Lead Backend Engineer — Hybrid, Scale & Mentor

Placements24; Midrand; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Comprehensive medical and dental cover

Hybrid work model offering flexibility

Pension fund contributions

Performance bonuses

Modern office facilities in Midrand, G

Hybrid work model offering flexibility

Pension fund contributions

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Software Engineer (Backend) in Midrand, Gauteng, for a hybrid role combining in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. You will lead a team of developers, architect scalable backend systems, set standards, and mentor engineers to deliver robust software solutions.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in backend development, leadership experience, and strong skills across Python/Java/Go/Node.js, databases, RESTful APIs, and cloud platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of professional backend software development experience.
• Proven experience leading a software development team.
• Proficiency in Python, Java, Go, or Node.js.
• Strong understanding of database technologies and ORM frameworks.
• Experience with RESTful APIs.
• Familiarity with microservices and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a hybrid work environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and maintenance of scalable backend services and APIs.
• Mentor and guide a team of software engineers.
• Define and enforce coding standards and code review processes.
• Architect robust database solutions with data integrity and performance.
• Collaborate with frontend, product managers, and stakeholders on features and tech requirements.
• Identify and address performance bottlenecks and technical debt.
• Contribute to technology selection and tool guidance for backend development.
• Participate in architectural discussions and contribute to the tech roadmap.
• Ensure security and scalability of backend systems.

Skills

Backend design

Team leadership

RESTful APIs

Microservices

Database knowledge

Cloud platforms experience

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Software Engineer (Backend) in Midrand, Gauteng, for a hybrid role combining in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. You will lead a team of developers, architect scalable backend systems, set standards, and mentor engineers to deliver robust software solutions.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in backend development, leadership experience, and strong skills across Python/Java/Go/Node.js, databases, RESTful APIs, and cloud platforms.