Job Description

Senior Backend Developer

Minimum Requirements:

• Matric [Grade 12]
• Course or Certificate in Programming
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Engineering (or similar)
• 5 years of working experience

Responsibilities:

Analysis and Planning 30%

• Lead the application lifecycle (planning, design, development, deployment, ongoing maintenance), creating user stories and estimates, collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Continuously research, evaluate and integrate new technologies to optimize development efficiency and application performance.
• Plan and design well-structured, reusable application architecture.
• Introduce and implement best practices to ensure high-quality, maintainable systems.
• Participate in project planning by providing accurate estimates, contributing to requirement documentation, and assisting in work breakdown structures for the team.
• Lead the collection and documentation of user requirements, user story creation, estimation, and work plan development, ensuring clear communication of requirements.
• Effectively prioritize, and manage dependencies to ensure timely completion, and switch contexts effectively when the need arises.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to solve problems, make recommendations, and discuss best practices.
• Proactively identify and mitigate cross-functional and user-facing risks, adapting as needed.
• Track task and project progress within JIRA.

Development and Testing 40%

• Lead and participate in software development adhering to project plans, deadlines, and coding standards.
• Develop and maintain high-quality, maintainable systems using efficient and reusable code according to best practices.
• Use version control effectively and according to best practices, as well as backing up other work according to company standards.
• Prepare and maintain comprehensive testing environments with clear examples and instructions.
• Conduct initial testing and assist in developing testing plans to ensure applications meet specifications.
• Implement and maintain automated tests and component libraries and contribute to team best practices.
• Analyze systems to identify root causes of issues across systems, develop workarounds, and implement permanent fixes.
• Deliver thoroughly tested, performance benchmarked, and functionally-compliant work, ensuring readiness for deployment.
• Deploy changes to the production environment following established procedures and supervise more junior team members.
• Oversee, implement and maintain all DevOps processes, including CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure as Code as applicable to the team.
• Take ownership of maintaining up to date and accurate code and system level documentation .
• Collaborate with members of other teams to ensure timely integration between systems.

Reporting and Communication 10%

• Provide clear, timely, and insightful updates on project status, progress, risks, and potential problems to the line manager and stakeholders.
• Prepare reports, manuals, and other documentation related to software status, operation, and maintenance.
• Maintain accurate system and product change logs, release notes and notifications to other teams, according to company standards and team practices.
• Offer expert insights and feedback on queries regarding relevant projects.
• Collaborate effectively with team members and stakeholders, by being available on appropriate communication channels with timeous, well articulated responses.

Contribute to the team 10%

• Take ownership of projects and products, driving successful completion.
• Actively participate in peer code reviews, provide constructive feedback, discuss best practices, and contribute innovative ideas to projects.
• Collaborate with the team, and interface with other teams, to solve problems and ensure successful project and product delivery.
• Lead and mentor the development team, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and growth-oriented environment through coaching, code reviews, knowledge sharing, and promoting best practices.
• Identify opportunities for team growth and encourage skill development.
• Contribute to the recruitment process by providing technical expertise.

Quality Management and Compliance 5%

• Lead the development of high-quality products that meet specifications, user requirements, best practices, deadlines, and regulatory compliance (e.g., FDA, CE, ISO).
• Apply knowledge of the Quality Management System guidelines and its relevant processes to ensure quality and SOC2 compliance in medical device- and other software.
• Ensure all testing adheres to defined specifications and contributes to continuous improvement of existing applications.
• Lead efforts to safeguard information and data in accordance with company policies.
• Keep all supporting documents up to date.
• Assist the team lead in keeping processes relevant and up to date.

Infrastructure & Database Administration 5%

• Design and implement new database structures and content, ensuring optimal performance and scalability.
• Lead the maintenance of database integrity and efficiency through ongoing optimisation strategies.
• Lead data restoration efforts when required, minimizing downtime and data loss.
• Perform advanced and higher-risk DevOps and Infrastructure as Code changes responsibly when the need arises.