Technical Lead (Freelance) at Instrument

Instrument is a digitally native design and technology company built to help brands unlock their full potential. Since 2005, our team of makers, thinkers, and storytellers has partnered with leading brands like Google, Nike, Uber, ŌURA, and Eventbrite to craft digital experiences that create impact and drive results. Unlike traditional agencies, we don’t just design—we build. Our work lives at the intersection of taste and technology, powered by curiosity, thoughtful curation, and a commitment to delivering the most fitting solution for every brief. We bring this to life across three core offerings: Brand, Marketing, and Product. As a member of our freelance network, you’ll collaborate with our teams to bring bold ideas to life—whether launching new brands, building digital products, or shaping experiences that move people. We welcome collaborators from all backgrounds and experiences who share our curiosity, creativity, and care for craft. We believe great work comes from diverse perspectives and shared purpose. If you’re passionate about learning, experimenting, and making work that matters, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for a Senior Backend Engineer / Tech Lead to support a fast-moving web build leveraging Wagtail CMS. This role is deeply hands-on and highly collaborative—partnering closely with frontend developers to bring complex component-driven experiences to life. You’ll play a critical role in shaping backend architecture, extending Wagtail capabilities, and ensuring a smooth deployment pipeline on Google Cloud. Tech Stack: Python, Django, Wagtail CMS, PostgreSQL, Google Cloud Platform (App Engine, Cloud SQL, Cloud Storage), StreamField / StreamBlocks  Timing: 3/23 – 4/3 Hours: 40 hrs/week Location: Remote (EST-PST timezones) What You'll Do • Lead backend development for a Wagtail CMS implementation, ensuring scalable and maintainable architecture • Customize and extend Wagtail internals, including render logic, StreamFields, and admin configurations • Partner closely with frontend engineers to enable complex UI patterns through custom Blocks and templates • Model content structures that support flexible, component-driven design systems • Own and support deployments on Google Cloud Platform, ensuring stability and performance • Collaborate on technical planning, proactively identifying risks and proposing solutions • Contribute to a high-velocity development environment, supporting sprint execution and delivery What You'll Bring • Strong experience with Python and Django, with deep expertise in Wagtail CMS • Proven ability to work within Wagtail internals (custom Blocks, StreamFields, rendering logic, templates) • Experience deploying and maintaining Wagtail projects on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) • Familiarity with App Engine, Cloud SQL (PostgreSQL), and Cloud Storage • Strong understanding of backend architecture, CMS modeling, and API design • Experience collaborating closely with frontend teams on component-based builds • Ability to move quickly, unblock teams, and provide technical leadership in a short-term engagement Pay Range • The expected pay range for this role is $96 - $117 per hour based on the US 3 pay range • Our company has three regional pay bands that it adheres to depending on your location, we reference them as US 1, US 2, and US 3 • US 3 is our base pay. Examples of cities in US 3 are Portland, Houston and Miami. • US 2 pay is 7.5% higher than US 3 to meet the market rates. Examples of cities in US 2 are Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle • US 1 pay is 15% higher than US 3 to meet market rates. Examples of cities in US 1 are Brooklyn and San Francisco • If you are curious which region you are in, please apply and get connected with our recruiting team!