Python Backend Engineer — GCP Deployment, Security & Production Readiness

Python Backend Engineer — GCP Deployment, Security & Production Readiness We need an experienced **Python backend engineer** to help bring our **RunLink** API to production. The backend is built and feature-complete; we need someone to own **deployment on Google Cloud**, **security hardening**, **infrastructure reliability**, and **production-readiness review**. ### About the project - **Product**: RunLink — API for a running community platform (users, clubs, events, messaging, subscriptions, health, analytics). - **Stack**: **Python 3.11**, **FastAPI**, **PostgreSQL** (Cloud SQL), **Redis**, **Firebase**, **Google Cloud Storage**, **Alembic** migrations. Deployed with **Docker** on **Google Cloud Run**. - **Codebase**: Structured FastAPI app (~200 Python files) with clear separation (models, schemas, CRUD, API endpoints). OpenAPI docs, tests, and internal production-readiness notes are in the repo. - **Current state**: Core features and infra (auth, DB, Redis, GCS, health checks) are in place. We have a production-readiness report and a short cleanup list. Goal is to fix remaining gaps and run this reliably in production. ### What we need from you 1. **Deployment & Google Cloud** - Review and improve our **Cloud Run** + **Cloud SQL** + **GCS** setup. - Harden deploy scripts (e.g. `deploy-production.sh`), env/config handling, and secrets (no secrets in scripts/repo). - Document runbook: deploy, rollback, scaling, and basic incident response. 2. **Security** - Security pass on the API: auth (JWT), rate limiting, headers, input validation, and any known issues (e.g. error responses exposing internals). - Align with checklist items from our production-readiness doc (e.g. no tracebacks in 500 responses, secure defaults). - Recommend and, if agreed, implement improvements (e.g. dependency checks, headers, logging). 3. **Production readiness** - Work through our existing production-readiness report and cleanup list (e.g. remove stubs/duplicates, fix critical bugs). - Review error handling, logging, and health checks for production. - Suggest and document operational best practices (monitoring, alerts, backups). 4. **Code maintenance & review** - Fix bugs and small refactors as needed for deployment and security. - Code review focus: security, performance, and maintainability. You'll work in our repo (Git) and follow our existing structure. ### Must-have skills - **Python** (3.10+), including async and type hints. - **FastAPI** (or similar async Python web frameworks) in production. - **Google Cloud**: Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, IAM, and ideally GCS and Secret Manager. - **Security**: API security, auth (e.g. JWT), secure config/secrets, and common OWASP topics. - **Docker**: Building and running containers for production. - **PostgreSQL**: Basic schema/migrations awareness (we use Alembic). - **Git**: Comfortable with branches, PRs, and clear commit messages. ### Nice to have - Experience with **Redis**, **Firebase**, or **message/background jobs** in Python. - Prior work on **production readiness** or **DevOps-light** (deploy, monitor, document). - Experience with **running/fitness or community platforms** (not required). ### What we provide - Access to the backend repo and existing documentation. - Production-readiness report and task list. - Clear scope: deployment, security, production readiness, and targeted code fixes/review. - Direct communication (Slack/email/video) and a single point of contact for decisions. ### Deliverables (to be refined in contract) 1. **Deployment**: Updated, secure deploy process and a short runbook (deploy, rollback, env/secrets). 2. **Security**: Completed security review and fixes for agreed items (e.g. error handling, headers, secrets). 3. **Production readiness**: Items from our list addressed; brief written summary of what was done and what's left. 4. **Documentation**: Concise runbook and any new or updated README sections you add. ### Project type & length - **One-off / fixed-price** for a defined scope (e.g. "deployment + security review + cleanup items"), **or** - **Ongoing / hourly** for a few weeks (e.g. 10–20 hrs/week) if you prefer to iterate (deploy → security → cleanup → docs). Tell us in your proposal whether you prefer fixed-price or hourly and how you'd break down the work. ### How to apply - **Start your proposal with "RunLink backend"** so we can spot it quickly. - Briefly describe your experience with **Python/FastAPI**, **Google Cloud (Cloud Run/Cloud SQL)**, and **security** or **production hardening**. - Share 1–2 relevant projects (production APIs, GCP deployments, or security reviews). Links or short descriptions are fine. - Suggest a high-level plan (e.g. "Week 1: deploy + secrets; Week 2: security pass; Week 3: cleanup + docs") and whether you prefer fixed-price or hourly. - Mention your availability (hours per week and timezone). We're looking for someone who can work independently, communicate clearly, and leave the codebase and ops in better shape for production. Looking forward to your proposals.