Senior Python/Django Backend Developer — AI Integration & Ownership Role

About the Role We have a half-built Django backend that needs a senior engineer to take full ownership — not just execute tickets, but understand the system, make architectural decisions, and drive it to completion. This is not a greenfield project. You'll be stepping into an existing codebase, getting up to speed fast, and taking responsibility for quality, delivery, and technical direction from day one. What You'll Own Review and understand the existing Django codebase Identify gaps, risks, and areas needing improvement Complete half-built features and backend systems Integrate LLM-powered features (OpenAI, Claude, or similar) Design and maintain REST APIs Ensure code quality, documentation, and maintainability Collaborate directly with the founder on technical decisions Required Skills 5+ years Python development Strong Django and Django REST Framework experience Hands-on LLM integration experience — OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, LangChain, or similar PostgreSQL — schema design, query optimization Experience taking ownership of existing codebases, not just assigned tasks Clean, documented, maintainable code Strong English communication Nice to Have Docker and CI/CD experience AWS or GCP deployment RAG pipeline experience Celery and async task handling You Are a Strong Fit If You read code before writing it You flag risks early instead of discovering them late You're comfortable making decisions without being micromanaged You've owned a backend, not just contributed to one To Apply, Please Answer Share an example of a Django project you took ownership of — what state was it in when you joined and what did you deliver? Describe your experience with LLM integrations — which models, what use cases, production or demo? What is your hourly rate and weekly availability?