Computer Science jobs in South Africa

Main Purpose: This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled Senior Integration Engineer to join our Trading IT organisation. The candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining robust integration solutions that connect our critical trading systems and data flows. This role demands exceptional expertise in Java backend development, middleware technologies, and API design, combined with the ability to build high-performance, scalable, and resilient integration architectures.

A good understanding of the commodity trading business is advantageous, as you'll be working at the intersection of complex trading systems, creating solutions that enable seamless data exchange across the entire trading lifecycle. You will collaborate closely with business stakeholders, application teams, and infrastructure specialists to ensure that our integration platform supports the company's trading operations and strategic initiatives.
This is an excellent opportunity to work in a technology-driven trading environment, where your integration solutions will have direct impact on business efficiency and decision-making capabilities. Our commitment to technical excellence drives us to seek individuals who are not only passionate about backend development and system integration but also eager to apply these skills in the dynamic and data-intensive world of global commodities trading. Knowledge Skills and Abilities, Key Responsibilities:

• Java Backend Expertise: Strong proficiency in Java development, including Spring Framework, Spring Boot, and JVM optimisation techniques for high-performance applications.

• Integration Architecture: Deep understanding of enterprise integration patterns, microservices architecture, and event-driven design principles.

• Messaging Systems Knowledge: Advanced knowledge of Kafka architecture, configuration, and optimisation, along with experience in other messaging systems like Tibco Enterprise Message Service.

• API Development: Strong capabilities in designing and implementing RESTful APIs and GraphQL services with a focus on security, performance, and usability.

• Database Management: Proficiency with both relational databases (Oracle, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL solutions (MongoDB, Cassandra), including optimisation of data access patterns.

• Performance Engineering: Ability to design, implement, and optimise high-throughput, low-latency integration solutions in mission-critical environments.

• Problem-Solving Skills: Exceptional analytical and troubleshooting abilities, particularly for complex integration issues across distributed systems.

• DevOps Practices: Understanding of CI/CD pipelines, incl. containerisation and orchestration.

• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication with the ability to translate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including business analysts, application developers, and infrastructure specialists.

• Cloud technologies: Proficiency with cloud-native integration services and patterns across major platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), including managed Kafka services, serverless functions, and API gateways for hybrid cloud architectures.

• AI Engineering: Basic understanding and interest in integrating AI models into data pipelines and applications.

• Adaptability: Willingness to learn new technologies and approaches to solve evolving integration challenges in a dynamic trading environment.

Experience:

• Development Experience: Minimum of 8 years of hands-on experience in Java backend development and enterprise integration.

• Technical Leadership: At least 5 years of experience in a technical leadership role, guiding integration strategies and mentoring junior developers.

• Industry Experience: Experience in commodities trading, financial services, or related industries is strongly preferred.

• Integration Project Delivery: Demonstrated track record of successfully delivering complex integration projects in enterprise environments.

• Educational Background: Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

• Certifications: Professional certifications in relevant technologies (e.g., Spring, Kafka, cloud platforms) are advantageous but not required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Integration Architecture Design: Design and implement robust integration architectures that connect trading systems, data sources, and business applications across the company.

• Middleware Implementation: Configure and extend middleware platforms to support complex integration patterns, message routing, and data transformation requirements.

• API Management: Collaborate with the Development teams to help design, develop, and maintain RESTful APIs that enable secure and efficient communication between applications.

• Data Pipeline Creation: Build reliable data pipelines that ensure timely and accurate flow of trading information across the enterprise ecosystem.

• System Connectivity: Establish and maintain connections with external systems, market data providers, and partner platforms using industry-standard protocols.

• Performance Optimisation: Monitor and optimise integration points to ensure minimal latency and maximum throughput for business-critical data flows.

• Error Handling and Resilience: Implement comprehensive error handling, retry mechanisms, and circuit breakers to ensure system resilience and data integrity.

• Integration Testing: Develop and execute thorough testing strategies for integration components, including unit tests, integration tests, and performance tests.

• Documentation: Create and maintain technical documentation for integration solutions, including architecture diagrams, API specifications, and operational procedures.

• Troubleshooting: Investigate and resolve complex integration issues across multiple systems, providing timely solutions to minimise business impact.Agile Practices: Work within an agile development methodology, participating in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.

• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to enhance existing integration patterns, reduce technical debt, and adopt emerging technologies and best practices.

Key Relationships and Department Overview:

Department and Team

Trafigura’s Trading IT group seeks to drive innovation through technology, leveraging cloud and on-prem architectures and modern development practices to supports Trafigura's trading business and is looking to embed a newly formed Integration Team within its structure. This team purpose is to serve as the critical connective tissue between Trafigura's diverse trading systems, data sources, and business processes.

The Integration team is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the seamless flow of information across the company’s trading ecosystem. By creating robust data pipelines and supporting internal development teams with the build out of an API Gateway, APIs, and system interfaces, the team ensures that critical trading data moves efficiently between applications, enabling real-time decision-making and operational excellence.

Working at the intersection of business requirements and technical implementation, the Integration team delivers solutions that unify disparate systems across our landscape. The team balances tactical integration needs with strategic architectural vision, ensuring that solutions are both immediately effective and sustainable for the future trading landscape.

Through their expertise in integration patterns, middleware technologies, and data transformation, the team enables Trafigura to maintain its competitive edge in the global commodities market while supporting the company’s continued growth.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or handicap, disability, or any other legally protected status.