Systems Architect

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Klipboard is seeking an experienced engineer to stabilise and modernise our legacy integration system. You will define target architecture, plan incremental migrations, and drive automated testing and observability while contributing production code in Python and C#.

You will lead infrastructure design, mentor engineers, and collaborate with R&D to set standards, applying AI-enabled tools where appropriate and maintaining close alignment with customer needs.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software development experience.
• Degree in CS or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience modernising or stabilising legacy systems without disrupting live customers.
• Strong cloud, networking, IaC and containers knowledge.
• Designing and running microservices with clear boundaries.
• Observability, reliability and testing practices including logging, tracing and automated testing.

Responsibilities

• Stabilise and modernise our legacy integration system.
• Define target architecture and plan incremental migration.
• Improve stability: observability, failure handling and incident reduction.
• Increase automated test coverage across integrations.
• Own infrastructure and service design: cloud platforms, containers, orchestration, CI/CD, infrastructure as code.
• Gradually replace legacy solutions with modernised integrations.
• Evaluate options and record decisions in diagrams and architecture documents.
• Stay hands-on: build prototypes and production code in Python and C#.
• Set technical standards and mentor the team across R&D.

Skills

Python

C#

Kubernetes

Microservices

APIs

Cloud platforms

Observability

Agile

Testing

Architecture leadership

Education

BSc Computer Science

Tools

Prismatic

OpenAPI

Docker

Terraform

Job description

"At Klipboard we've introduced a flexible hybrid work policy, where employees spend three days in the office and two days working from home. This approach promotes a balanced work environment that combines office collaboration with the comfort and convenience of remote work."

Klipboard provides specialist software, services and support to deliver fully integrated trading and business management solutions to companies in the distributive trade – wherever they are in the world. With a unique depth of knowledge and experience in ERP/SaaS solutions, Klipboard has a wide range of clients includes wholesalers, distributors, merchants and retailers from small traders to multinational enterprises. Klipboard has offices in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, South Africa, Kenya and North America. Our mission is simple: to design and deliver high performance, integrated ERP solutions that enable our distributive trade customers to source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably and service competitively.

Klipboard is a global, growing business that embraces AI and emerging technologies to enhance customer outcomes, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We’re looking for people who are curious about or fluid with AI, open to change, and excited to learn how technology can improve the way we work and help our customers which is always supported by strong human insight and communication.

Skynamo is a field sales app serving thousands of daily active users locally and internationally. Integration with our customers’ ERP, CRM and accounting systems is how reps in the field see accurate customers, products, stock, pricing and sales history, through connectors for systems like Sage and Xero and tailored integrations for ERPs across the Klipboard group and beyond.

We are looking for an experienced engineer to stabilise and modernise our legacy integration system, a mix of templated integrations and many bespoke ones built for individual customers. You will set the technical direction and see it through: making the bespoke solutions stable and well tested, then gradually replacing them with modernised integrations, without disrupting the customers who depend on them.

This is not an ivory-tower role. Our architects stay close to the code, the infrastructure and the team, and good designs here are the ones that survive contact with real customer data. We believe good ideas come from anywhere, and we want someone who will help evolve how we approach system design at Skynamo.

If you are someone who sets out to be learning continuously, who reaches for robust and maintainable solutions rather than quick fixes, and who enjoys explaining why as much as deciding what, this might be just the role for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Be part of our Integration team, and lead the technical work to stabilise and modernise our legacy integration system
• Assess the current system, define a target architecture, and plan an incremental migration that keeps customers running
• Improve stability first: observability (logging, metrics, tracing and alerting), failure handling, and the fixes that stop incidents from recurring
• Raise automated test coverage across our integrations, so that changes to customer integrations can be made and released with confidence
• Own the infrastructure and service design: cloud platforms, containers and orchestration, networking, infrastructure as code and CI/CD, adopting microservices where they earn their place
• Drive the gradual replacement of legacy solutions with modernised integrations, working alongside the team that builds them so both efforts share foundations
• Evaluate options and trade-offs (architecture patterns, cloud services, build versus buy, cost), and record decisions in diagrams, design documents and architecture decision records
• Stay hands‑on: build prototypes and contribute production code in Python and C# where it moves the work forward
• Work with architects and engineers across R&D to set technical standards, and mentor the team in architectural and operational thinking

Outcomes (what success in this role looks like)

• The bespoke solutions on our legacy system are stable: fewer incidents, faster recovery and fewer support escalations
• There is a clear, agreed target architecture and roadmap, and each step delivered reduces risk rather than adding to it
• Integrations have meaningful automated test coverage, and services are deployed through automated pipelines and defined as code, so changes are low riskLegacy solutions are steadily being replaced by modernised integrations, and new integrations take less time to deliver
• Your decisions are written down and easy to find, and engineers seek your input early, before designs are finalised

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

We are looking for someone with around 8 or more years of professional software development experience, including several years at a senior level or in an architecture role, who holds a BSc, BEng or similar degree with computer science as a primary focus, or equivalent practical experience, and who has:

• Proven experience modernising or stabilising a legacy production system incrementally, without disrupting live customers
• Strong infrastructure knowledge: one or more major cloud platforms, networking, infrastructure as code (Pulumi, Terraform or similar), and containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience designing and running microservices, including service boundaries, inter-service communication and data ownership, and an understanding of when a well‑structured monolith is the better choice
• Experience with observability, reliability and testing practices: monitoring, logging, tracing, alerting, incident response, and automated testing at unit and integration levelStrong backend development skills in Python and/or C#, and a solid working knowledge of software architecture and design patterns
• Experience with integrations between systems, and an understanding of the data‑integrity, synchronisation and migration challenges that come with live customer data
• A track record of leading technical work across a team: setting direction, explaining decisions clearly and bringing people with you
• Experience working in an Agile development process, and a willingness to give and receive constructive technical feedback
• Message queues and event‑driven architecture (for example Kafka, RabbitMQ or managed cloud equivalents)
• Integration platforms such as Prismatic, and API design (REST, OpenAPI)
• Accounting or ERP domain knowledge, in particular Klipboard group ERPs
• Security in cloud environments, and authentication and identity (for example Auth0)
• Exposure to using AI tools in the development and operations process

Company Info

You may also have seen from our recent posts that we are excited to begin sharing our new company name – Klipboard. Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) is becoming Klipboard and our new brand is designed to bring together our expertise across distribution, automotive, retail, rental, transport management, manufacturing, and field service management. We have offices based across the world and we are looking for talented individuals to join our growing teams. Due to our growth over the last few years it is an exciting time to join us as we enter our next chapter! At Klipboard we've introduced a flexible hybrid work policy, where employees spend three days in the office and two days working from home. This approach promotes a balanced work environment that combines office collaboration with the comfort and convenience of remote work.

As a global company, we value and respect the diversity of our workforce, aiming to empower everyone to embrace each other's differences. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral to our company and culture. We recognize the benefits of a diverse workforce, where creativity and valuing differences enable us all to thrive and sparks innovation.

If you require any help, adjustments and/or support during the interview and offer process then please advise our TA or HR team.

Research shows that women and other underrepresented groups are less likely to apply for a role unless they meet every listed requirement. However, we recognise that skills and experience come in many forms, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every criterion. If you are passionate about this role and believe you have the right mindset and transferrable skills, we would love to hear from you!

To all recruitment agencies: Klipboard does not accept agency speculative resumes. At present we only accept CV’s from Agencies on our PSL who have been assigned specific position/s. Please do not forward resumes to our careers site or direct to Klipboard employee as this does not constitute an introduction and Klipboard retrospectively will not be liable for any candidate ownership or fees related to unsolicited resumes.