Junior Software Engineer

O'Brien Recruitment; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency in Cape Town is seeking a Junior Software Engineer to contribute to production code in a dynamic environment. The ideal candidate has a degree in Computer Science or Engineering, and 6 months to 2 years of coding experience. Responsibilities include writing production-ready code, troubleshooting defects, and collaborating with the team. Applicants should have knowledge of Python or PHP and be eager to learn in a supportive setting.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 months to 2 years of professional software development experience.
• Proven knowledge of at least one object-oriented programming language.
• Understanding of networking, databases, data structures, algorithms, cloud computing, and security.
• Familiarity with coding best practices.

Responsibilities

• Write, test, and deploy production-ready code independently.
• Review peer code and provide constructive feedback.
• Create and execute unit test plans.
• Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve software defects.
• Participate in functional and technical specification reviews.
• Monitor services and systems within the technical infrastructure.
• Contribute to improvement of system architecture and performance.

Skills

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Results-driven

Collaborative team player

Effective communication skills

Building professional relationships

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering

Tools

Python

PHP

Django

Laravel

JavaScript frameworks

MySQL

BigQuery

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Software Engineer I (Junior Software Engineer) Role Overview

This role reports into an Engineering Manager and is suited to a junior software engineer with a strong foundation in programming and a passion for building scalable, reliable systems. The successful candidate will contribute to production code, collaborate closely with the engineering team, and continuously develop their technical capability in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Write, test, and deploy production-ready code independently
• Review peer code and provide constructive feedback and improvements
• Create and execute unit test plans
• Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve software defects
• Participate in functional and technical specification reviews
• Monitor services and systems within the technical infrastructure
• Contribute to continuous improvement of system architecture, code quality, scalability, performance, and security

Skills & Attributes

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Results-driven with a proactive approach to delivery
• Comfortable working collaboratively within a team environment
• Clear and effective communication skills
• Ability to build and maintain professional working relationships

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• 6 months to 2 years’ professional software development experience
• Proven knowledge of at least one object-oriented programming language
• Understanding of networking, databases, data structures, algorithms, cloud computing, security, distributed systems, and testing
• Familiarity with coding best practices, scalability, performance tuning, and secure system design

Technical Stack (Core & Advantageous)

Core:

• Python or PHP
• Django or Laravel
• Web fundamentals

Advantageous:

• JavaScript frameworks (Node.js, Vue.js, Nuxt.js)
• MySQL
• BigQuery
• Linux fundamentals
• Docker / Kubernetes
• Exposure to e-commerce platforms or systems

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is curious, self-motivated, and eager to learn. They are comfortable taking ownership of tasks while working collaboratively with colleagues across different levels of the organisation and are able to translate requirements into practical technical solutions.