Job title: Senior Python Engineer
Type: Full-time, Permanent
Location: UK-based, with flexible home, office, or hybrid working
Office locations: Newcastle and Leeds, with hubs across the UK

Join a small, senior team shaping the next generation of classroom technology.

This EdTech product is already in production, used by real teachers, and growing fast.

You’ll work directly with the CTO and experienced engineers to ship features that genuinely make a difference in education.

You’ll see your work move from prototype to production in days, not months — and you’ll have a direct say in how the platform evolves.


What you’ll get to do

• Build and own Django-based back-end services from design through deployment
• Collaborate closely with product and engineering leads on a live, growing EdTech platform
• Iterate fast based on real classroom feedback
• Influence architecture, performance, and developer experience in a high-impact environment
  

What this role is really about

This is a hands-on engineering role focused on production systems — not research or training models.

You’ll build reliable Django services that connect with existing LLM platforms and power real-world learning experiences.


Who are hedgehog lab

We’re an outcome-driven product consultancy where product, design and research sit side by side.

You’ll join a team that values curiosity, collaboration and impact, building products that truly matter.


hedgehog lab benefits

• 28 days holidays + bank holidays
• 5 Impact Days per year to spend on L&D, volunteering or innovation
• Flexible working environment
• Enhanced parental policy
• Financial wellbeing services
• Annual wellbeing budget + two days wellbeing
• Mental health support
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Company-supplied Apple Mac

What we’re looking for

• 3+ years recent, commercial Django experience (including Django REST Framework) delivering production APIs
• Solid Python engineering skills: testing, code quality, reviews, CI/CD
• Practical LangChain experience integrating LLM services
• Experience owning or leading technical workstreams in a product environment

Nice to have but not essential

• Some exposure to RAG concepts (indexing, retrieval)
• Familiarity with Azure OpenAI or AWS Bedrock

Ready to apply?

Submit your application below. Please note that we're unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.