Lead / Senior Lead Software Engineer (Backend - Python) - Poka Team

About Poka 

Poka is an innovative app designed for manufacturing companies that empower frontline workers to learn continuously, solve problems and collaborate in support of continuous improvement. Imagine a combination of Facebook and YouTube designed for factory workers. Say goodbye to paper, make way for tablets! 

Poka has become a catalyst for digital transformation and manufacturing leaders such as Nestlé, Bosch, Kraft and Danone trust us with their transition to Industry 4.0. 

Poka was acquired by IFS on June 20, 2023.

Reporting directly to the head of engineering in Sri Lanka, the lead software engineer will be participating in building Poka’s engineering department in Sri Lanka. This is a unique opportunity to build a team from the ground up and have a direct impact on the global manufacturing landscape.

Initially, the lead software engineer will learn Poka product, architecture, software, best practices, and processes.

After couple of months, the team will expand with software engineers and senior engineers. Our goal is to create at least two engineering teams before the end of the first year. The lead software engineer will be responsible for training the team. Both engineering teams in Sri Lanka will start impacting Poka’s product.

During the second year, each engineering team will become the owner of a Poka module. They will own the development of new features, maintenance, technical improvement, and deployment of the module.

• University degree or equivalent professional qualifications
• 4 - 7 years of experience building backends for enterprise software
• Professional experience with Python and Django is mandatory
• 3 years or more of experience building applications in the cloud
• Knowledge of iterative software development, including agile methodologies
• Knowledge of modern software engineering principles, including but not limited to shift-left, testing pyramid, cloud computing, CI/CD, distributed architecture, and feature flags.
• Professional experience with a modern cloud platform is required. Experience with AWS is a plus.
• Professional experience with a modern RDBMS is required. Experience with Postgres is a plus. 
• Professional experience with containers and container orchestration systems
• Experience making, presenting, debating, and documenting architectural decisions
• Experience in participating in the interview process. You have a high bar for talent and you expect to work in a high-performance environment
• Comfortable presenting to software engineers, managers, and senior engineering leadership

In addition:

• Experience working with startups based in North America is a plus
• Experience building an engineering department in Sri Lanka from scratch is a plus
• Experience with asynchronous communication and queuing systems is a plus
• Experience with serverless is a plus

We believe that coming together as a community, in person, is important for innovation, connection and fostering a sense of belonging. Our roles have the right balance of remote and in-office working to enable flexibility for managing your life along with ensuring a real connection with your colleagues and the broader IFS community.