Lead Software Engineer - Fintech Solutions

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

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Health benefits

Stock options

Professional development opportunities

Cape Town office environment

Job summary

Placements24 partners with a fast-growing FinTech client in Cape Town to recruit a Lead Software Engineer who will shape the technical direction and drive the delivery of scalable financial platforms.

You will mentor engineers, oversee architecture decisions, and ensure security, performance, and reliability across services while embracing TDD, CI/CD, and agile practices.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software development experience, with 2+ years in a lead/senior role.
• Experience designing scalable backend systems (Python/Java/Go or similar).
• Strong knowledge of microservices, RESTful APIs, and distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of scalable FinTech software architectures.
• Mentor engineers, provide code reviews, and growth feedback.
• Collaborate with product, design, and stakeholders to define requirements and features.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Problem-solving

Communication

Agile

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering

Master's degree is a plus

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a fast-growing FinTech company based in Cape Town, Western Cape, is seeking an experienced and visionary Lead Software Engineer to drive the development of innovative financial technology solutions. This critical role involves leading a team of talented engineers in designing, building, and deploying high-performance, scalable, and secure software systems that power our client's cutting-edge financial platforms. You will be instrumental in shaping the technical direction, fostering best practices, and mentoring junior engineers. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in modern software development methodologies, a strong understanding of the FinTech landscape, and a passion for creating robust and user-centric applications. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in a dynamic industry in Cape Town.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of scalable and resilient software architectures for FinTech applications.
• Manage and mentor a team of software engineers, providing technical guidance, code reviews, and performance feedback.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to define software requirements and features.
• Champion software development best practices, including test-driven development (TDD), continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), and agile methodologies.
• Ensure the security, performance, and reliability of all software solutions.
• Identify and address technical debt, performance bottlenecks, and system inefficiencies.
• Evaluate and introduce new technologies and tools to enhance development efficiency and product quality.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and technical roadmap planning.
• Participate in code reviews, ensuring high standards of code quality and maintainability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues in production environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field; Master's degree is a plus.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional software development experience, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior engineering role.
• Proven experience in designing and building scalable backend systems using languages like Python, Java, Go, or similar.
• Strong understanding of microservices architecture, RESTful APIs, and distributed systems.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with database technologies (SQL, NoSQL) and their application in high-traffic environments.
• Knowledge of FinTech trends, financial regulations, and security best practices is highly desirable.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and debugging skills.
• Strong leadership, communication, and team collaboration abilities.
• Experience with agile development methodologies.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
• Generous stock options package.
• Opportunities for professional development, training, and conference attendance in Cape Town, Western Cape.
• Lead a talented engineering team and shape the future of FinTech.
• Vibrant and collaborative office culture.
• Contribution to groundbreaking financial technology innovations.