Client Library Engineer: Python + JavaScript

The Client Library Engineer at Supabase is responsible for developing and maintaining high-quality Python and JavaScript client libraries, ensuring they are reliable and production-ready. This includes writing comprehensive tests, optimizing performance, and providing clear documentation for developers. Furthermore, you’ll collaborate across teams to align the API design with best practices while ensuring compatibility across different platforms.

Applicants for the Client Library Engineer position must have strong experience in both Python and JavaScript/TypeScript, along with a deep understanding of library packaging and dependency management. Familiarity with testing frameworks like Pytest and Jest and experience in developing cross-platform libraries are also important. Strongcommunication skills and a passion for open-source development are key attributes we value.

Supabase offers 100% remote work for the Client Library Engineer position, allowing you to work from anywhere in the world without any location-based salary adjustments. You’ll have the autonomy to set your own pace while collaborating with a globally distributed team of talented professionals.

At Supabase, we foster a startup culture that values collaboration, innovation, and the efficacy of open-source contributions. With a team composed of members from over 30 nationalities, we cherish diverse ideas and approaches, celebrating the unique experiences each team member brings to the table.

As a Client Library Engineer at Supabase, you'll enjoy comprehensive health, vision, and dental benefits, with Supabase covering 100% of your costs. Additionally, we provide a generous tech allowance for your office setup, an annual education allowance, and the opportunity to participate in annual off-site gatherings.

When addressing this question, it's essential to outline your projects, your role in them, technologies used, and the challenges you overcame while developing libraries. For instance, you might mention specific libraries you've created or contributed to and how you ensured their performance and usability.

Discuss the testing methodologies you employ, such as unit tests, integration tests, and stress testing. Mention frameworks you've utilized, like Pytest or Jest, and provide examples of how you approached writing tests that prevent regressions while maintaining high reliability.

Share your process for identifying performance bottlenecks, such as profiling tools you use to analyze speed. Discuss specific optimizations you've implemented, be it code refactoring, caching strategies, or minimizing network calls, emphasizing how these improvements benefitted the end-user experience.

Describe the channels you follow for updates, such as influential blogs, GitHub repositories, and developer communities. You could also mention any conferences or local meetups you attend to network and learn about the latest best practices and tools in both ecosystems.

Delve into your past experiences working on cross-platform projects, focusing on how you approached compatibility issues. Highlight any libraries you've developed that function seamlessly across different platforms, such as web apps, mobile, and backend services.

Recognize common pitfalls such as lack of documentation, insufficient testing, and poor versioning practices. Discuss how you addressed these challenges in previous projects, reinforcing the importance of clear guidelines for users of the libraries.

Illustrate your strategies for gathering feedback through community engagement, surveys, or usage analytics. Talk about how you prioritize feedback to iterate on the libraries, ensuring they meet developer needs effectively.

Discuss your prior experiences with open-source projects, whether by contributing to existing libraries or maintaining your own. Highlight any key contributions, your ability to collaborate with a community of developers, and how this experience influenced your passion for open-source software.

Explain the tools and package managers you are familiar with, such as npm for JavaScript and pip for Python. Discuss best practices you've adopted in managing dependencies to ensure stability and avoid version conflicts.

Emphasize the importance of clear, concise, and user-friendly documentation. Talk about your process for creating guides, examples, and API references, ensuring developers have all necessary resources to effectively integrate and utilize the libraries.