Python Developer Job Description: How to Write, Sample Template & More

These days, Python is one of the most widely used major programming languages. Since its inception in 1999, Python has become a mainstay in everything from web development and game development to machine learning and similar AI technologies. It’s also crucial for IoT development and data science, which is why Python developers are some of the most sought-after professionals in all of programming. 

Seeing as 48% of all developers around the world use Python, the competition for A-list talent is pretty high. As a technical recruiter or the hiring manager in a budding tech company, you’re going to have to pull out the big guns in order to attract the best people to your open positions.

So, where do you start?

There’s really no second chance at a first impression, which is why you’re going to need an amazing Python developer job description. It’s the first thing all candidates see before they interact with your company any further.

And that’s why your job description needs to be amazing — at least if you want to draw the attention of the best Python developers to your company. That’s easier said than done, however, as you need to be compelling, informative, clear, and comprehensive.

Not to worry, though — our guide will give you all the info you need to do just that, including:

• Our proprietary job description template for Python developer positions
• A step-by-step guide on writing the best possible job description for your specific position
• Actionable advice on making sure your job ad gets the Python developers’ attention
• Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about writing job descriptions for technical positions.

Without further ado — let’s get into it! 

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Sample Python Developer Job Description Template

We’ll tell you all about writing the best Python job description yourself, but before that, here’s a great template you can copy, edit, and tailor to your specific job opening!

Senior Python Software Developer, Remote, US Time Zones Only

About Us
MachineTech is a Utah-based startup that helps clients upscale their businesses through technology powered by machine learning and similar AI technologies. We work with hundreds of clients, from small mom-and-pop businesses to Fortune 500 companies that need help with their digital transformation. MachineTech is an equal opportunity employer, and we consider all applications without bias in terms of sex, age, color, race, or any other personal trait. 

What You’ll Do
As a senior Python developer at MachineTech, you’ll assist us in creating dynamic software applications. In this role, you’ll be testing and writing scalable code, developing server-side logic, ensuring responsiveness from front-end requests and high performance, as well as integrating front-end elements into the overall application.

Responsibilities: 
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, lead a team, and manage frequent code deployment without downtime
• Coordinating with other development teams and determine application requirements
• Writing scalable Python code
• Debugging and testing applications
• Using server-side logic to integrate user-facing elements

Necessary Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, or a related field
• 3-5 experience as a software engineer using Python
• Expert knowledge of Python frameworks like Flask and Django
• An in-depth understanding of Python’s threading limitations and multi-process architecture

Nice-to-Have Qualifications:
• Familiarity with Mako and Jinja 2
• Ability to work independently when necessary and collaborate on projects
• Familiarity with required testing tools
• Excellent intercultural communication skills and interpersonal abilities
• Previous experience in a remote workplace

Compensation & Benefits
• Yearly remote work stipend
• Paid gym membership and self-development courses
• Unlimited paid vacation
• Stock options & retirement plans
• Competitive base salary, $180,000 – $230,000 DOE
• Paid parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Drop Us a Line! 
We’re a small start-up team with a wholesome, but growth-oriented company culture. Our remote work options are designed to emphasize work-life balance, and proactive assistance among team members. If you want to level up your Python developer career, while working for a company that actually cares about you and does a ton of awesome work — reach out to us today! 

Just keep this in mind — while we’ve given you an example of what a job description for a Python developer can look like, this is not something you should cling to religiously.

There’s no ultimate template, so feel free to customize this and stray from it as far as you wish. Just make sure to implement most of our suggestions below — as long as they make sense for your company and the information you want to share about the offered position!

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Check out our entire set of tech job descriptions and choose the one which fits your hiring needs best:

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How to Write a Python Developer Job Description

So, you’ve seen what a great Python software developer job description looks like. Now that you know what you’re working towards, let’s touch on each part of the job description in more depth.

Though, before we begin, keep in mind that you want to put the most relevant and vital information up top, so that you don’t lose the interest of your top candidates right away. No-one likes King Lear when they’re looking at job ads; time-poor Python developers will want something skimmable and easy-to-digest.

Also, use the order of our sections as a mere starting point and change things according to your needs. A company like Google or Microsoft wouldn’t need a separate introduction describing what they do, for example. Only include what’s necessary. 

