Senior Python Web Scraping & Data Automation Developer (Flower Industry)

Python Web Scraping & Data Automation Developer (Dahlia Industry) I'm looking for an experienced developer to build an automated data collection system for the Australian dahlia industry. This is not a simple one-time scraping job. I'm looking for someone who can build a robust, scalable solution that can grow into a much larger platform. Project Overview The system will collect information from Australian dahlia grower websites and compile it into a central database. Initially I would like to capture: * Grower name * Website * Dahlia variety name * Price * Stock status (Available / Sold Out / Coming Soon) * Tuber, cutting or plant * Flower colour * Flower type (Decorative, Ball, Cactus, etc.) * Product URL * Product image URL (where permitted) * Date last updated The system should export the information into a database and/or Excel for analysis. Future Stages The successful developer may continue with future work including: * Automatic monitoring of price changes * Notifications when new varieties are listed * Historical price tracking * Availability alerts * Grower comparison tools * Marketplace integration * AI categorisation of varieties * Customer wish lists * API development This is intended to become the leading Australian dahlia marketplace and information platform. Technical Requirements Ideally you have experience with: * Python * Playwright or Selenium * BeautifulSoup * Scrapy * REST APIs * PostgreSQL or MySQL * Data normalisation * Cloud hosting (AWS, Azure or similar) * Git/GitHub Experience dealing with websites that use JavaScript and anti-bot protection is highly desirable. Important Many growers use different naming conventions and website platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace and custom websites), so the solution needs to be flexible and easy to expand. The code should be clean, well documented and easy to maintain. Please include in your proposal 1. Examples of similar scraping or data aggregation projects you've completed. 2. Which technologies you would use and why. 3. How you would handle websites with JavaScript or anti-bot measures. 4. How you would design the system so new growers can easily be added. 5. Your estimate for Stage 1. 6. Your availability and estimated timeline. Preferred Experience Experience building: * Product comparison websites * Price comparison engines * Marketplace platforms * Agricultural or horticultural databases * Large-scale web scraping systems