Senior Backend Engineer - Golang

Air Chefs; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company based in Pretoria is seeking a skilled Software Engineer to design, build, and maintain scalable software products and internal tools. You will optimize workflows, strengthen security, and ensure compliance with best practices while collaborating closely with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate possesses strong experience in Golang and has over 5 years of software engineering experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Proven background building distributed systems, APIs, and cloud-based applications.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the full software lifecycle, from design and planning to deployment and maintenance.
• Write clean, maintainable, and well-documented code in Golang.
• Build and maintain APIs, microservices, and integrations.
• Provide clear updates on progress, risks, and challenges.

Skills

Golang

JavaScript/TypeScript

SQL

Git

Docker

AWS

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field

Postgraduate qualification (MSc/PhD) in a technical discipline

Tools

GitHub Actions

Postman

Job description

Role Overview

We are looking for a skilled Software Engineer to design, build, and maintain scalable software products and internal tools. This role involves optimising development workflows, strengthening cloud and infrastructure security, and ensuring technical documentation and processes align with best practices. Youll contribute across the full software development lifecycle and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, reliable systems.

Key Responsibilities

Analysis & Planning (25%)

• Participate in the full software lifecycle, from design and planning to deployment and maintenance.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to refine requirements into clear technical solutions.
• Architect reusable and scalable system designs.
• Research and evaluate new tools or frameworks to improve efficiency and maintainability.
• Create user stories, break down tasks, and provide accurate estimates.
• Manage dependencies, prioritise effectively, and adapt to changing requirements.

Development & Testing (50%)

• Write clean, maintainable, and well-documented code in Golang.
• Build and maintain APIs, microservices, and integrations.
• Configure and maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Infrastructure as Code).
• Implement automated unit, integration, and performance testing.
• Diagnose and resolve system-level issues, applying root‑cause analysis and permanent fixes.
• Deploy production changes in line with established procedures.
• Maintain comprehensive technical documentation, including release notes and system logs.

Collaboration & Reporting (20%)

• Provide clear updates on progress, risks, and challenges.
• Contribute to peer code reviews and knowledge‑sharing sessions.
• Collaborate with product owners, analysts, and engineers across frontend, backend, mobile, and cloud.
• Share technical insights and suggest improvements to current systems and practices.

Quality & Compliance (5%)

• Deliver solutions that meet regulatory compliance standards (SOC2, ISO, etc.).
• Apply secure coding practices and ensure data protection measures are followed.
• Keep supporting documents up to date and aligned with internal processes.

Education

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field (essential).
• Postgraduate qualification (MSc/PhD) in a technical discipline advantageous.

Experience

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Proven background building distributed systems, APIs, and cloud‑based applications.

Skills & Knowledge

• Programming & Frameworks: Golang (essential), JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML.
• APIs & Services: RESTful APIs, HTTP, microservices, authentication, logging.
• Databases: SQL, schema design, indexing, query optimisation (MySQL/PostgreSQL).
• CI/CD & DevOps: Git, GitHub Actions, Docker, automated testing, mocking, debugging.
• Cloud: AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda), Azure experience beneficial.
• Networking: DNS, IPs, ports, subnets.
• Testing: Unit, integration, and performance testing using Postman and other tools.