BACKEND DEVELOPER

JOB TITLE: BACKEND DEVELOPER

NATURE OF JOB: FULL TIME

INDUSTRY: IT

SALARY: ATTRACTIVE

JOB LOCATION: SOUTH AFRICA

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Backend Architecture & System Design

• Architect scalable, secure, and highly available backend systems capable of supporting complex business workflows and high user volumes.
• Design data models, storage strategies, and integration patterns that ensure optimal performance and maintainability.
• Evaluate and recommend backend frameworks, technologies, and tools aligned with project requirements and long-term scalability.

API & Service Development

• Develop, maintain, and enhance RESTful and/or GraphQL APIs that interface with web and mobile applications.
• Ensure APIs are robust, well-documented, versioned appropriately, and optimized for performance.
• Implement microservices where applicable, ensuring modularity, reliability, and ease of deployment.

Database Management & Optimization

• Work with both relational (MySQL, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB, Redis) databases to design efficient data storage solutions.
• Optimize queries, monitor database health, and troubleshoot performance issues.
• Implement backup, replication, and database security best practices.

Integration & Third-Party Services

• Integrate systems with external APIs, payment gateways, authentication providers, and other third-party services.
• Manage API authentication flows (OAuth, JWT, etc.) to ensure secure and seamless communication.

Code Quality, Testing & Documentation

• Write clean, maintainable, well-structured code following industry best practices.
• Conduct unit, integration, and automated tests to ensure code stability and reliability.
• Participate in peer code reviews and enforce quality standards across the development team.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation including architecture diagrams, API references, and deployment guides.

Performance Monitoring & Troubleshooting

• Monitor system performance using logging, profiling, and analytics tools.
• Diagnose bottlenecks, debug system failures, and implement fixes to ensure smooth operation.
• Continuously refine system performance through caching, load balancing, and resource optimization.

Collaboration & Cross-Functional Support

• Collaborate closely with frontend, mobile, QA, DevOps, and product teams to deliver end-to-end features.
• Support the deployment process, troubleshoot issues across environments, and stabilize releases.
• Provide technical insights during planning, grooming, and architecture discussions.

Security & Compliance

• Implement and maintain strong security practices such as encryption, secure authentication, rate limiting, and data protection.
• Identify and resolve vulnerabilities, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
• Conduct regular security audits and participate in threat modeling sessions.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Stay updated on emerging backend technologies, tools, and best practices.
• Proactively suggest improvements to architecture, processes, and workflows.
• Mentor junior developers and contribute to building a strong engineering culture.

KEY REQUIREMENT SKILLS AND QUALIFICATION

• Degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field
• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in backend development for web and mobile applications
• Demonstrated proficiency with open-source web and mobile development technologies (e.g., node.js, python, php, ruby, go, etc.)
• Strong experience designing and building scalable backend architectures
• Understanding of relational and nosql databases (e.g., mysql, postgresql, mongodb)
• Experience with api development (rest, graphql), microservices, and service-oriented architecture
• Solid understanding of ci/cd pipelines, cloud platforms (e.g., aws, azure, gcp), and
• containerization technologies (docker, kubernetes)
• Familiarity with security best practices and performance optimization techniques