Principal Backend Software Engineer

Placements24; Durban; Hybrid; ZAR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly competitive salary

Comprehensive health insurance

Retirement plan

Generous paid time off

Professional development budget

Durban-based modern office

Team-building events

Equity potential

Job summary

Placements24 in Durban seeks a Principal Backend Software Engineer to architect and deliver scalable backend systems powering millions of interactions. You will define technical direction, mentor engineers, and drive best practices across the backend lifecycle.

Expected to lead complex distributed systems, design API-first services, and optimize relational and NoSQL databases while leveraging AWS, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of professional backend software development experience.
• Experience as a technical lead or principal engineer, architecting complex systems.
• Expertise in Java, Python, Go, or Node.js and API design.
• Deep understanding of microservices, RESTful APIs, and gRPC.
• Experience with PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Cassandra.
• Proficiency with cloud platforms and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong caching and messaging knowledge (Redis, Kafka/RabbitMQ).
• CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code experience, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of complex backend services and APIs for scalability.
• Architect distributed systems using modern microservices patterns.
• Collaborate with frontend, product managers, and stakeholders to define technical specs.
• Mentor backend engineers and promote code quality and best practices.
• Adopt new technologies and patterns to improve efficiency and productivity.
• Optimize queries and performance for high-traffic scenarios.
• Implement testing strategies including unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
• Participate in code reviews and provide constructive feedback.
• Resolve production issues and contribute to the technical roadmap.

Skills

Distributed systems

API design

Microservices

Java

Python

Go

Node.js

Caching systems

Relational databases

NoSQL databases

Cloud platforms

Docker

Kubernetes

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

GCP

REST/gRPC

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly expanding e-commerce platform, is seeking a highly accomplished Principal Backend Software Engineer to join their core engineering team in Durban. This is a strategic role where you will architect, design, and implement highly scalable, performant, and reliable backend systems that power millions of user interactions daily. You will be instrumental in defining technical direction, mentoring junior engineers, and driving best practices across the backend development lifecycle. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of distributed systems, API design, database optimization, and a passion for building robust, high-quality software. Join us in Durban and make a significant impact on a platform used by customers across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of complex backend services and APIs, ensuring scalability, performance, and maintainability.
• Architect robust and resilient distributed systems using modern microservices patterns.
• Collaborate with frontend developers, product managers, and other stakeholders to define feature requirements and technical specifications.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to a team of backend engineers, fostering code quality and best practices.
• Drive the adoption of new technologies and architectural patterns to improve system efficiency and developer productivity.
• Optimize application performance and database queries for high-traffic scenarios.
• Implement and champion comprehensive testing strategies, including unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
• Participate actively in code reviews, providing constructive feedback to peers.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues, ensuring system stability and reliability.
• Contribute to the technical roadmap and strategic planning for the backend infrastructure.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of professional experience in backend software development.
• Proven experience as a technical lead or principal engineer, architecting complex systems.
• Expertise in one or more backend languages such as Java, Python, Go, or Node.js.
• Deep understanding of microservices architecture, RESTful APIs, and gRPC.
• Extensive experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra).
• Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong knowledge of caching mechanisms (e.g., Redis, Memcached) and message queues (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ).
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code tools.
• Excellent problem-solving, debugging, and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration abilities.
• Experience working within the Durban tech community is a plus.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and potential for equity.
• Comprehensive health insurance and retirement plan.
• Generous paid time off and flexible working hours.
• Professional development budget for conferences and training.
• Opportunity to work with a talented and passionate team.
• Modern office space in Durban with amenities.
• Regular team-building events and social activities.
• Significant impact on a high-growth product.