Services · Contract Engineering
Contract engineering for technical teams
A senior Python engineer with more than twenty years of experience, who can join your team, understand the existing system quickly and deliver work that others can maintain after the contract ends.
In brief for recruiters: senior Python engineer, contracting through Zeth Ltd since 2017. Strongest in Python, Django and backend services, with front-end, cloud and machine-learning platform experience. Remote-first. Current CV available on request: request a CV or use the contact page.
Principal areas
Python and backend engineering
Designing, building and maintaining server-side systems, web applications and APIs in Python, and improving the reliability of existing ones.
Cloud and delivery
Moving applications into containers and automated deployment pipelines, and running them on the major cloud platforms.
Data, machine learning and AI
Building the tools around models: interfaces for people who use model outputs, the platforms that run them, and practical LLM applications.
Front end and cross-platform
Full-stack work where it is needed, and native desktop and mobile software on a portable core, as in the open-source Holder project.
Engineering practice
Automated testing, packaging, release processes and the kind of documentation that makes the next engineer’s job easier. Coaching and supporting other developers is part of the job too. Much of this is visible in public in the open-source work Zeth Ltd supports.
Types of engagement
- Joining an existing team as a contributing senior engineer on your roadmap.
- A defined piece of work, such as a new service, component, integration or port, delivered into your codebase.
- Improving what already exists: rescuing legacy systems, adding tests, build and release pipelines, performance, or paying down technical debt.
- Technical advice on architecture or platform choices before you commit.
Experience
More than twenty years of building software, from university research systems to commercial platforms, most recently as a contractor through Zeth Ltd. Some examples, without client names:
- Machine-learning pricing tools for the data science group of a large international retailer: a Django and React interface to AI and machine-learning pricing models, on Google Cloud with Kubernetes, Kubeflow, BigQuery and Vertex AI, working directly with end users and stakeholders.
- Payments for an insurer: led the rewrite of serverless software that takes premiums and pays claims, so the business could expand to the US and EU. Python on AWS Lambda, with Flask, Stripe and a Django customer portal.
- Fleet management and telematics applications with Django REST Framework and React; migrated the application to Docker and an AWS deployment pipeline, ran the monthly developer meeting and coached junior developers.
- Backend for a car manufacturer’s smartphone app that helps drivers manage electric-vehicle battery use.
- Research software as lead developer at a UK university: tools to record, analyse, compare and publish medieval manuscript data, including an asynchronous text-collation system handling tens of millions of variants.
- A real-time auction system for a UK government agency, kept in step with a live in-person auction.
Public work, including Holder and other open-source contributions, is on the Open Source page.
Working arrangements
- Contracting entity
- Zeth Ltd
- Location
- UK-based, remote-first. Hybrid, on-site and travel arrangements considered. Full clean UK driving licence.
- Engagement terms
- Day-rate contracting or fixed-scope project delivery. Terms agreed individually.
- Availability
- Please enquire about current availability.
Working arrangements are flexible and depend on the nature, location and commercial terms of each engagement.
Discuss a contract
Send the role or project outline, the expected duration and the start date. A current CV can be supplied on request.