Senior Software Engineer - Backend (FinTech)

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

Benefits offered by this job

Salary plus stock options

Comprehensive health benefits

Performance bonuses

Career growth and training

Work with cutting-edge fintech tech

Job summary

Placements24 in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, is seeking a Senior Software Engineer with a strong backend focus to design, build, and scale financial-grade backend services. You will work across architectures, databases, and APIs to deliver robust and secure solutions that power our fintech products.

The role requires 7+ years of backend development experience, expertise in Java, Python, Go or C#, and hands-on experience with databases, cloud platforms, and microservices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional software development experience with a strong emphasis on backend systems.
• Proven experience in designing and building highly available and scalable distributed systems.
• Expertise in one or more backend languages (Java, Python, Go, C#) and associated frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable, reliable, and secure backend services and APIs.
• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code in Java, Python, Go, or C#.
• Implement and manage database solutions (SQL/NoSQL) ensuring data integrity and performance.
• Collaborate with frontend, product, and stakeholders to define requirements and deliver features.
• Develop and run unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
• Optimize performance and resolve bottlenecks.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote best practices within the team.
• Contribute to architectural discussions and technology decisions.

Skills

Backend development

Distributed systems

API design

Unit testing

Code reviews

Mentor juniors

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

MySQL

MongoDB

Cassandra

Kafka

RabbitMQ

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly growing FinTech company in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, is seeking a highly skilled Senior Software Engineer with a strong backend focus. This role is critical for developing and scaling robust, secure, and high-performance financial technology solutions. You will be responsible for designing, coding, testing, and deploying complex backend systems that power our innovative financial products. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of scalable architectures, database management, and API development, with a passion for solving challenging problems in the financial services sector. Working within our Stellenbosch team, you will contribute to building the future of digital finance, ensuring reliability and efficiency in every line of code. This is an exceptional opportunity to work on impactful projects with a talented group of engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable, reliable, and secure backend services and APIs.
• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code in relevant programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, Go, C#).
• Implement and manage database solutions (e.g., SQL, NoSQL) ensuring data integrity and performance.
• Collaborate with frontend developers, product managers, and other stakeholders to define technical requirements and deliver features.
• Develop and execute comprehensive unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
• Optimize application performance, identify and resolve bottlenecks.
• Participate in code reviews, providing constructive feedback to peers in Stellenbosch.
• Contribute to architectural discussions and technology selection decisions.
• Ensure adherence to security best practices and compliance requirements in the FinTech space.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote best practices within the development team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional software development experience, with a strong emphasis on backend systems.
• Proven experience in designing and building highly available and scalable distributed systems.
• Expertise in one or more backend programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, Go, C#) and associated frameworks.
• Strong experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and/or NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra).
• Proficiency with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Solid understanding of microservices architecture, RESTful APIs, and message queues (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ).
• Experience in the FinTech industry or with financial systems is a significant advantage for Stellenbosch operations.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration abilities.

Benefits

• Our client offers a highly competitive salary, significant stock options, comprehensive health benefits, and performance bonuses.
• Join a dynamic and innovative FinTech company in Stellenbosch, contributing to cutting-edge financial technology.
• We provide ample opportunities for professional growth, including access to advanced training, conferences, and challenging projects.
• Enjoy a supportive and collaborative work environment in the Western Cape, with a focus on work-life balance.
• Benefits include generous paid time off, retirement plans, and regular team social events.