1. Job title

As you might assume, the job title is the first thing you’ll write — and its introductory role is pretty important. The job title is the element that all candidates will see first. And it’s what can separate your job listing among thousands of others on job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, or our very own board here at Arc. 

You need a powerful job title in the description if you’re going to compel top talent to click through among a sea of other offers. Take a look at these two examples:

Good Example:

Senior Python Developer – Data Science – Machine Learning (Remote)

Bad Example:

Python Developer

Sure, brevity is the soul of wit — but you’re not trying to be witty here. And while some short titles can attract more attention in certain contexts, that definitely isn’t the case here. You need to show candidates precisely what they’re applying for — broad definitions like “Python Developer” simply aren’t going to cut it. 

Include some important qualifiers, like:

• A specific sub-field or area (machine learning, data science, etc)
• Type of developer (back-end, full stack)
• Seniority level (junior, senior).

If you want the title to be even more descriptive, there’s additional stuff you can include:

• Location (hybrid, on-site, remote)
• Required technologies, frameworks, or other languages
• Company division 
• Company name (most job boards will have this already written in the listing)

2. About the company

Any hiring manager or recruiter would want the most qualified candidates applying for every opening in their company. But that also means you have to treat your job description much like an employee would approach a job interview. 

For instance, top-tier talent wants to know who they’re working for. So, write a couple of paragraphs about the services and products your company provides, your industry, and perhaps most importantly, your company culture. 

These days, it’s important to highlight how you take great care when it comes to your employees’ mental health and work-life balance. Also, values like equity, accessibility, and diversity are all great for attracting the best Python developers out there. Create a workplace that fosters them, and make sure you mention it! 

Here’s a simple, but informative Python programmer job description from CEVA, Inc. we found on LinkedIn:

Here in CEVA we are developing state of the art sensor fusion software used in a variety of consumer products such as Smart TV’s, robotic vacuum cleaners, audio headsets, AR and VR glasses, and PC’s. The Sensor Fusion (SF) team is responsible for CEVA’s core sensor processing software which is used in a broad portfolio of CEVA products and is the result of over 15 years of experience developing sensor-based technology, systems and products.

You don’t need to include the entire history of your company — but most people will want to know the basics of what the company is about before considering an application. 

3. Role summary

Generally, Python developers know the basics of what their daily duties entail. However, seeing as we’re talking about such a widespread and versatile language, its use can vary wildly between companies and industries.

With that in mind, you want to write a short, high-level overview of the offered position. Here’s an example of what we’re talking about from Start Studio we found on LinkedIn:

We’re seeking ambitious Python developers with strong communication skills, strong work ethic, and the ability and desire to work in an exciting and demanding environment. Developers will create systems that are stable, easy to maintain, and function well according to client needs.

4. Duties and responsibilities

Next up, we’ve got a more detailed look at the responsibilities that your Python dev position entails: what will your prospective candidates actually do on the job?

Sometimes, recruiters will roll this section into the role summary part above. If you decide to do that, just make sure it stands out, perhaps as a separate bullet point list. Make sure you’ve mentioned some of the tools they’ll use, general daily activities, etc. 

Here’s an extremely detailed example for a Python back-end role at Verizon via LinkedIn:

We are looking for a Sr. Python developer who will be responsible for identifying, evaluating, and driving new opportunities through an expert-level comprehension of software design, APIs, and web technologies.

• Build automation tools for Network Support and Operations.
• Ensure everything we build is maintainable and ensure the team follows best practices with code versioning, testing, and programming\project methodologies.
• Use extensive knowledge of data structures, algorithms, programming languages, design principles, and systems integration best-practices to develop efficient and reusable code.
• Leverage expert level understanding of front-end and server-side application design to ensure tools are highly available, geographically redundant, reliable, and meet the growth requirements of a burgeoning network.
• Simplify the complex by designing and implementing solutions and tools that are intuitive to Network Engineers and cater to Verizon iEN Operations.
• Devise an intensive testing strategy for all new and existing components to ensure they are free of bugs and function as intended.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to Jr. Developers through recognizing strengths and weaknesses.
• Create a culture of inclusion and teamwork through leading by example and always considering how their actions influence the broader team.
• Lead code review sessions with Jr. Developers and provide feedback \ guidance.
• Leadership – Project, Team, and Contractors.
• Understand the needs of the Operations teams and drive solutions to problems through prioritizing projects, allocating team resources, taking accountability for delivering results, and maintaining close relationships with peer teams \ organizations.
• Lead a team that designs, builds, tests, and deploys services and APIs that are integral to the operations toolkit.
• Present and communicate progress on projects to other organizations and executives; demonstrate the Opex savings being delivered; and set an example for ushering in DevOps culture to Verizon.
• Help mold the team through actively providing feedback to management on personnel needs, contractor needs, and any roadblocks.
• Successfully partner internally and externally with peer organizations and vendors to provide architectural leadership and review existing services, APIs, and platforms.
• Oversee and take accountability for compliance to all Verizon standards security through CPI-810, requirements for all Verizon built applications, adherence to privacy and data policies.

