Principal Backend Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare coverage

Retirement plan

Generous leave and development budget

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Placements24 invites applications for a Principal Backend Engineer to lead the design and development of core platform services in a SaaS environment. Based in Paarl in a hybrid setup, you will guide architectural decisions, mentor engineers, and drive scalable, resilient backend systems using microservices and cloud-native practices.

The ideal candidate has 8+ years in backend development, strong leadership, and deep expertise in Go/Java/Python/Node.js, API design (REST/gRPC), and

Qualifications

• Master’s or Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of professional backend software development experience.
• Proven experience designing and building large-scale distributed systems (microservices).
• Expertise in at least one modern backend language (Go, Java, Python, Node.js).
• Strong knowledge of SQL and NoSQL databases and data modeling.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proficiency in API design (RESTful, gRPC).
• Solid understanding of software design patterns and principles.
• Experience with performance tuning and optimization.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and implement scalable backend services and APIs.
• Lead technical decision-making and provide architectural guidance for new features.
• Mentor and guide a team of backend engineers, fostering best practices.
• Collaborate with product managers to define technical requirements and roadmaps.
• Optimize backend systems for performance, scalability, and security.
• Oversee robust testing strategies and deployment processes.
• Champion modern technologies and engineering practices.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex backend issues.
• Contribute to cloud infrastructure and DevOps practices.
• Ensure long-term maintainability and evolution of the platform.

Skills

Distributed systems design

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

REST/gRPC APIs

Docker/Kubernetes

Backend languages (Go/Java/Python/Node

Data modeling (SQL/NoSQL)

Leadership

API design

Education

Master's or Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly expanding SaaS company located in Paarl, Western Cape, ZA , is seeking a highly experienced Principal Backend Engineer to lead the design and development of their core platform services. This pivotal role requires a deep technical understanding of building scalable, resilient, and high-performance backend systems. You will be responsible for architectural decisions, technical leadership, and mentoring a team of talented engineers. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with microservices architecture, cloud-native technologies, and robust API design. You will collaborate closely with product management, frontend teams, and operations to deliver innovative solutions that drive business growth. Join us in Paarl, Western Cape, ZA , and shape the technical direction of our client's next-generation platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and implement scalable, reliable, and high-performance backend services and APIs.
• Lead technical decision-making and provide architectural guidance for new features and systems.
• Mentor and guide a team of backend engineers, fostering best practices and code quality.
• Collaborate with product managers to define technical requirements and project roadmaps.
• Optimize backend systems for performance, scalability, and security.
• Oversee the implementation of robust testing strategies and deployment processes.
• Champion the adoption of modern technologies and engineering practices.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues across the backend stack.
• Contribute to the development of our client's cloud infrastructure and DevOps practices.
• Ensure the long-term maintainability and evolution of the platform.

Requirements

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of professional experience in backend software development.
• Proven experience in designing and building large-scale, distributed systems (microservices).
• Expertise in at least one modern backend language (e.g., Go, Java, Python, Node.js).
• Strong knowledge of database technologies (SQL and NoSQL) and data modeling.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proficiency in API design (RESTful, gRPC).
• Solid understanding of software design patterns and principles.
• Experience with performance tuning and optimization.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a hybrid model in Paarl, Western Cape, ZA .

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and significant bonus opportunities.
• Comprehensive private healthcare coverage and retirement plan.
• Generous annual leave and professional development budget.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology and influence architectural decisions.
• Collaborative and stimulating work environment in Paarl, Western Cape, ZA .
• Relocation assistance for qualified candidates.