 35% on business and first-class flights and reclaim hours of planning time, communicating directly with a dedicated human concierge team via WhatsApp to book flights, hotels, and ground transport, with proactive disruption management throughout the journey.The combination of white-glove service and proprietary technology is what makes the model work—and that's where this role sits. We're scaling the platform, the team, and the surface area of what a small engineering org can credibly own, including how AI-assisted development reshapes that ceiling.The RoleAs a Senior Python Backend Developer at Ascend, you'll lead development of our Python-based web applications using Django and FastAPI. You'll architect scalable solutions, implement best practices, and help shape our technical direction while working with modern cloud infrastructure.Beyond traditional engineering, you'll play a meaningful role in how Ascend adopts AI-assisted development—both inside Engineering and in the tooling, standards, and guardrails we extend to the rest of the organization. We expect AI to be a first-class part of how our team ships, reviews, and operates, and we want someone who has opinions on what that should look like.This is a remote role paying $3500 - $4500 per month, DOE. Who You AreYou're an experienced developer with deep Python expertise and a passion for building high-performance web applications. You combine technical excellence with pragmatic problem-solving and enjoy the challenges of a growing company. You're also fluent in modern AI-augmented development: you know when to reach for AI tools, where they fall short, and how to build the structures (prompts, skills, review processes, evaluation harnesses, access controls) that let a team use them productively and safely.What You'll DoLead development of features using Django and FastAPIArchitect and implement scalable web applicationsEstablish technical standards for our Python codebase, including standards for AI-assisted contributionsOptimize our cloud infrastructure (Railway, with selective AWS usage)Build and maintain the AI tooling, prompts, and skills the engineering team relies on day-to-day, and treat that work as a real engineering deliverable rather than a side projectHelp define the company-wide policies, guardrails, and enablement that let teams across Ascend use AI tools effectively without creating IP, security, or data-handling riskMentor developers, conduct thorough code reviews, and help raise the bar for how we evaluate AI-assisted workCollaborate with product managers and designersImplement testing and evaluation strategies, including for workflows that involve AI in the loopEvaluate new technologies, AI and otherwise, to enhance our tech stackMust-Have Skills & Qualities5+ years of Python web development experienceStrong proficiency with Django and FastAPI frameworksExpert knowledge of web development best practicesExperience with PostgreSQL and ORM frameworksSolid understanding of front-end technologiesAdvanced Git skills and collaborative workflowsExperience with Agile methodologies and CI/CDDemonstrable experience using AI coding assistants (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, Copilot) on production work, with sound judgment about when AI output needs more scrutiny or reworkExcellent problem-solving and communication skillsAbility to balance technical excellence with business needsBonus Points ForExperience with AWS services and/or RailwayKnowledge of cloud architecture and infrastructureExperience with microservices and containerizationAPI design and scalability expertiseExperience designing reusable AI artifacts (prompts, skills, agents, internal tooling) that encode team expertise rather than living in one person's headExperience setting up AI guardrails at an organizational level: code review policies for AI-assisted contributions, IP and data-handling practices, secrets and access controls, model and tool selection, evaluation frameworksExperience enabling non-engineering teams (operations, concierge, growth, finance) to use AI tools safely and productivelyWhy Join UsTake ownership of critical technical challenges, including how AI fits into our engineering culture and operating modelWork with modern technologies and shape our technical roadmapJoin a high-performing team where your contributions have direct impactContribute to a product with proven market fitDevelop leadership skills while solving meaningful problems, both technical and organizationalOpportunity for significant professional growth as we scale