South Africa - Senior Backend Engineer

We are seeking a Senior Backend Software Engineer to architect, develop, and optimize high-performance backend systems that drive our applications. In this role, you will take ownership of critical backend services, ensuring they are scalable, secure, and efficient. As a senior engineer, you will play a key role in shaping our technical strategy, mentoring engineers, and collaborating across teams to build resilient and innovative solutions. Your expertise in backend development, cloud technologies, and distributed systems will help us deliver seamless experiences to our users while maintaining best practices in engineering excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Backend development: Design, develop, and optimize scalable backend applications using Java and Spring Boot, ensuring high availability, performance, and maintainability.

• Database operations and optimization: Implement advanced query optimization techniques for relational and NoSQL databases such as Cassandra and PostgreSQL, ensuring efficient data retrieval and storage.

• API development and security: Architect, implement, and enhance RESTful APIs (OpenAPI) and GraphQL, applying advanced security practices including OAuth 2.0, JWT, and API Gateway configurations.

• Microservices and event-driven architecture: Design and implement distributed backend services within a microservices architecture, optimizing service-to-service communication using Kafka or RabbitMQ.

• Cloud and containerization: Lead deployment strategies using Docker and Kubernetes, automating infrastructure provisioning with AWS CLI and AWS SDK while ensuring high availability.

• Development practices and tooling:

  • Define and enforce best practices for Git version control, ensuring effective branching and release management strategies.

  • Debug and test APIs with Postman, Bruno, and JMeter, leveraging automation for API testing and performance benchmarking.

  • Enforce static code analysis standards using SonarCloud and SonarLint to maintain security and code quality.

  • Drive improvements in CI/CD automation, ensuring robust integration and deployment pipelines.

• Security and compliance: Design and implement secure authentication workflows with Spring Security, OAuth, and JWT, ensuring compliance with OWASP security guidelines and regulatory requirements.

• Software design contributions: Architect, refine, and document scalable system designs, including component diagrams, sequence diagrams, and workflow diagrams, ensuring alignment with best practices.

• Performance optimization: Lead performance tuning efforts, implementing caching strategies, advanced query optimization, and load balancing techniques to enhance system efficiency.

• Testing and quality assurance:

  • Develop and optimize unit and integration test strategies using JUnit and Mockito, improving test coverage and reliability.

  • Implement and expand test automation frameworks to enhance system stability.

  • Lead performance testing efforts, identifying bottlenecks and optimizing application responsiveness

Soft Skills & Professional Expectations

• Effective Communication: Clearly convey complex technical concepts to engineers, architects, and non-technical stakeholders. Communicate effectively in design discussions, documentation, and presentations.

• Teamwork & Collaboration: Work seamlessly across teams, engaging with engineers, product managers, and designers to drive alignment on technical solutions.

• Code Review & Constructive Feedback: Lead structured code reviews, providing detailed feedback to improve code quality, maintainability, and security. Promote best practices in coding standards and testing strategies.

• Problem-Solving & Adaptability: Deconstruct complex technical challenges, analyze trade-offs, troubleshoot production issues, and proactively mitigate risks in software design and implementation.

• Continuous Learning & Growth: Stay current with industry trends, mentor junior engineers, and actively contribute to knowledge-sharing initiatives such as workshops and technical discussions.

• Professionalism & Accountability: Take ownership of architectural decisions, project success, and long-term system sustainability, ensuring alignment with best practices and business goals.

Additional Expectations

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Guide and support engineers at all levels, fostering a culture of continuous learning and providing coaching in technical best practices.

• Cross-Team Collaboration: Act as a liaison between engineering teams, architects, and product stakeholders, ensuring smooth integration of technical initiatives across projects.

• Strategic Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Solve high-impact technical challenges by evaluating trade-offs and implementing scalable, innovative solutions that align with business objectives.

Experience Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in backend engineering in a customer-facing or consulting role, designing and maintaining scalable backend systems.

• Preferably 7+ years of experience in solving complex technical challenges in distributed systems, cloud environments, or microservices architectures.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

• Fluency in English (written and spoken), with strong communication skills for technical discussions and stakeholder collaboration.
   

About treXis

treXis LLC is a boutique Software Engineering firm, founded in 2016 to support Fintech implementation projects around the globe. treXis offers a strong Engineering culture with 100% remote work when not traveling to client site, about 40% of the time or less. As a company built by Engineers for Engineers, treXis offers a technical work environment to challenge your skill set, grow your ability to consult and allow you to innovate. With a balance of client facing software projects and an innovation lab, Engineers have the opportunity to truly put their craft to work solving problems and building solutions. At treXis we believe in a work life balance, we will supply the work, you must get a life to be successful here.