5. Must-have skills and experience

In this part, also referred to as “job experience” or “core qualifications”, you’ll list some of the must-have abilities and skills candidates need to possess in order to be considered for the position. Here’s a really descriptive example from Cognizant via LinkedIn:

• Strong developer with 6-9 years of professional experience working with required technologies
• Expert in Python Django frameworks
• Expert on UI Frameworks like VueJS and ReactJS
• Expert in using MySQL or MongoDB
• Knowledge on API-Driven Webpages
• Good working knowledge on networking protocols like IGP OSPF BGP
• Good understanding on basic graph algorithms
• Good to have Javascript/JQuery experience
• Material Design and Bootstrap frameworks knowledge

For this part, it’s crucial not to go overboard. Only include the qualifications that are absolutely necessary — the stuff that would be a dealbreaker if absent. 

6. Preferred skills and experience

Here, you can include some of the more optional expertise and skills your ideal candidate might stand out with. We’ve included a sample from a Lead back-end engineer job listing from Tinyhood on LinkedIn:

Nice to have:

Track record or interest in engineering team leadership and mentoring

7. Educational requirements

In this day and age, formal educational requirements are fast becoming obsolete — especially for developer positions in the tech industry that’s already full of self-taught Python engineers, or people who have successfully obtained the necessary skills through non-traditional education (like coding bootcamps). 

Focus on the results you expect, rather than the background you expect it from. Still, if your company policies demand certain formal education, make sure to highlight those requirements in the job description. 

Explain the areas of study you’re looking for — most likely computer science or related fields — and the lowest educational level that clears the bar for the specific position. 

8. Workplace setup

Today, people want to know exactly what kind of workplace they’re signing up for when they apply for a job. 

For instance, are you looking to fill a remote position or will your new employee have to be on-site? There are hybrid arrangements as well, so make sure to specify which one. 

Do you expect a potential candidate to relocate for the job — and will you provide relocation assistance and service? Will they have to be within driving distance of your office space for in-person meetings? 

Location aside, the scheduling is equally important — especially in a globally dispersed team. Will your new employee have to overlap their working hours with the rest of the team? And does this overlap have to be complete, or just for an important daily meeting? 

If you’re only hiring people from a specific geographic area, make sure to state this clearly. And if this role requires any work outside of regular office hours for their location, that’s important info to clarify as well. 

9. Compensation, perks, and benefits

This part is as important as it is self-explanatory — you just need to describe some of the types of compensation offered by your company. With that in mind, here are some of the most oft-appreciated types of unpaid and paid compensation:

• Sick leave and bereavement policy
• Reimbursements for professional growth
• Spending accounts: FSA, HSA, etc.
• Remote work office stipend
• Referral bonuses
• Software and hardware
• Tuition reimbursement
• Company retreats and team bonding activities
• Regular social events, company lunches, and happy hours
• Performance bonuses
• Annual salary range
• Paid time off (PTO) policy
• Subscriptions: gym membership, magazines, newspapers, etc.
• Parental leave policy
• Health coverage: medical, dental, vision, mental health, etc.
• Ownership, equity, and/or stock options
• 401(k) & retirement savings programs

10. Looking ahead: the employee timeline

This part is not strictly necessary, but it represents a neat addition to any Python developer job ad. It helps prospective candidates get a more concrete understanding of the company’s expectations, and it gives them some benchmarks for success in their potential new role. 

