Technical Back-End Lead – Java (SaaS, ML / AI, Scale-Up)

IKUE; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

IKUE, a technology scale-up in Cape Town, invites seasoned Java back-end engineers to apply for the Technical Back End Lead position. In this pivotal role, you'll lead a team, drive architecture, and innovate solutions within a dynamic environment. At IKUE, enjoy a flexible work culture and the opportunity for significant impact in a rapidly growing SaaS platform focused on data and analytics.

Benefits

Flexible hybrid working

Highly competitive salary

Employee Share Option Scheme

Yearly company trip

Starter kit including MacBook Pro

Frequent team events and incentives

Qualifications

• 15+ years Java back-end development experience.
• 2+ years in technical leadership role.
• Strong cloud-native architecture understanding.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor Java back-end engineers.
• Drive architecture decisions for scalable services.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Java

Software Engineering

Cloud-Native Architecture

Leadership

CI/CD

Microservices

Data Analytics

Machine Learning

Tools

AWS

Docker

Terraform

Job description

Ikue is a technology scale-up with a clear purpose and vision.

We know that customer data is at the heart of hyper-personalisation and are looking for the brightest, most inspiring engineers to deliver our product, which enables data to drive every decision, communication, and action.

We are building a diverse team, all unified by a desire to innovate. Creativity is at the core of Ikue, and we aim to further strengthen it in 2025! There are no typical profiles; each team member shares our vision and wants to be part of its success.

Are you a seasoned Java back-end engineer with a passion for leadership, innovation, and cutting-edge technology? Do you thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments where your ideas have a real impact?

We're a rapidly growing SaaS scale-up building a next-generation data and analytics platform powered by machine learning and AI. Our mission is to make complex data accessible, actionable, and intelligent for businesses of all sizes. We’re looking for a Technical Back End Lead to guide our talented back-end engineers and help shape the future of our platform.

As the Technical Back End Lead at Ikue, you will be:

• Leading and mentoring a team of high-performing Java back-end engineers
• Driving architecture decisions and hands-on development for scalable, high-performance services
• Collaborating cross-functionally with Product, Front-End, Data Science & DevOps teams
• Championing best practices in software engineering, CI/CD, and testing
• Helping scale and evolve our SaaS platform to meet growing user and data demands
• Working closely with ML/AI teams to integrate intelligent features and services
• Implementing microservices architecture for config-based distributed data processing
• Utilizing orchestration tools like AWS API Gateway, EventBridge, SQS, Lambda, and Step Functions
• Using Java 17+, Spring (Boot / Batch), Docker, ECS for core services, Python for analytical services
• Employing Docker, ECS, SageMaker for analytical services
• Managing CI/CD with GitHub, Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and CloudFormation

What We’re Looking For:

• 15+ years of hands-on Java back-end development experience
• 2+ years in a technical leadership or team lead role
• Proven experience building and scaling distributed systems or SaaS platforms
• Strong understanding of cloud-native architecture (AWS preferred)
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Passion for mentoring, continuous improvement, and staying ahead of tech trends
• Bonus: Experience working with ML/AI-enabled systems or data platforms

Why Join Us?

• Play a pivotal role in a fast-scaling product with huge market potential
• Work with a smart, passionate, and collaborative team
• Enjoy autonomy, ownership, and influence on technical direction
• Flexible hybrid working (remote-first culture)

You will be rewarded with:

• A highly competitive salary plus benefits and participation in our Employee Share Option Scheme
• The chance to attend our yearly 3-day company trip to a secret summer destination
• A starter kit including a MacBook Pro and Ikue-branded apparel
• Frequent team events, celebrations, weekly incentives, and Pizza Fridays

Requirements:

You are a confident self-starter, committed to delivering excellent code and seeking innovative solutions. We value personality and passion over formal education. Your individuality is your strength, and you will be supported by your Ikue family. You can choose to work in the office or remotely.

If this sounds like you, then you know what to do. We look forward to receiving your application. Good luck from your future colleagues!

By supercharging the ability to leverage data and advanced analytics in marketing messages, your work will be truly impactful from the very start.