Senior Python Developer (Data Collection / Web Scraping)

We are a global OSINT company headquartered in the US, empowering investigators and security professionals with cutting-edge AI-powered products. Our technology collects and analyzes massive volumes of data from open sources, including social media, messengers, and the dark web, to create a comprehensive picture for data-driven investigations and decision-making.
Our customers include S&P 500 companies and law enforcement agencies in 80+ countries worldwide. Social Links is scaling rapidly, growing 2x annually, with the ambition of becoming a unicorn valued at $1B+.

We are seeking a Senior Python Developer (Data Collection / Web Scraping).

Your Tasks Will Be:

• Design and develop new services.
• Refactor and optimize existing code and legacy services.
• Make architectural and technical design decisions.
• Optimize crawlers and data pipelines.
• Maintain data collection systems in production.
• Research new data sources.
• Conduct code reviews and mentor junior/middle developers.
• Create and maintain technical documentation.

Our Ideal Candidate Has:

Required (Must Have)

Data Collection / Web Scraping

• Web scraping: BeautifulSoup, Playwright.
• Data parsing and structuring: JSON, XML, HTML.
• Strong understanding of HTTP, session management, and proxy usage.
• Experience bypassing rate limits and anti-bot systems.
• Experience with hard-to-scrape sources (e.g., Facebook/TikTok-like environments).
• Experience using AI tools to support parsing/data extraction.

Architecture / Distributed Patterns

• Experience designing architecture and refactoring legacy services.
• Understanding of event-driven architecture.
• Experience with distributed systems patterns.

Python / Backend

• Strong commercial experience in Python backend development.
• Proficiency with async/await, type hints, OOP.
• FastAPI/Django/Flask (3+ years).
• Understanding of RESTful APIs and GraphQL.

Databases

• Strong SQL skills (complex queries, indexing, performance optimization).
• Practical experience with relational databases; exposure to NoSQL is a plus.
• ORM experience (SQLAlchemy and/or Django ORM).

Async Processing

• Celery, RabbitMQ, Kafka.

DevOps

• Docker, Docker Compose.
• CI/CD: GitLab CI / GitHub Actions.
• Kubernetes (basic understanding).
• Cloud experience: AWS and/or GCP.

Testing

• Pytest (unit + integration tests).

Languages

• Russian: advanced level or higher.
• English: intermediate level or higher.

Preferred (Nice to Have)

• Mobile app reverse engineering.
• Experience with parsing from mobile apps.
• API reverse engineering.
• OSINT methodologies and tools.
• Computer vision for image analysis.
• High-load systems experience.
• Other languages: Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust.
• LLM APIs (OpenAI GPT, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini).
• AI integration into data pipelines for data enrichment.

What We Offer:

• Remote-first setup: work from anywhere in the world (except Russia and Belarus).
• Work on critical infrastructure: you’ll be working with the most critical part of the company’s products (data collection/parsing infrastructure).
• High-impact role: opportunity to drive changes that improve stability, observability, and maintainability of existing solutions.
• New development + maintenance: scope includes developing new functionality and maintaining critical infrastructure in production.
• Career prospects: high probability of growth into a Tech Lead role.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all candidates.