Principal Software Engineer

Golden Rule; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 2,000,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Golden Rule is seeking an exceptionally hands-on software engineer with 20+ years of experience to lead through technical excellence and practical delivery. This is not a management role but a technical leadership position focusing on AI-native engineering, modern development practices, and solving complex business problems with software.

You will architect systems across cloud, backend, web, AI and mobile platforms, build production software, mentor teams and continuously redefine what's

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or related field preferred.
• 20+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Proven experience designing and delivering complex software systems at enterprise scale.
• Strong architecture capabilities with ability to translate strategy into working software.
• Expert-level coding skills and a passion for remaining hands-on.
• Experience building cloud-native apps on Azure, AWS or Google Cloud.
• Deep knowledge of modern software architecture, APIs, distributed systems, DevSecOps, CI/CD and secure software engineering.
• Experience developing native mobile apps using Swift and/or Kotlin; cross-platform via Flutter or similar.

Responsibilities

• Design and build enterprise-grade software solutions from concept through to production.
• Define architecture across cloud, backend, web, AI and mobile platforms.
• Develop production-quality software using AI-assisted engineering workflows.
• Build intelligent applications powered by LLMs, AI agents and modern AI platforms.
• Design and develop native mobile applications (iOS and Android) and cross-platform solutions using Flutter or similar frameworks.
• Mentor senior engineers and influence engineering standards through hands-on leadership.
• Evaluate and introduce emerging technologies to improve engineering capability and business outcomes.
• Continue coding, prototyping and experimenting with new technologies as part of daily work.

Skills

Hands-on coding

Software architecture

Cloud-native design

AI/ML integration

Swift/Kotlin/Flutter

DevSecOps / CI/CD

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Tools

Azure

AWS

Google Cloud

OpenAI

Codex

GitHub Copilot

Job description

Role Summary

We’re looking for a rare kind of engineer.

Someone with over 20 years of software engineering experience who is still writing code every day. Someone who embraces AI as an engineering partner, not just a productivity tool. Someone who can architect complex systems, build production software, mentor teams, and continuously redefine what’s possible with modern software development.

This is not a management role. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role for an exceptional software engineer who leads through technical excellence, curiosity, and execution.

If you are passionate about AI-native engineering, modern development practices, mobile innovation, and solving complex business problems through software, we’d love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

Design and build enterprise-grade software solutions from concept through to production. Define architecture across cloud, backend, web, AI and mobile platforms. Develop production-quality software using AI-assisted engineering workflows. Build intelligent applications powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), AI agents and modern AI platforms. Design and develop native mobile applications (iOS and Android) and cross‑platform solutions using Flutter or similar frameworks. Partner with clients and engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges. Mentor senior engineers and influence engineering standards through hands‑on technical leadership. Evaluate and introduce emerging technologies that improve engineering capability and business outcomes. Continue coding, prototyping and experimenting with new technologies as part of your daily work.

Qualification Experience

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or related field preferred 20+ years of professional software engineering experience. Proven experience designing and delivering complex software systems at enterprise scale. Strong architecture capabilities with the ability to translate strategy into working software. Expert‑level coding skills and a passion for remaining hands‑on. Extensive experience building cloud‑native applications using Azure, AWS and/or Google Cloud. Deep knowledge of modern software architecture, APIs, distributed systems, DevSecOps, CI/CD and secure software engineering. Experience developing native mobile applications using Swift and/or Kotlin. Experience with cross‑platform mobile development using Flutter or comparable technologies. Strong consulting and stakeholder engagement skills. Experience working within Agile / SAFe / hybrid delivery models, aligned to strong governance and reporting expectations Proven ability to manage and balance technical quality, delivery pace, and operational stability Experience collaborating closely with:Product Owners and Business stakeholders Architecture, Security, and Platform teams UX / Experience Design and QA functions Strong exposure to DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, and production release governance Experience operating in multi‑vendor or partner environments, with accountability for engineering outcomes.

AI‑Native Engineering Experience

You should already be comfortable building software using modern AI development practices and be familiar with technologies such as:

• Cursor
• Claude
• Code
• GitHub Copilot
• OpenAI
• Codex
• Windsurf
• Gemini
• Code Assist
• Lovable new Firebase Studio
• Other emerging AI engineering platforms

You’ll also have practical experience building applications using:

• OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or similar LLM platforms
• AI agents and agentic workflows
• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Model Context Protocol (MCP)
• Function calling and tool integration
• Prompt engineering
• Vector databases
• AI application evaluation and governance

The Person We’re Looking is someone that:

Loves writing great software. Learns new technologies before they become mainstream. Is energised by solving difficult technical problems. Thinks strategically but delivers practically. Challenges conventional thinking with evidence and working solutions. Mentors others through collaboration rather than authority. Has a strong sense of ownership and accountability. Is excited about shaping the future of software engineering through AI.

Desirable Experience

• Multi-agent AI systems
• Edge AI
• On-device AI
• React Native or .NET MAUI Developer Experience (DevEx)
• Open‑source contributions
• Conference speaking or technical writing
• Building engineering platforms and accelerators