Senior Python Engineering Team for Investment Decision Platform

We are seeking senior software developers or an established engineering agency to continue the development of IDOS, a private, institutional-grade investment intelligence and decision-support platform. This is a long-term, technically demanding software-engineering project. It is not a basic website, trading dashboard, proof of concept or public investment product. ABOUT THE PLATFORM IDOS combines financial-market data, research, analytical models, governed recommendations, portfolio construction, position sizing, risk controls, monitoring, auditability and controlled learning within one secure platform. The approved Release 1 is a private, restricted-access, responsive web application. It will support parallel general and Shariah-aligned investment mandates across tactical, short-term and medium-term decision horizons. The complete platform includes: * Market-data ingestion, validation, normalization and provenance * Stock Opportunity Intelligence System (SOIS) * Decision Resolver and governed recommendation outputs * The documented SVIL module * Portfolio Governor * Portfolio construction and management * Position sizing, exposure limits and risk controls * Actual-versus-target portfolio reconciliation * Brokerage reconciliation and transaction-cost logic * Opportunity monitoring and revalidation * Controlled learning, replay, calibration and challenger evaluation * Responsive user interface and owner dashboard * Authentication, authorization and secure access * Notifications, observability and operational monitoring * Complete decision lineage, evidence, audit trails and reproducibility * Backup, disaster recovery and controlled production deployment Release 1 is a decision-support and reconciliation system. Autonomous trade execution, public access, subscription services and uncontrolled model self-modification are outside the approved scope. CURRENT PROJECT POSITION IDOS is already under active, repository-based development. Its architecture, governance framework, technical standards, security requirements and development controls have been extensively documented. The successful team will implement the approved system within those controls rather than replace the architecture or redefine the business model. The current technical position is: * One private GitHub repository * Python 3.12 backend foundation * setuptools packaging * pytest automated testing * PyYAML configuration support * GitHub Actions repository validation * Repository-validation tooling * Software Development Kit (SDK) and Shared Kernel foundations covering audit, configuration, contracts, domain and evidence * Approximately 5.7 MB in the repository, including substantial governance and technical documentation The platform is still at the foundation stage. It does not yet have a complete production Application Programming Interface (API), database persistence layer or implemented core business modules. FastAPI and PostgreSQL have been considered, but the final application framework, database and related infrastructure are not yet irrevocably fixed. Any such decision must be supported by technical reasoning and approved through an Architecture Decision Record (ADR). Market-data providers and brokerage integrations have not yet been finally selected or connected. Provider selection must consider data coverage, point-in-time and historical quality, licensing, reliability, cost, reconciliation, security and replacement options. Purchases and external integrations remain subject to separate approval. APPROVED IMPLEMENTATION ORDER Development must follow the approved Sprint 5 remediation sequence: * 5A-R — Repository, Tooling, Automation and Continuous Integration * 5B-R — Shared Kernel, Software Development Kit and Domain Foundation * 5C-R — Market Data Platform * 5D-R — Stock Opportunity Intelligence System * 5E-R — Reinforcement Learning Model and associated foundations Initial work will begin with the remaining requirements in 5A-R or 5B-R and then progress in the approved order. Portfolio construction, brokerage logic and other downstream modules must not be introduced before their supporting foundations and contracts are complete. ENGINEERING AND DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS Development will be performed through small, independently reviewable Pull Requests (PRs). Each production increment must include, as applicable: * Modular and maintainable implementation * Deterministic behaviour and financial calculations * Unit, integration, contract, regression and failure-path testing * API and schema documentation * Database migrations and rollback procedures * Security checks and dependency controls * Structured logging, metrics and observability * Backup and recovery considerations * Reproducible acceptance evidence * Traceability to approved requirements and decisions Incomplete scaffolding, hidden shortcuts and production placeholders will not be accepted as completed work. Repository validation and independent Pull Request and repository-level audits will remain part of the process. Final merge authority remains with the client. Architecture, governance, security boundaries and approved business logic may not be changed without written approval through the applicable decision process. WHO SHOULD APPLY We welcome established agencies and genuinely senior individual developers who can provide the complete capability required. A multidisciplinary team is likely to be better suited to the full engagement. Applicants should demonstrate strong experience in: * Production Python backend engineering * API and database architecture * Financial or data-intensive systems * Market-data or event-driven data pipelines * Deterministic financial calculations * Automated testing and Continuous Integration (CI) * Application and infrastructure security * Observability, backup and recovery * Cloud deployment and operational support * Technical documentation and controlled change management Experience with portfolio systems, market-data platforms, risk engines, financial research systems or regulated/auditable environments is strongly preferred. This engagement is not suitable for teams whose principal experience is limited to basic websites, generic dashboards, prototype applications or low-code development. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Please answer all attached screening questions in one consolidated proposal. Generic agency introductions alone will not be shortlisted. Selection will be based on the proposed named team, relevant evidence, implementation understanding, delivery plan, commercial structure and a technical discussion with the proposed lead and hands-on engineers. The developers presented during selection must remain genuinely involved in delivery. Subcontracting, undisclosed personnel or replacement with substantially less experienced developers will require prior written approval. Detailed specifications will be made available progressively after shortlisting, confidentiality arrangements and appropriate access controls. Repository access will initially be limited to what is necessary for the approved work. This is intended to become a continuing engagement through full production launch and, subject to satisfactory delivery, post-launch support and maintenance.