Senior Software Engineer - Python+Microservices+Kafka

This role focuses on building robust backend platforms that enable large‑scale networks to be more observable, data‑driven, and progressively autonomous. You will develop software foundations that convert complex infrastructure signals into trusted, reusable intelligence, supporting faster decision‑making, improved resilience, and reduced manual effort across engineering and operations.

The role contributes to a long‑term evolution toward self‑monitoring and AI‑assisted systems by ensuring telemetry and data are accurate, explainable, and programmatically accessible. Your work will connect real‑time behavior with historical insight through scalable services and APIs, creating platforms that are reliable today and ready for future automation.

• Design and build backend services using Python, applying strong engineering fundamentals and clean design practices.
• Develop microservices that are scalable, fault‑tolerant, and straightforward to operate in production.
• Enable event‑driven integration between services using Kafka (pub/sub), supporting decoupled workflows.
• Improve service performance using concurrency patterns (threading, worker pools, parallel execution) where appropriate.
• Deploy and operate services across multiple OpenShift environments (primary and fallback) to support continuity and resilience.
• Create and maintain clear, stable APIs for data ingestion and consumption (REST / gRPC); explore GraphQL where it provides clear value.
• Use Redis for low‑latency data access and caching, and design data models for PostgreSQL to support durable, relational storage and future growth.
• Instrument services using OpenTelemetry to produce consistent metrics and logs for operational visibility and troubleshooting.
• Integrate services with observability and analytics platforms such as Grafana and Splunk.
• Apply security‑by‑design principles, including secure coding, secrets handling, access controls, and service identity governance.
• Mentor and guide team members, including training graduates, interns, and new engineers, and contribute to uplifting team capability and standards.
• Deliver outcomes under tight timelines, making pragmatic engineering decisions while maintaining quality and reliability.
  
  

You are an experienced backend engineer who takes ownership from design through production. You are comfortable working with distributed, event‑driven systems and naturally think about performance, reliability, and operability as part of everyday development.

You bring a platform mindset, considering how systems scale, how data is reused, and how teams depend on what you build. You enjoy mentoring others, leading by example, and contributing to a culture of strong engineering standards, continuous learning, and delivery focus.

• 8+ yrs of Experience in Software Development on any large scale Real-time application development
• Strong hands‑on experience with Python in production systems.
• Proven experience building microservices and APIs in distributed environments.
• Solid experience using Kafka (or equivalent) for asynchronous, event‑based service communication.
• Hands‑on experience with Redis, including caching and fast data‑access patterns.
• Experience working with PostgreSQL (or similar relational databases), including schema design and query optimization fundamentals.
• Experience deploying and operating applications on OpenShift or Kubernetes, across more than one environment.
• Strong understanding of concurrency and parallel execution concepts.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, version control, and modern engineering workflows.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve production issues.
• Experience working in environments with security, identity, and access‑control expectations.
  
  

• Working knowledge of Go as a secondary language for performance‑sensitive components or platform tooling.
• Exposure to OpenTelemetry for service instrumentation and telemetry pipelines (metrics/logs).
• Exposure to GraphQL for exploration or selective use alongside REST/gRPC APIs.
• Understanding of optical or transport networking concepts such as DWDM or OTN layers, or experience building software that interfaces with complex physical infrastructure.
• Experience contributing to large‑scale, data‑intensive, or platform‑oriented systems.
• Strong documentation habits and experience improving engineering practices across teams.
  
  

• Backend services that are secure, performant, and reliable across environments.
• Stable, event‑driven systems that enable clean service decoupling and reuse.
• Platforms that are easy to operate, observe, and evolve over time.
• A stronger team through effective mentoring, knowledge sharing, and capability development.

If you are looking to take the next step in your career, we want to hear from you!


As part of your application with Telstra, you may receive communications from us on +61 440 135 548 (for job applications in Australia) and +1 (623) 400-7726 (for job applications in the Philippines and India).

When you join our team, you become part of a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone is respected, valued and celebrated. We actively seek individuals from various backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and disabilities because we know that diversity not only strengthens our team but also enriches our work. We have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind, and we prioritise creating a workplace culture where everyone is safe and can thrive.


As part of the hiring process, all identified candidates will undergo a background check, and the results will play a role in the final decision regarding your application.


We work flexibly at Telstra. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you. When you apply, you can share your pronouns and / or any reasonable adjustments needed to take part equitably during the recruitment process.


We are aware of current limitations with our website accessibility and are working towards improving this. Should you experience any issues accessing information or the application form, and require this in an alternate format, please contact our Talent Acquisition team on or via the additional contact options found at www.telstra.com.au/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/disability-employment