Job details

Build Engineer

Astral

At Astral, our mission is to make the Python ecosystem more productive by building next-generation developer tools — tools that enable developers to ship great software, faster.

To start, we're building Ruff, an extremely fast Python linter and formatter; and uv, a comprehensive Python package manager — two of the fastest-growing developer tools ever.

Our early team includes the authors of ripgrep, bat, hyperfine, and maturin; early, core contributors to Biome and Prefect; and multiple CPython core developers — all building at the intersection of Rust and Python.

The Role

This role centers on python-build-standalone, a foundational project in the Python ecosystem that facilitates the creation of portable, standalone Python distributions.

python-build-standalone powers Python installation for uv, Rye, mise, Bazel's rules_python, pipx, Hatch, and more, with over 70,000,000 downloads since its release. For much of the ecosystem, it's now the primary source of Python installations.

Work on python-build-standalone is primarily centered on build engineering: solving linker issues, optimizing build-and-release pipelines, and upstreaming changes to the upstream CPython build system.

As with all positions at Astral, being an open source maintainer is a big part of the job too: engaging with the community, reviewing pull requests, debugging issues, and generally contributing to our culture of developing in the open.

The Team

We're not only remote, but highly distributed. We hire from Pacific Time (e.g., San Francisco, USA) to Central European Time (e.g., Munich, Germany), and get together twice annually for week-long, in-person on-sites.
We pay competitively (salary and equity) and offer comprehensive benefits (healthcare and more).
Our work is highly collaborative, but as is common in open source, much of that collaboration takes place asynchronously (in Discord, or GitHub, or Notion). We minimize meetings, and maximize time spent working in code.
We're a small, high-trust team. We strive to ship excellent software, at a fast pace... while having fun. (See: Our Values.)

Our Process

Our hiring process is entirely remote and does not include any live coding segments. While the process may vary from candidate to candidate, it generally consists of three phases, each designed to mimic the kind of engagement and interactions you'd have as a member of the team:

A take-home project, where we ask you to build a command-line tool based on a pre-defined specification.
A presentation, where we ask you to present on some of your own work, and have the kind of technical conversation you'd have as a member of the team, grounded in something that you know well.
A co-working engagement, where we spend time working through issues and pull requests together.

Along the way, we'll talk through your background and interests to determine whether Astral is a good fit for your career goals.

Average salary estimate

$100000 / YEARLY (est.)

min

max

$80000K

$120000K

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What You Should Know About Build Engineer, Astral

At Astral, we're on a mission to enhance the Python ecosystem by developing innovative developer tools that help programmers streamline their workflow. We are looking for a passionate Build Engineer to join our growing team and contribute to exciting projects like Ruff, an incredibly fast Python linter and formatter, and uv, a comprehensive package manager. As a Build Engineer, you'll play a critical role in maintaining python-build-standalone, a foundational project that enables portable Python distributions. This position involves resolving linker issues, optimizing build-and-release pipelines, and implementing changes to the upstream CPython build system. You will also engage with the open-source community by reviewing pull requests, debugging issues, and fostering a collaborative environment. Our team is spread out across various time zones, primarily between Pacific Time and Central European Time, and we value asynchronous communication through platforms like Discord and GitHub to minimize meetings and maximize coding time. With a competitive salary, equity, and comprehensive benefits, we ensure our team members thrive in a high-trust environment focused on developing superior software. Join us at Astral to work on impactful projects while enjoying the freedom that comes with remote work and a supportive team culture.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Build Engineer Role at Astral

What are the key responsibilities of a Build Engineer at Astral?

As a Build Engineer at Astral, your primary responsibilities will include maintaining the python-build-standalone project, resolving linker issues, and optimizing our build-and-release pipelines. You'll also be expected to engage actively with the community by reviewing pull requests and debugging issues, contributing to an open-source culture that promotes collaboration and innovation.