Principal Software Engineer

Humankind; Wes-Kaap; Remote; ZAR 619,000 - 882,000; Full time

Job summary

Humankind is seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer to lead backend and full-stack development in a fintech SaaS environment, delivering scalable solutions from design to production.

You will own architecture, guide teams, collaborate with clients and stakeholders, and apply AI-assisted tooling to accelerate delivery, with strong emphasis on TypeScript/JavaScript, Node.js, React and AWS.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Principal/Lead engineer or similar senior role.
• Hands-on backend with full-stack capabilities.
• Strong knowledge of TypeScript/JavaScript, Node.js, React, SQL and AWS.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain scalable, secure software applications.
• Own the full software development lifecycle from architecture to production support.
• Develop full-stack solutions with emphasis on backend performance.
• Make architectural decisions and evaluate technical solutions.
• Collaborate with engineering teams, clients and stakeholders.

Skills

Backend development

Full-stack development

TypeScript/JavaScript

Node.js

React

SQL databases

AWS

Cloud architectures

AI tooling

Tools

Docker

OpenAPI / REST

Job description

Principal Software Engineer / Principal Full Stack Engineer

Location: Fully Remote - South Africa

Contract: 12 Months (Potential to Become Permanent)

Rate: Up to R545 per hour

Eligibility: South African Citizens Only

About the Opportunity

We are seeking experienced, hands-on Principal Software Engineers to join an established fintech SaaS environment developing innovative technology solutions for the investment management industry.

This is an exciting opportunity for technically strong engineers who enjoy building scalable applications, solving complex challenges and taking ownership of software solutions from initial design through to production.

The role requires strong backend engineering expertise combined with full-stack development capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain scalable, secure and reliable software applications.
• Take ownership of the full software development lifecycle, including architecture, development, testing, deployment and production support.
• Develop full-stack solutions with a strong focus on backend development.
• Make architectural decisions and evaluate technical solutions to support business requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering teams, clients and stakeholders to deliver effective software solutions.
• Drive engineering best practices, code quality, system performance and maintainability.
• Troubleshoot complex technical challenges and provide technical guidance.
• Use AI-assisted development tools to improve efficiency and software delivery.

Minimum Requirements

• Proven experience as a Principal Engineer, Staff Engineer, Lead Software Engineer, Technical Lead or hands-on Solutions Architect.
• Strong hands-on backend development experience with full-stack capabilities.
• Solid working knowledge of TypeScript / JavaScript, Node.js, React, SQL databases and AWS.
• Experience designing software architecture and making independent technical decisions.
• Proven ability to deliver software solutions from concept through to production.
• Experience in SaaS, product development, startup or smaller engineering environments.
• Strong understanding of cloud technologies, system integrations and scalable application development.
• Practical experience using AI development tools.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Candidates with a strong Java or C# development background will also be considered, provided they have relevant AWS, React and JavaScript/TypeScript experience.

Advantageous Experience

• PostgreSQL, MySQL or SingleStore
• AWS Lambda, Cloudflare Workers or Docker
• Fintech, financial services or investment management experience
• Startup, founding engineer or entrepreneurial experience
• Open-source contributions or independent software development projects

Who Would Be a Good Fit?

We are looking for an engineer who combines strong technical expertise with a hands-on approach to development. You should be confident making architectural decisions, comfortable working in a collaborative engineering environment and capable of independently delivering complex software solutions.

This position is particularly suited to engineers who enjoy coding, take accountability for their work and want to make a meaningful technical contribution rather than move into a purely managerial role.

If you are an experienced Principal, Staff or Lead Software Engineer ready for your next technical challenge, we would like to hear from you.