Senior Full-Stack Engineer – YC-Backed Legal Tech Startup

Project Y; Johannesburg; Remote; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A legal-tech startup is seeking a Senior Full-Stack Engineer to join their team in Johannesburg. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of full-stack development experience, expertise in TypeScript and Next.js, and a strong background in database design and DevOps. This role offers the opportunity to work independently on a digital notary platform that aims to revolutionize legal services in Europe. Candidates must have excellent problem-solving skills and fluent English communication.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional full-stack development experience.
• Advanced knowledge of TypeScript and Next.js.
• Strong understanding of database design, schema optimization, and data modeling.
• Experience owning DevOps, CI/CD, and deployment processes.
• Ability to work independently and manage priorities.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain end-to-end product features across the stack.
• Implement clean, efficient, and secure code following modern engineering best practices.
• Manage CI/CD pipelines and cloud deployments with minimal supervision.
• Collaborate with founders and product stakeholders to refine ideas into technical solutions.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve performance and reliability.

Skills

TypeScript

Next.js

Database design

DevOps

CI/CD

Problem-solving skills

Fluent English communication

Tools

PostgreSQL

Docker

Vercel

Job description

Overview

Project Y is hiring on behalf of a YC-backed legal-tech startup that’s redefining how legal services are built, delivered, and scaled through technology.

We’re looking for a Senior Full-Stack Engineer to join an experienced, fast-moving team and take ownership of building, maintaining, and scaling a product used by customers across Europe.

This is a high-agency role suited to someone who thrives in autonomous environments, enjoys solving complex technical problems, and can translate product goals into elegant, scalable code. You’ll be trusted to ship independently, contribute to product direction, and ensure every release is robust and production-ready.

About the company

This tech company is building the first European digital notary.

They believe your notary should be as mobile and flexible as you are. That’s why the are creating a 100% digital, legally compliant notary service that’s simple, transparent, and built for the modern world.

Our user-friendly web application enables individuals and businesses to manage notarial processes anytime, anywhere — without waiting rooms or outdated paper workflows.

The team consists of 15 legal and tech experts, founded by two male serial entrepreneurs — whose company was accepted into Y Combinator, the world’s most prominent startup accelerator in San Francisco, where they attracted leading international investors to back their mission.

Frustrated by the inefficiency and cost of traditional notary processes, they set out to build Europe’s leading digital notary platform — simple, fast, and secure.

Your Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain end-to-end product features across the stack.

• Implement clean, efficient, and secure code following modern engineering best practices.

• Manage CI/CD pipelines and cloud deployments with minimal supervision.

• Design and optimize database schemas and queries for performance and scalability (the platform uses PostgreSQL via Supabase).

• Collaborate with founders and product stakeholders to refine ideas into technical solutions.

• Continuously identify opportunities to improve performance, reliability, and developer efficiency.

Must-Haves

• 5 + years of professional full-stack development experience.

• Advanced knowledge of TypeScript and Next.js.

• Strong understanding of database design, schema optimization, and data modeling.

• Experience owning DevOps, CI/CD, and deployment processes (Vercel, Docker, or similar).

• Ability to work independently, manage priorities, and ship production-ready features.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and a bias for action.

• Fluent English communication skills.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience building SaaS or B2B products, especially in legal, fintech, or similar regulated industries.

• Familiarity with authentication, authorization, and secure data handling.

• UI/UX sensibility and ability to implement pixel-perfect interfaces.

• Interested in contributing to product direction or suggesting new technical approaches.

• Familiarity with edge functions, cloud infrastructure, and performance monitoring tools.