Senior Software Engineer - DataPebbles Leiden

DataPebbles is hiring a Senior Software Engineer (Dutch-speaking) to take the lead in building data‑driven software and AI solutions for our clients. You will combine hands‑on engineering with project and team leadership, work closely with the CEO, and represent DataPebbles with clients and at industry events.

Company Description

DataPebbles is a data-focused company specializing in open source data and AI implementation strategies. With years of expertise, we deliver end-to-end support for digital and data transformation — from strategy and architecture design to deployment and ongoing optimization.

Our capabilities span AI, Data Management, Data Engineering, Business Intelligence, and Analytics. DataPebbles is dedicated to empowering businesses to harness the full potential of their data through practical, scalable, and innovative solutions.

The Role

As Senior Software Engineer, you own the full lifecycle of data‑intensive software solutions: from architecture and design to implementation and production.

You will also work with cutting‑edge AI and agentic AI technologies, helping to design and implement next‑generation solutions that combine data, automation, and intelligent decision‑making.

You lead a small development team, steer technical decisions, and collaborate directly with the CEO and client stakeholders.

You also act as a technical ambassador for DataPebbles in client meetings and at conferences and expos.

What You Will Do

Software Engineering & Architecture • Design and own end‑to‑end software solutions (from PoC to production). • Build and maintain full‑stack web applications (frontend + backend) for data‑driven use cases. • Design, implement, and document robust RESTful APIs and backend services in Python (FastAPI/Flask). • Ensure scalability, performance, security, and maintainability of applications. • Safeguard code quality through automated tests (unit, integration, end‑to‑end) and structured reduction of technical debt.

Project & Team Leadership • Lead and mentor a small development team: perform code reviews, set technical direction, and promote best practices (clean code, testing, CI/CD). • Plan and manage project scope, milestones, and risks in close collaboration with the CEO and clients. • Coordinate work with cross‑functional stakeholders (data engineers, consultants, and client teams) to deliver on time and with high quality. • Contribute to technical roadmaps and make informed decisions on tools, frameworks, and architectures.

Client Interaction & Representation • Act as a technical point of contact for clients: translate business requirements into feasible technical solutions and communicate trade‑offs clearly. • Prepare and deliver demos, technical presentations, and workshops to stakeholders with varying technical backgrounds. • Represent DataPebbles at conferences, trade fairs, and expos, showcasing our solutions and answering technical questions. • Contribute to internal knowledge sharing through sessions, guidelines, and onboarding support for new team members.

Who You Are • 8+ years of experience as a Software Engineer, including experience in a senior or lead capacity. • Proven track record of taking technical ownership, making architectural decisions, and guiding medior/junior developers. • Fluent in Dutch (spoken and written) and confident in leading meetings, demos, and presentations with Dutch‑speaking clients. • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills; able to switch smoothly between CEO, client, and engineering team. • Solid understanding of scalable application design, CI/CD, and cloud‑native development. • Hands‑on, pragmatic, and proactive, with an eye for quality and a willingness to work in a dynamic, growing company. • Based in the Netherlands and available to work from client sites or our Leiden office three days per week.

Tech Stack

Core (you are strong in most of these): • Backend: Python (FastAPI, Flask) for building APIs and backend services. • Databases & Data: Relational databases (e.g. PostgreSQL, MySQL), solid SQL skills, and experience working with large datasets or data‑intensive applications. • Cloud & Infrastructure: Experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP); containerization with Docker and Kubernetes; basic understanding of networking and security (authentication, authorization, TLS). • CI/CD & Quality: Git (GitHub/GitLab), CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions, GitLab CI), automated testing frameworks (pytest, Jest/Vitest or similar), and code review workflows.

Nice to have: • Experience with analytics/BI platforms or data engineering concepts (e.g. data pipelines, ETL/ELT, dbt, Spark/Databricks or similar). • Experience integrating AI/LLM functionality into applications via APIs or working with event‑driven/microservices architectures. • Familiarity with observability tooling (metrics, tracing, logging) for production systems.

Our hiring process

30 min introduction, alignment on role and technical interview

Take home assignment (3-4days)

60 min technical review of assignment

Why Join DataPebbles? • Competitive salary. • A senior, impactful role in a young and growing company with an international team. • Direct collaboration with the CEO and a real say in what we build and how we work. • Office in the center of beautiful Leiden, including lunch, snacks, coffee, and Friday borrel. • Three days per week working from office/client; the rest remote. • Tailored growth path and coaching based on your ambitions. • Learning benefits such as O’Reilly, Udemy, and Bedrijfsfitness. • And of course: happy, creative, and friendly colleagues, plus genuine early‑stage energy.