Lead Backend Python/Django | Hybrid + Stock Options

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical and dental coverage

Generous leave policy

Professional development budget

Modern Cape Town office

Team social events

Stock options

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Backend Developer for a hybrid role in Cape Town. You will design, develop, and deploy robust backend systems powering innovative fintech products.

You will mentor a team of developers, drive technical decisions, and uphold high standards of code quality and performance. The ideal candidate has strong leadership, extensive Python/Django experience, and a passion for building high-performance applications.

Qualifications

• Extensive backend experience with Python and Django.
• Experience leading a development team or as a technical lead.
• Strong knowledge of relational databases (PostgreSQL/MySQL) and ORMs.
• Experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs.
• Familiarity with microservices and message queues (RabbitMQ/Kafka).
• Frontend basics (JavaScript/React) is a plus.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and Docker preferred.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and leadership skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in CS or related field or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and maintenance of backend services using Python and Django.
• Architect scalable, secure APIs and data models.
• Mentor backend developers and review code for quality.
• Collaborate with frontend to integrate server-side logic.
• Optimize performance and database queries.
• Troubleshoot production and development issues.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and tech choices.
• Ensure data security and integrity.

Skills

Python

Django

Leadership

REST APIs

PostgreSQL

MySQL

Docker

AWS/GCP/Azure

RabbitMQ/Kafka

React

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Docker

RabbitMQ

Kafka

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Backend Developer for a hybrid role in Cape Town. You will design, develop, and deploy robust backend systems powering innovative fintech products.

You will mentor a team of developers, drive technical decisions, and uphold high standards of code quality and performance. The ideal candidate has strong leadership, extensive Python/Django experience, and a passion for building high-performance applications.