Python Application Support Engineer $$$$

About the Company:

Our client is a leading autonomous vehicle technology company operating at the cutting edge of self-driving software development. Their internal simulation platform is mission-critical; every software change to the autonomy stack is validated through simulation before reaching the road.

Role Overview:

We are looking for an experienced Python engineer to join a short-term engagement supporting a legacy internal tooling application currently undergoing an ownership transition. This is a high-trust, high-visibility role: you will be the single point of contact for an important simulation-related tool, responsible for keeping it running, handling user requests, and converting years of tribal knowledge into structured documentation, paving the way for the tool's eventual integration into the company's broader platform.

This role is well-suited to a seasoned engineer who thrives in support-oriented environments, communicates clearly, and can navigate legacy codebases with confidence.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary owner and day-to-day support engineer for a Python/JavaScript (Vue.js) internal application
• Monitor a dedicated Slack channel and respond promptly to user requests: data queries, bug reports, and minor feature asks
• Implement small enhancements (additional UI fields, database schema changes, configuration updates, etc.)
• Participate in structured knowledge transfer sessions with the outgoing developer
• Create comprehensive technical documentation: architecture, data models, runbooks, and tribal knowledge capture
• Transfer documented knowledge to the receiving engineering team
• Provide on-call weekend support via OpsGenie, responding to alerts and resolving incidents if any.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Strong proficiency in Python (backend services, scripting, debugging)
• Solid experience with PostgreSQL or equivalent relational databases (querying, schema management)
• Ability to read, understand, and maintain legacy/undocumented codebases
• Basic frontend skills sufficient to make UI-level changes (JavaScript / Vue.js)
• Experience working in Slack-based async support environments
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Availability during California business hours (9 AM - 5/6 PM PT) with reliable on-call coverage on weekends
• Comfortable installing and using OpsGenie for incident alerting.

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Prior experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or simulation-heavy domains
• Familiarity with Kafka or event-driven architectures
• Experience with knowledge transfer projects or technical documentation initiatives

Background working with tools like Airflow (contextual awareness, not hands-on required)