April 7, 2023 · 10 min read

Python developer job description: Guide, templates & more

Python developers are in high demand. Python is one of the world’s most popular programming languages, and companies across the globe use it. Unfortunately, this means that hiring top Python developers is a challenge.

But there’s some good news!

This blog’s Python developer job description template can help you attract highly skilled engineers to your organization. We know because, at Gun.io, we’ve helped hundreds of companies do exactly this.

So what can our Python programmers do for you? In short, so much! It isn’t possible to list all the tasks here. Just know that they can help you build high-performing, responsive web applications, manage data between servers and users, and so much more.

When hiring, you can use the following Python job description template and craft it as you see fit.

Try to begin your Python developer job description by summarizing your company’s values and vision. Next, detail the role and its impact on your company’s success. After this, outline the role’s objectives, responsibilities, qualifications, and any differentiators with bullet points. Remember: you’re trying to inspire top Python programmers to apply.

Don’t worry if this sounds overwhelming. Here at Gun.io, we know a thing or two about hiring top Python developers. That’s because we’ve helped hundreds of companies – from Fortune 500s to startups – hire talented engineers by tapping into our network. As a result, we can help you build the perfect Python job description and hire experts.

Before we dig deeper into the Python developer job description template, let’s learn more about Python developers.

Who is a Python developer?

Python developers specialize in coding web application logic. They connect applications with third-party web services and support front-end developers with app integrations.

Top Python developers often possess skills in front-end design and development, server-side application, and database architecture. They also understand business logic and user experience and typically have a strong background in computer programming.

What does a Python developer do?

Companies often hire Python developers to upgrade or build new applications from scratch. They’re typically responsible for coding, designing, deploying, debugging, and maintaining development projects – usually on the front or back end.

Python developers also work closely with other developers and designers to develop software and applications. For example, they collaborate with other front-end developers, software architects, system engineers, and designers to ensure that products meet customer needs. In addition to writing code, Python developers must understand business requirements, user experience, and quality assurance.

Python developers’ work areas include data collection and analytics, database creation, web development, design, scripting, and automation. They often work closely with data collection and analytics to create valuable insights too.

Companies like Netflix, Google, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, and Instagram use Python. For example, Spotify captures user data to provide accurate recommendations and playlists, and Dropbox creates its native applications on each platform using Python scripts.

What tools do Python developers use?

Python developers, machine learning engineers, and data scientists commonly use data science tools such as Scikit-Learn, Keras, Theano, and SciPy for data mining and analysis. These tools give developers efficient algorithms and libraries for statistical computing, machine learning, and deep learning.

Meanwhile, automation testing tools like Selenium, Robot Framework, and TestComplete can help Python developers write test scripts that automate web, iOS, and Android app testing. In addition, these tools enable developers to test across multiple browsers and operating systems, meaning developers can quickly identify and fix bugs in their apps.

Python developers can also benefit from using web scraping tools like LXML, Beautiful Soup, and Scrapy to extract data from websites and other online sources. These tools have easy-to-use interfaces and libraries for scraping and parsing data from HTML and XML documents.

In addition to these specialized tools, Python developers often use standard tools and technologies like web frameworks (e.g. Django), databases (e.g. PostgreSQL), and development and debugging tools (e.g. PyCharm). Version control systems like Git or SVN and scripting languages like Bash or PowerShell are also commonly used for automation and deployment.

By using these tools and technologies, Python developers can create robust, secure, and efficient applications that meet the expectations of their customers.

Okay, now that we know more about Python developers, it’s time to look at the Python job description.

Python developer job description template

This Python developer job description will do three things:

It will introduce candidates to your company’s culture and values
It will help candidates understand what the role will entail
It will get candidates excited about the possibility of working for your company!

You’re welcome to copy and edit this template as you see fit.

Okay, so let’s start with a detail that’s easy to overlook: The job title.

Job title

Think of your job title like a newspaper headline. It’s the first thing candidates see before reading your Python programmer job description, so it must capture their attention. After all, you want to attract candidates and get them to click through.

So how do you do this?

You want to keep the title short, but there’s a line. Make it too short, and you won’t capture a candidate’s attention. For example, a broad title like “Python Developer” won’t stand out on a job board.

Instead, you should thread in qualifiers. Qualifiers can be things like seniority level and the type of Python developer you’re looking for (front-end, back-end, full-stack).

Other technical qualifiers can also help, like required languages or frameworks. So can non-technical qualifiers, such as whether the role is full-time, part-time, or freelance. The role’s location (remote or office-based) is also worth mentioning.

An example of a good job title is “Senior Python Developer – Database Engineer – Back-End (Remote)”. It details the seniority level, type of development work, and location.

Now that you’ve got your job title, it’s time to start crafting your Python job description.

About the company

You want to make a strong first impression with your job description. One way to do this is by talking about your company in a way that gets candidates excited about what you do. Paint your company in its best light and highlight what makes it a great workplace.

This section can highlight key information about your company’s culture, size, mission, goals, and perks. These include benefits, office hours, or remote working possibilities. Anything that makes your company stand out.

