Platform Developer / Database Engineering - Contract - CPT

DataFin; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in Cape Town is seeking an experienced Platform Developer with a strong focus on database engineering. The role involves designing and maintaining platform services, automating infrastructure, and ensuring system reliability. Candidates should have robust experience with relational databases, CI/CD pipelines, and containerization tools. A relevant qualification in Computer Science is required, complemented by problem-solving and communication skills. This position offers the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain platform services and automation scripts for infrastructure.
• Design, implement, and support relational database systems.
• Write SQL queries and database scripts following best practices.
• Implement CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure automation workflows.
• Monitor system and database performance; respond to alerts.
• Collaborate with engineers using Agile practices.
• Document technical designs and operational procedures.

Skills

Platform or infrastructure engineering

Linux administration

SQL development

CI/CD and automation tools

Containerisation and orchestration

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

NQF Level 7 qualification in Computer Science or related

B. Tech/B.Sc. (Comp Sci) with 8+ years experience

B.Eng./B.Sc. Hons (Comp Sci) with 5+ years experience

M.Eng./M.Sc. (Comp Sci) with 3+ years experience

Tools

GitLab CI

Jenkins

Docker

Kubernetes

ArgoCD

FluxCD

Job description

ENVIRONMENT

The Platform Developer with Database Engineering experience will join a Site Reliability Engineering team. This role focuses on developing, integrating, and maintaining shared platform services, with a strong emphasis on relational database systems, automation, and platform reliability. The successful candidate will contribute to both platform engineering and database-related development tasks.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and maintain platform services and automation scripts for infrastructure provisioning.
• Design, implement, and support relational database systems (MariaDB, MySQL, Postgres).
• Write SQL queries, stored procedures, and database scripts following best practices.
• Implement CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure automation workflows.
• Work with containerisation and orchestration tools (Docker, Kubernetes, Helm).
• Monitor system and database performance; respond to alerts and incidents.
• Collaborate with engineers across platform, data, and software teams using Agile practices.
• Document technical designs, database schemas, and operational procedures.

REQUIREMENTS

Essential Requirements

• 5+ years hands-on experience in platform or infrastructure engineering.
• Strong Linux administration, scripting, and automation skills.
• Experience with relational databases and SQL development.
• Proficiency with containerisation and orchestration technologies.
• CI/CD and automation tools experience (GitLab CI, Jenkins, ArgoCD, FluxCD).
• Working knowledge of distributed systems and microservices.
• Experience in monitoring and observability tools.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure, OpenStack).
• Exposure to large-scale distributed storage and parallel file systems.
• Integration of security practices into DevOps/SRE pipelines.
• Experience with scientific computing or data acquisition platforms.
• Familiarity with hardware acceleration (GPU, FPGA) and parallel computing.

Qualifications

• NQF Level 7 qualification in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Electronic Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• B. Tech/B.Sc. (Comp Sci) with 8+ years relevant experience
• B.Eng./B.Sc. Hons (Comp Sci) with 5+ years relevant experience
• M.Eng./M.Sc. (Comp Sci) with 3+ years relevant experience

ATTRIBUTES

• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.