Lead Engineer Discover

Jobgether; Remote; ZAR 4 010 000 - 4 813 000; Full time

Job summary

A partner company is seeking a Lead Engineer for their discovery marketplace in South Africa. This role involves leading an engineering team to optimize a recommendations feed. Candidates should have 5+ years of software engineering experience, including 2+ in machine learning and data engineering. The company offers a competitive salary, significant stock options, and fully remote work. Additional benefits include 35 days of PTO and comprehensive medical coverage.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Fully remote work

35 days of PTO

Comprehensive medical coverage

Home office stipend

Annual company retreats

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on software engineering experience.
• 2+ years focused on machine learning or data.
• Strong proficiency in backend and data engineering.
• Deep understanding of consumer application dynamics.
• Proficient in English at CEFR Level C2.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a small engineering team.
• Design and iterate on large-scale machine learning systems.
• Own the technical roadmap for the discovery feed.
• Leverage data for high-quality decisions.
• Mentor team members and establish best practices.

Skills

Machine learning

Data engineering

Recommendation systems

Backend engineering

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Job description

This position is posted by Jobgether on behalf of a partner company. We are currently looking for a Lead Engineer, Discover in South Africa.

We are looking for a visionary engineering leader to spearhead the development of a next-generation discovery marketplace. In this role, you will lead a small team of engineers to design, build, and optimize a recommendations feed that helps millions find creators, communities, and products to achieve personal and professional growth. You will work closely with leadership to define technical strategy, prioritize initiatives, and ensure high-quality delivery. This position requires hands-on expertise in machine learning, data engineering, and consumer-facing recommendation systems. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, fully remote environment, is comfortable with ambiguity, and is driven by the mission to create technology that delivers meaningful impact at scale. You will shape the technical roadmap, mentor your team, and play a key role in creating a transformative product experience.

Accountabilities

• Lead and manage a small engineering team focused on building the discovery feed and recommendation engine.
• Collaborate closely with executive leadership to translate vision into actionable technical plans and product features.
• Design, implement, and iterate on large-scale machine learning systems, including embeddings, ranking models, and experimentation frameworks.
• Own the technical roadmap, balancing speed, reliability, scalability, and long-term architecture decisions.
• Leverage data, experimentation, and engineering intuition to make fast, high-quality decisions.
• Ensure performance, quality, and maintainability of all algorithms powering the discovery experience.
• Mentor team members, establish best practices, and foster a high-performing, collaborative engineering culture.

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, with 2+ years focused on machine learning, data, or recommendation systems.
• Experience building or scaling feeds, ranking systems, or large-scale consumer-facing ML products.
• Strong proficiency in backend and data engineering, including system design and productionizing ML models.
• Deep understanding of consumer application dynamics and product/market fit in recommendation or discovery experiences.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment and capable of learning and adapting to new technologies quickly.
• Exceptional problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Proficient in English (spoken, written, and reading) at CEFR Level C2 / ILR Level 5.

Benefits

• Competitive U.S.-benchmarked salary range: $250,000 – $300,000 USD per year, with significant stock compensation and milestone-based accelerators.
• Fully remote work with autonomy and trust to focus on outcomes.
• 35 days of PTO annually and paid sabbatical after 5 years.
• Comprehensive medical coverage, including family coverage or reimbursement options.
• Parental leave for new parents.
• Home office stipend and professional learning & development allowance.
• Annual company retreats in inspiring international locations.
• High-impact, collaborative environment with diverse and inclusive team culture.

Why Apply Through Jobgether?

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

Why Apply Through Jobgether?

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