Lead Software Engineer - Full Stack Development

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plan

Professional development

Hybrid work arrangements

Modern office

Team-building events

Cutting-edge technology stack

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Placements24 in Stellenbosch, South Africa, seeks a Lead Software Engineer to guide a talented team in delivering scalable full‑stack applications. This hybrid role blends hands‑on coding with architectural leadership, mentoring junior engineers, and shaping technical direction for flagship products.

Collaborate with product managers and designers to translate requirements into robust solutions. You will drive coding standards, review quality, optimize performance, and steward CI/CD, while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional software development experience, with at least 2 years in a lead role.
• Extensive experience with full-stack development using modern frameworks.
• Proficiency in database design and management (SQL/NoSQL).
• Experience with cloud platforms and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Strong software architecture knowledge and design principles.
• Excellent leadership, communication and mentoring abilities.
• Experience with Agile methodologies and testing strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers with technical guidance.
• Design, develop, and implement scalable full-stack applications.
• Drive architectural decisions and enforce coding standards.
• Collaborate with product management to define requirements and specs.
• Oversee code reviews, ensure quality, maintainability and performance.
• Address technical debt and performance bottlenecks.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and production reliability.
• Troubleshoot complex issues in production environments.
• Stay updated on emerging technologies and promote innovation.
• Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.

Skills

Full-stack development

Leadership

Front-end frameworks

Back-end languages

Cloud platforms

Docker / Kubernetes

Database design

Agile methodologies

Mentoring

Code reviews

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

React

Angular / Vue.js

Node.js

Python

Java

.NET

SQL / NoSQL

AWS / Azure / GCP

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting-edge technology company known for its innovative software solutions, is seeking an experienced and visionary Lead Software Engineer to join their dynamic team. This hybrid role, based in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, ZA , offers the chance to guide a talented team of engineers in developing and deploying robust, scalable applications. You will play a pivotal role in architectural design, code quality, and the overall technical direction of our client's flagship products. This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned developer to mentor junior engineers, drive technical excellence, and contribute to the company's rapid growth. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of full-stack development, a passion for clean code, and a proven ability to lead teams through complex development cycles. You will collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and other engineering leads to translate business requirements into high-performing software. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and innovative environment that supports professional growth and technological advancement. Join us to shape the future of software development and build impactful solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers, providing technical guidance and support.
• Design, develop, and implement scalable and robust full-stack applications.
• Drive architectural decisions and ensure adherence to coding best practices and standards.
• Collaborate with product management to define requirements and technical specifications.
• Oversee code reviews, ensuring code quality, maintainability, and performance.
• Identify and address technical debt and performance bottlenecks.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues in production environments.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, advocating for their adoption where appropriate.
• Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within the engineering team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional software development experience, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior engineering role.
• Extensive experience with full-stack development, including front-end (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js) and back-end technologies (e.g., Node.js, Python, Java, .NET).
• Proficiency in database design and management (e.g., SQL, NoSQL).
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong understanding of software architecture patterns and design principles.
• Excellent leadership, communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with agile development methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide junior engineers.
• Familiarity with testing frameworks and strategies.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and stock options.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous retirement savings plan.
• Opportunities for professional development, conferences, and training.
• Flexible working hours and hybrid work arrangements.
• Modern office space with excellent amenities.
• Regular team-building events.
• Cutting-edge technology stack and tools.
• Opportunity to work on innovative and impactful projects.
• Paid parental leave.