Unlike most companies, we also try to inject humor into our job descriptions when recruiting at Gun.io. We’ll let you judge whether that’s working for us! (See below.)

Here’s one we made earlier:

About Gun.io

Gun.io is a technology company that connects great companies and proven software engineers who are the world’s best-hired guns. Our mission is to create joy through connection, collaboration, and achievement for the world’s professional class.

We believe that the current system for hiring and being hired as a software engineer isn’t working. For hirers, the process is long and time-intensive, typically requiring a developer from their team to pause their other work and manage technical vetting. On the other side, job seekers must wade through recruiter spam, repetitive interviews, code tests, and cryptic job descriptions just to answer the question: is this a job I want and would be good at?

Gun.io’s vetting and matching are designed and run by a team of developers passionate about fixing technical hiring. Each job posted to the Gun.io platform is vetted by a senior developer, and each new job seeker who joins the platform has a 1-1 conversation with a member of the team so we can personally pitch them to clients they’d love.

We believe in excellence, taking risks, and speaking the truth, and we take a talent-first approach to everything we do. Our fully-remote team is highly collaborative and indulgently nerdy. You’ll love working with Gun.io if:

You’re passionate about making talent and opportunity more accessible for all, especially those outside of the Silicon Valley bubble.
You have exceptional follow-through and organizational skills, and value teammates with the same.
You love chasing big ideas, pitching them to stakeholders, and taking the initiative to implement and test them.
You consider yourself to be a linchpin, not a cog.
You’re very nerdy about something. Star Wars, a particular subreddit, Web3, backyard chickens, famous guitar history, anything.
Career growth and financial success are core motivations for you.
You thrive in remote office environments.
You’re looking for a team culture that is curious, respectful, supportive, and at least once a day, hilarious.

About this role

You’re hiring a Python developer (or three), and they know what a Python job entails. They’ve done it before. But what does a Python role mean for you?

You want to get to the point on your Python developer job description. State what you’re looking for and what tasks a successful applicant will do when they join your company. One or two sentences should do the trick.

Here’s a sample:

To help drive our mission, our Programming team is looking for a Junior Python developer. This developer will combine design and programming skills to upgrade existing applications and build new ones from scratch.

Python developer responsibilities

This section is arguably the most important part of the Python developer job description.

You want to be clear about the responsibilities associated with the role, so list them all. Be concise and clarify what you expect from a candidate if they join your company.

Here’s how it might look:

Write reusable, testable, and efficient Python code
Integrate user-facing elements into applications and understand end-user requirements
Test and debug programs
Assess and prioritize client feature requests
Integrate data storage solutions, including databases, key-value stores, and blob stores
Reprogram existing databases to improve functionality
Develop back-end components to improve responsiveness and overall performance
Implement security and data protection solutions
Develop digital tools to monitor online traffic
Maintain the code base of the application
Fix bugs or errors in the code
Develop new features or maintain existing features
Improve the performance of an application
Manage and create documentation for tools, strategies, and data pipelines
Collaborate with internal engineering and development teams to understand requirements and develop solutions

Required skills for Python developers

Alright, it’s time for the nitty-gritty details: What can your prospective Python developer expect to do on the job?

This section lists all the professional qualifications a candidate needs to apply for this role. It also includes mandatory technical skills.

Try not to go over the top here. For example, only include skills or years of experience if it’s a dealbreaker. Also, be realistic. Most candidates don’t have 20+ years of experience, so asking for this will significantly reduce your talent pool.

Here’s a sample.

At least two years of experience as a Python developer
Expertise in at least one popular Python framework (such as Django, Flask, or Pyramid)
Familiarity with some ORM (Object Relational Mapper) libraries
Able to integrate multiple data sources and databases into one system
Good understanding of server-side templating languages (such as Jinja 2, Mako, etc.)
Understanding of accessibility and security compliance (depending on the specific project)
Strong understanding of front-end technologies, such as JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3
Knowledge of user authentication and authorization between multiple systems, servers, and environments
Understanding of fundamental design principles behind a scalable application
Familiarity with event-driven programming in Python
Understanding the differences between multiple delivery platforms, such as mobile vs desktop, and optimizing output to match the specific platform
Able to create database schemas that represent and support business processes
Strong unit test and debugging skills
Proficient understanding of code versioning tools (such as Git, Mercurial or SVN)
Strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills
{{Add more details according to your requirements}}

Desired skills for Python developers

Desired skills is an optional section. You can list any additional skills/requirements that would be desirable for candidates to have.

Here’s a sample:

Proficient in Agile software development methodologies
Familiarity with Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) libraries
Thorough knowledge of popular Python libraries and frameworks
Experienced in testing and debugging tools to ensure efficient performance
Skilled in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and functional coding principles
{{Possess professional certifications, if required}}

Benefits of this role for Python developers

It’s time to seal the deal!

In this section of your Python developer job description, you can list the additional benefits/perks a candidate will receive by joining your company.

Here’s a sample:

{{Career & growth opportunities}}
{{Attractive salary and 401k matching}}
{{Medical Insurance}}
{{Remote working opportunities}}
{{Incentives and perks, such as the office’s location and flexible vacation allowance}}