Optimization Engineer (Python)

Job description

We are looking for an Optimization Engineer with experience in Python, PDF rendering, document generation, or print/prepress technologies to join a project focused on automating newspaper production.

You will work on an automated newspaper production platform, developing the rendering engine that transforms composed page plans into print-ready PDFs. The output goes directly to the printing house, so accuracy, quality, and reliability are critical.

Responsibilities

- Develop and optimize programmatic PDF rendering from composed newspaper page plans.

- Build print-ready output meeting strict 300 DPI, PDF/X-3, colour, bleed, and imposition requirements.

- Implement newspaper typesetting, including columns, column widths, justified text, hyphenation, leading, gutters, and typography.

- Develop automated prepress quality checks to identify issues before printing.

- Optimize rendering performance, reliability, and consistency across high volumes of pages.

- Work with engineering and product teams to translate printing-house requirements into technical solutions.

Requirements

- Strong Python development experience and experience with PDF generation or document rendering technologies such as ReportLab, WeasyPrint, HarfBuzz, or similar.

- Solid understanding of PDF rendering, typography, fonts, typesetting, colour management, CMYK/ICC profiles, bleed, imposition, and PDF/X standards.

- Experience with automated prepress QA / PDF validation and troubleshooting visual or rendering issues.

- Understanding of newspaper, publishing, print production, or automated document-generation workflows is highly valuable.

- Experience with OpenType/TrueType fonts, font embedding, layout engines, or high-volume rendering pipelines is a plus.

- Strong attention to detail and a quality-focused engineering mindset.

- Good English communication skills.

Advantageous Background

- Experience in publishing, newspaper production, prepress, typesetting, DTP, print production, or graphic production systems is highly valued. Candidates with strong domain expertise in print technology are encouraged to apply even if their general software engineering background is lighter.