Lead Backend Engineer - Remote, Scale High-Performance Systems

Placements24; Pretoria; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Remote work from anywhere in SA

Conference attendance & training

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Backend Engineer to join a fully remote engineering team in South Africa. You will shape the architectural direction of the core platform and mentor a team of backend developers to deliver scalable services and robust APIs.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years of backend experience with a proven lead record, strong knowledge of modern languages (Python, Node.js, Java, Go), and experience with relational/NoSQL databases.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years in backend development with at least 2 in a lead role.
• Expertise in Python, Node.js, Java, Go, or Ruby.
• Solid experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases.
• Proven experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs.
• Familiarity with microservices and cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP).
• Strong leadership and communication skills for remote teams.
• Ability to thrive in a fully remote, distributed team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and maintenance of scalable, reliable backend services and APIs.
• Architect and implement robust data models and database solutions.
• Mentor and guide a team of backend engineers, fostering best practices and code quality.
• Collaborate with frontend developers, product managers, and stakeholders to deliver features.
• Write high-quality, well-tested, maintainable code using modern backend languages and frameworks.
• Conduct thorough code reviews and provide feedback to team members.
• Optimize application performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues in production environments.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and technology roadmap planning.
• Stay abreast of the latest backend technologies and industry trends.

Skills

Leadership

Python

Node.js

Java

Go

REST APIs

Cloud platforms

Distributed systems

Remote collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS / Software Engineering or equivalent

Tools

PostgreSQL

MySQL

MongoDB

Redis

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Backend Engineer to join a fully remote engineering team in South Africa. You will shape the architectural direction of the core platform and mentor a team of backend developers to deliver scalable services and robust APIs.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years of backend experience with a proven lead record, strong knowledge of modern languages (Python, Node.js, Java, Go), and experience with relational/NoSQL databases.