Here’s an interesting example from a Python data scientist job position at Vivid Seats we found through LinkedIn:

How your role expectations will progress as a Reporting and Data Analyst in the first 30, 90, and 180 days:

30 days in
• Complete new hire orientation, gaining the resources you need to be successful.
• Learn how ticket marketplaces operate and how you’ll contribute to providing great experiences for our customers.
• Acclimate to team and company norms, business objectives, and Vivid Seats values.
• Understand all relevant tables in database, Looker/LookML and data structure/architecture.

90 days in
• Contribute to our approaches, methods, or technologies to support overall business goals and drive team efficiencies.
• Maintain, harvest, and aid internal and external relationships to achieve progress and advance objectives.
• Independently manage reporting requests, producing work to be utilized by stakeholders.
• Develop any views/new tables as needed for reporting in database.
• Collaborate with Data Engineering to create a cohesive reporting and data strategy.

180 days in
• Apply methods to execute individual tasks that positively impacts the team.
• Play an active role in continued learnings to advance skill sets necessary for team goals.
• Be a trusted partner to functional leaders to understand their departmental needs and more efficiently provide data, analytics, and reporting.
• Anticipate downstream impacts for changes, make necessary adjustments and proactively communicate to stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain effective data governance best practices

11. Other job description sections to consider

All of the fields we’ve discussed above will help your Python software engineer job description attract the best possible people. Still, if you truly want to stand out on any job board, you might want to include some additional information. 

Considering that, here are a couple of other sections to consider:

Company culture — When you were writing your company summary, you may have mentioned you foster an inclusive and vibrant workplace. Still, as this is such an important point to so many people, it may be worth showing this off in another paragraph or two and providing some more details. 

Point of contact — If you want to make the application process more personal and leave an impression on the top-level candidates, you can also provide your contact information in case they have any additional questions or feedback about the application process. 

Legal terms — Depending on your jurisdiction, national or local laws might compel you to include disclaimers on all sorts of issues — from affirmative action plans to data privacy disclosures. 

Tech stack — While any senior Python developer will likely know what they’ll be working on, you might want to give candidates a more in-depth look at your entire infrastructure to get them more interested in your work as a whole.

Key dates — If you don’t make this clear immediately, make sure that candidates know when this job ad will expire by the end of the posting. Also, provide a starting date for successful applicants, particularly if it’s weeks or months away.

Hiring process — Tell applicants about your hiring process; they may want to prepare for any whiteboard interviews or live coding sessions more thoroughly. 

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Tips for Writing an Enticing Job Description for Python Developers

1. Make sure your job description is inclusive

Remember what we’ve talked about in the beginning — your job description is the first impression developers get about your company. That’s also the reason why you need to ensure the language found in the job ad isn’t unintentionally discriminatory. Avoid unconscious bias by carefully crafting the wording in the role description and job title.

There are certain problematic words and phrases that could make your job descriptions unintentionally biased, especially in the tech industry. Avoid those terms, as well as large amounts of corporate jargon that usually points to a company being a “boys’ club” that may put off non-male and non-white applicants. 

Luckily, there’s software that can help you with this, such as Textio or the free and simpler Gender Decoder.

2. Make the job description easy to read

Once the perfect Python developer candidate clicks on your job listing, the quickest way to lose them is to greet them with a huge block of hard-to-read text. That’s why you want the job description to be eye-pleasing and easily digestible.

With that in mind, use text formatting and headings and subheadings (H2 and H3) to separate the different sections of the job description, and don’t be afraid to highlight the most important stuff in bold. Also, link to any pages on your company’s website if necessary. Whenever possible, use bulleted lists instead of long paragraphs.

3. Speak directly to the candidates

To make the job ad more engaging, make sure it speaks to candidates directly.

For instance, instead of saying:

“The daily duties of the perfect candidate would be…”

Use something like:

“In this role, your daily duties will be…”

4. Use a strong call to action

The point of the Python developer job description is to sell your position to the best candidates. That means you have to treat the process like sales — you’re converting active job seekers into applicants for your position.

So, you’ll need an effective and compelling CTA (call to action) at the end of the job ad.

You can also try Arc, your shortcut to the world’s best remote talent:

⚡️ Access 350,000 top developers, designers, and marketers
⚡️ Vetted and ready to interview
⚡️ Freelance or full-time

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