Senior Backend Developer - API Development

Placements24; LegKraal Gate; Hybrid; ZAR 800,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Remote work

Paid time off

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a highly skilled Senior Backend Developer with a focus on API development. This fully remote role involves designing, building, and maintaining robust server-side logic and APIs that power our platform.

You will tackle complex challenges to ensure scalability, performance, and security, while enabling seamless integration and business value. You will collaborate with frontend and product teams, define API specifications, and contribute to architectural decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of professional backend development experience with emphasis on API design
• Proficiency in Node.js, Python (Django/Flask), Java (Spring Boot), or Go
• Strong understanding of database technologies (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB) and ORM frameworks
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and Docker
• Familiarity with API design principles, security best practices (OAuth, JWT), and performance optimization techniques

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend code, focusing on RESTful APIs
• Implement robust data storage solutions with optimized queries
• Ensure performance, quality, and responsiveness of applications
• Collaborate with frontend, product, and other stakeholders to define API specs
• Write unit and integration tests to ensure code quality
• Participate in code reviews and mentor junior developers

Skills

API design

Backend development

Security best practices

Performance optimization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Node.js

Python

Java

Go

PostgreSQL

MySQL

MongoDB

Docker

ORM frameworks

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly skilled Senior Backend Developer with a focus on API development to join their distributed engineering team. This is a fully remote position where you will play a key role in designing, building, and maintaining the server-side logic and robust APIs that power their innovative platform. You will work on complex challenges, ensuring scalability, performance, and security of our backend systems. The ideal candidate is a problem-solver with extensive experience in backend development and a passion for creating efficient, well-documented, and high-quality APIs that enable seamless integration and drive business value, contributing to a culture of technical excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain efficient, reusable, and reliable backend code, primarily focusing on RESTful APIs.
• Implement robust data storage solutions, optimizing database queries and schema design for performance and scalability.
• Ensure the performance, quality, and responsiveness of applications by identifying and addressing bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with frontend developers, product managers, and other stakeholders to define API specifications and integrate user-facing elements with server-side logic.
• Write comprehensive unit and integration tests to ensure code quality and stability.
• Participate in code reviews, mentor junior developers, and contribute to architectural discussions and decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of professional backend development experience, with a strong emphasis on API design and development.
• Proficiency in one or more backend languages such as Node.js, Python (with frameworks like Django/Flask), Java (Spring Boot), or Go.
• Strong understanding of database technologies (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB) and ORM frameworks.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker).
• Familiarity with API design principles, security best practices (OAuth, JWT), and performance optimization techniques.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and annual performance bonuses.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off and company holidays.
• Fully remote work setup, providing maximum flexibility and autonomy.
• Opportunities for professional growth, including access to online courses and conferences.
• A collaborative and supportive remote engineering culture.