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Senior Python Developer Jobs in Santa Barbara, CA

Who We Are Looking For We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next ... Expert Python, async programming, and WebSockets for real-time, bidirectional streaming. * ML ...

Sr. Machine Learning Engineer

Santa Barbara, CA · On-site +1

$116K - $159K/yr

Who We Are Looking For We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next ... Expert Python, async programming, and WebSockets for real-time, bidirectional streaming. * ML ...

Who We Are Looking For We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next ... Expert Python, async programming, and WebSockets for real-time, bidirectional streaming. * ML ...

Software Engineer

Goleta, CA · On-site

$90K - $140K/yr

... Python. The experienced software engineer will design, develop, and perform analysis utilizing GIS tools. This position is an opportunity to work on a development team with senior staff members ...

Software Engineer

Goleta, CA · On-site

$90K - $140K/yr

... Python. The experienced software engineer will design, develop, and perform analysis utilizing GIS tools. This position is an opportunity to work on a development team with senior staff members ...

Under the general supervision of the Yield & Integration Engineering Manager, the Senior Yield ... Perform advanced yield and performance analysis using JMP, Python, SQL, or MATLAB * Develop yield ...

Showing results 21-40

Senior Python Developer information

See Santa Barbara, CA salary details

$61.2K

$158K

$217K

How much do senior python developer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior python developer in Santa Barbara, CA is $157,973.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $135,200.00 and $181,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the main responsibilities of a senior Python developer?

A Senior Python Developer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining complex software applications using the Python programming language. They lead the technical aspects of projects, mentor junior developers, and ensure code quality through code reviews and best practices. Additionally, they collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements, solve technical challenges, and deploy scalable and efficient solutions. Senior Python Developers are also expected to stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in Python and related technologies.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior Python developer?

To thrive as a Senior Python Developer, you need advanced proficiency in Python programming, experience with software architecture, and a solid understanding of algorithms and data structures, usually backed by a degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with frameworks like Django or Flask, version control systems such as Git, and containerization tools like Docker are typically required, alongside knowledge of modern CI/CD pipelines. Strong problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and leadership skills help you collaborate with teams and mentor junior developers. Mastery of these skills ensures the delivery of scalable, maintainable software solutions and the ability to drive technical excellence within development teams.

What are some common challenges faced by senior Python developers when leading a development team?

Senior Python Developers often encounter challenges such as balancing hands-on coding with mentoring junior team members and ensuring code quality across the team. They are also responsible for making architectural decisions, which requires staying updated on best practices and emerging Python frameworks. Additionally, coordinating collaboration between cross-functional teams (like DevOps, QA, and front-end developers) can be complex, especially in agile environments where requirements may shift rapidly. Overcoming these challenges helps foster a productive and innovative team culture.

What is the difference between Senior Python Developer vs Python Developer?

AspectSenior Python DeveloperPython Developer
Required ExperienceTypically 5+ years, with leadership and complex project experienceUsually 1-3 years, focusing on core Python skills
ResponsibilitiesDesigning architecture, mentoring, handling complex systemsWriting code, debugging, implementing features
CertificationsOptional but beneficial (e.g., Python certifications, cloud certs)Often not required
Work EnvironmentCollaborative teams, project planning, code reviewsDevelopment-focused, task-oriented

The main difference between a Senior Python Developer and a Python Developer lies in experience, responsibilities, and leadership. Senior developers handle complex projects, mentor others, and often participate in architecture decisions, while Python Developers focus on coding and feature implementation. Both roles are essential in tech companies, but the senior role requires more experience and broader skills.

Are senior Python developers still in demand?

Senior Python developers remain in high demand due to the language's versatility in web development, data analysis, machine learning, and automation. Companies seek experienced developers with skills in frameworks like Django or Flask, and proficiency in cloud platforms and APIs enhances job prospects.

How much does a senior Python developer make?

A senior Python developer typically earns between $100,000 and $150,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. They often possess strong skills in frameworks like Django or Flask and may hold certifications or advanced degrees that influence salary levels.

What does a senior Python developer do?

A senior Python developer designs, develops, and maintains complex software applications using Python. They often lead projects, review code, optimize performance, and collaborate with cross-functional teams, requiring strong problem-solving skills and knowledge of frameworks like Django or Flask. Additionally, they may mentor junior developers and ensure code quality through testing and best practices.

What are popular job titles related to Senior Python Developer jobs in Santa Barbara, CA?

