Remote Lead Backend Engineer (Node.js/Express)

Placements24; Upington; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Health benefits

Retirement fund

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Lead Backend Engineer to join a fully remote team based in South Africa. You will design, build, and scale backend services using Node.js and Express.js, architect APIs and microservices, and mentor a team of engineers.

Your leadership will shape the product roadmap and engineering standards while collaborating with product managers and frontend teams. The role emphasizes technical excellence, CI/CD, scalable data models, and cloud-native patterns in a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years in backend development with at least 3 years in leadership or senior role.
• Extensive Node.js and Express.js experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of scalable backend services using Node.js and Express.js.
• Architect robust APIs and microservices with security, reliability, and maintainability.
• Mentor backend engineers and drive technical excellence.

Skills

Node.js

Express.js

RESTful APIs

Microservices

SQL/NoSQL

Cloud platforms

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka/RabbitMQ

Architecture

Leadership

Remote teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/SE or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

MongoDB

AWS

Azure

GCP

Kafka

RabbitMQ

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting-edge fintech startup, is looking for an experienced Lead Backend Engineer specializing in Node.js and Express.js to join their fully remote team. You will be instrumental in designing, developing, and scaling the core backend services that power their innovative financial platform. This role demands strong technical leadership, architectural vision, and a passion for building high-quality, robust applications. As a lead, you will mentor junior engineers, drive technical excellence, and contribute significantly to the product roadmap. Embrace the freedom of remote work while shaping the future of financial technology from anywhere in South Africa.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of scalable, high-performance backend services using Node.js and Express.js.
• Architect robust APIs and microservices, ensuring security, reliability, and maintainability.
• Manage and optimize database solutions (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB) for performance and scalability.
• Drive best practices in code quality, testing, and deployment strategies.
• Mentor and guide a team of backend engineers, fostering technical growth and collaboration.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, frontend engineers, and other stakeholders to deliver innovative features.
• Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines for efficient software delivery.
• Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure high code standards.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues in production environments.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and long-term technical strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of professional experience in backend development, with at least 3 years in a leadership or senior capacity.
• Extensive experience with Node.js and frameworks like Express.js.
• Proven experience in designing and building RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Strong knowledge of database systems (SQL and NoSQL) and data modeling.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with message queuing systems (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ) is a plus.
• Excellent understanding of software architecture patterns and best practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, remote team environment.

Benefits

This fully remote position offers a highly competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, retirement fund contribution, and generous opportunities for professional development and training. Work on exciting, impactful projects with a talented, globally distributed team. Enjoy the flexibility and autonomy of remote work while contributing to a leading fintech innovator.