Software Engineer: Back-End - Johannesburg - R1m PA

ATS Client; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

ATS Client is seeking an experienced Senior Backend Software Engineer in Johannesburg. You will leverage Python (FastAPI) and AWS to build scalable, cloud-native systems within a high‑performing engineering team.

The ideal candidate has 6+ years in backend development, strong microservices experience, and hands-on Terraform, CI/CD, and containerization skills to drive architectural decisions and deliver reliable services.

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Information Technology or related field (preferred).
• 6+ years' proven experience in backend software development and project delivery.
• Strong proficiency in Python (FastAPI) for backend services and scripting.
• Deep experience with AWS cloud services, including: IAM, EKS, RDS, MSK/Kafka, Lambda, ElastiCache.
• Hands-on expertise with Terraform, including: Modules, state management, and environment-specific provisioning.
• Solid understanding of microservices architecture, REST/gRPC APIs, and event-driven design.
• Proficiency with relational databases (PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL).
• Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using tools such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or similar.
• Strong knowledge of containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools such as Instana, Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry.

Responsibilities

• Deliver scalable, cloud-native backend services.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and platform design.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to implement robust APIs and resilient services.

Skills

Python (FastAPI)

AWS

Terraform

Microservices

REST/gRPC APIs

Event-driven design

PostgreSQL

SQL Server

MySQL

CI/CD pipelines

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

Jenkins

Docker

Kubernetes

Monitoring/Observability

OpenTelemetry

Education

Tertiary qualification in Information Technology or related field (preferred)

Tools

Terraform

Instana

Prometheus

Grafana

OpenTelemetry

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Backend Software Engineer with strong Python (FastAPI) and AWS expertise to join a high‑performing engineering team delivering scalable, cloud‑native systems.

This role is ideal for a technically strong engineer who enjoys building modern backend platforms and contributing to architectural decisions.

Requirements:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Information Technology or a related field (preferred)
• 6+ years' proven experience in backend software development and project delivery
• Strong proficiency in Python (FastAPI) for backend services and scripting
• Deep experience with AWS cloud services, including:
  • IAM, EKS, RDS, MSK/Kafka, Lambda, ElastiCache
• Hands‑on expertise with Terraform, including:
  • Modules, state management, and environment‑specific provisioning
• Solid understanding of microservices architecture, REST/gRPC APIs, and event‑driven design
• Proficiency with relational databases (PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL)
• Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using tools such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or similar
• Strong knowledge of containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools such as Instana, Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry

Nice‑to‑Have (Bonus Skills):

• Proficiency in gRPC and concurrency patterns
• Knowledge of the Kafka ecosystem, including Kafka Streams, schema registries, and the outbox pattern
• Experience with AWS infrastructure cost optimization
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and Kanban delivery
• Prior exposure to cloud security best practices

The Reference Number for this position is GZ61010

This is a contract role based in Johannesburg, offering a cost‑to‑company salary of up to R1m per annum, negotiable based on experience and ability.