JAVA Developer Lead (IDIT)

Hollard; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A financial services company in Johannesburg seeks a Java Team Lead to oversee the development of its IT platform. The role requires leading a team of Java developers, managing project delivery, and ensuring technical excellence. Candidates should have hands-on experience in Java and API development, along with strong leadership skills in an agile environment. This position offers opportunities for mentorship and leading innovative development practices.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading Java development teams.
• Hands-on expertise in Java and platform configuration.
• Strong understanding of API design and implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead Java developers, providing guidance and accountability.
• Oversee project delivery, ensuring timelines and quality standards.
• Architect integrations with third-party systems and APIs.

Skills

Java Development

Team Leadership

API Development

Architecture Design

Tools

Java Enterprise Edition

IDIT Platform

REST

SOAP

Job description

Job Purpose

The Java Team Lead will oversee the development of a complex IT platform using Java Enterprise Edition, specifically the IDIT platform. This role involves leading a development team, managing end-to-end project delivery, ensuring technical excellence, and fostering collaboration among business and IT stakeholders. The candidate will provide hands-on coding expertise as well as leadership in architecture, design, and implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Java developers, providing technical guidance, mentorship, and performance management. Take accountability for the team’s delivery.
• Oversee the design and delivery of customer projects, including UI, SQL data models, and business logic implementation.
• Architect and develop integrations with external systems such as web services, APIs, and other technologies.
• Collaborate with business analysts, architects, and project managers to translate requirements into technical solutions.
• Review and approve technical designs, code quality, and adherence to best practices.
• Drive process improvements and adoption of modern development methodologies.
• Ensure project timelines, quality standards, and budgetary requirements are met.

Application Development

• Develop and maintain Java-based modules for policy, claims, billing, and customer management.
• Customize IDIT metadata, workflows, and UI components to meet business requirements.
• Ensure scalability, performance, and maintainability of all developed components.

Integration & Interoperability

• Architect and implement integrations with third-party systems (e.g., payment gateways, CRM, regulatory platforms).
• Design and manage APIs (REST / SOAP) for seamless data exchange across platforms.

Requirement Analysis & Solution Design

• Collaborate with business analysts, product owners, and stakeholders to gather and refine requirements.
• Translate business needs into technical specifications and actionable development plans.
• Provide strategic input into product roadmap and platform enhancements.

Testing & Quality Assurance

• Oversee unit, integration, and regression testing strategies.
• Ensure automated testing coverage and CI / CD pipeline integration.
• Conduct code reviews and mentor developers on best practices.

Platform Configuration & Customization

• Deeply understand and leverage IDIT’s metadata-driven architecture.
• Optimize system performance, troubleshoot complex issues, and implement enhancements.
• Stay current with IDIT platform updates and industry trends.

Documentation & Governance

• Maintain comprehensive technical documentation and design artifacts.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards (e.g., POPIA, FSCA).
• Support audit and governance processes through traceable development practices.

Performance Tuning & Optimization

• Monitor application performance and identify bottlenecks.
• Optimize database queries, caching strategies, and service calls.
• Implement logging and monitoring tools to ensure system reliability.

Security & Compliance

• Ensure applications adhere to data protection regulations (e.g., POPIA in South Africa).
• Implement authentication, authorization, and encryption mechanisms.
• Support audit and compliance reporting features within the platform.

Team Collaboration & Mentorship

• Lead and mentor a team of developers, fostering growth and knowledge sharing.
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies (stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives).
• Promote a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.