For Senior Python Developer jobs in Santa Barbara, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Python Developer jobs in Santa Barbara, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Python Developer jobs in Santa Barbara, CA are:

What cities near Santa Barbara, CA are hiring for Senior Python Developer jobs?

Cities near Santa Barbara, CA with the most Senior Python Developer job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Python Developer job openings in Santa Barbara, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 80% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 76% Physical, 7% Hybrid, and 17% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $157,973 per year, or $75.9 per hour.

Sr. Machine Learning Engineer

AppFolio

Santa Barbara, CA

$112K - $154K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 2 days ago


AppFolio rating

7.2

Company rating: 7.2 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

184th of 247 rated software companies


Job description

Hi, We're AppFolio
We're innovators, changemakers, and collaborators. We're more than just a software company — we're building the AI-native platform where the real estate industry comes to do business. We're transforming Property Management; how property managers operate, how residents live, and how intelligence flows across an entire industry.
Realm-X is AppFolio's AI-native platform powering this transformation. It enables a new generation of intelligent capabilities across our products, including Realm-X Assistant (copilot), Flows (AI Agentic workflows) and Performers (autonomous AI Agents). Realm-X serves as both a foundation for internal teams to build and scale AI-powered products, and a core layer delivering intelligent, high-impact experiences directly to our customers.
At its core, Realm-X is built on a structured domain ontology and a set of shared business primitives—such as transactions, actions, reports, metrics, and skills—that enable AI systems to deeply understand and operate across the full context of property management workflows. This foundation allows us to build context-aware, action-oriented AI systems that go beyond simple assistance to power real automation and decision-making.
Who We Are Looking For
We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next generation of voice and conversational AI agents within Realm-X. This role helps define AppFolio's production voice and chat agent pipelines, working at the intersection of LLM agent frameworks, real-time voice technology, and streaming infrastructure.
You will work with Product, Voice channel, and ML Platform teams to translate cutting-edge agent and voice research into reliable, low-latency, multi-channel experiences that scale across our entire customer base.
Your Impact
  • Ship Voice & Text Agents: Architect and ship voice and text agent pipelines that handle real-time, multi-turn customer interactions.
  • Reasoning vs. Latency: Make principled trade-offs between reasoning depth and latency across frontier LLMs, smaller models, and routing strategies.
  • Lead a Pod: Lead a small pod of ML and platform engineers; raise the bar on agent evaluation, observability, and incident response.
  • Define Quality: Partner with Product and Voice channel teams to define KPIs, eval harnesses, and acceptance criteria for agent quality.
  • Optimize for Voice: Drive selective Small Language Model (SLM) fine-tuning and inference optimization for voice latency and cost.
Qualifications
  • You have shipped production AI agents serving real users in voice and/or text channels.
  • You think in pipelines and systems, not just models.
  • You move fast, deliver impact, and maintain sound engineering judgment.
  • You are humble, collaborative, and low-ego, and you elevate those around you.
  • You value work-life balance as a foundation for sustained high performance.
Must Have
  • Agent frameworks: Deep, shipped experience with LangChain, LangGraph, LangSmith, and LangChain Deep Agents (or equivalent agent frameworks).
  • Voice stack: Hands-on with Voice-to-Voice models and traditional TTS / STT pipelines; understands the trade-offs between end-to-end voice models and modular STT → LLM → TTS architectures.
  • LLM fluency: Strong grasp of LLM reasoning behavior, tool use, structured output, and reasoning-vs-latency trade-offs across providers.
  • Telephony & cloud: Production experience with Twilio (or comparable telephony) and AWS.
  • Engineering: Expert Python, async programming, and WebSockets for real-time, bidirectional streaming.
  • ML fundamentals: Solid foundation in deep learning, model evaluation, and inference optimization; able to deploy with Docker on AWS.
  • Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead a small team, mentor engineers, and partner credibly with Product and Design.
Nice to Have
  • Experience fine-tuning Small Language Models for domain-specific voice applications.
  • Familiarity with RAG over structured business data and tool-using agents over API surfaces.
  • Prior experience in regulated or customer-facing industries with strict reliability requirements.
  • Publicly verifiable work on GitHub, in open-source agent frameworks, or in community competitions.
Location
Find out more about our locations by visiting our site. 
All late-stage candidates complete an in-person meeting with an AppFolian as part of our hiring process.
Compensation & Benefits
The compensation that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is: 167,200 - 209,000 base pay. The actual compensation for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, education, experience, and internal equity.
Please note that compensation is just one aspect of a comprehensive Total Rewards package. The compensation range listed here does not include additional benefits or any discretionary bonuses you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.
Regular full-time employees are eligible for benefits - see here.

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