Senior Back End Engineer

Role Purpose

The Software Engineer II is responsible for analysing, designing, developing, implementing, and testing medium to high‑complexity back‑end services and applications. The role builds scalable, efficient, and secure Go-based systems that support enterprise channels and operational platforms. It includes diagnosing and resolving transactional data issues, contributing to integration solutions, applying Go-specific concurrency patterns, and supporting existing services. The engineer collaborates with systems designers, architects, and cross-functional teams to deliver high‑quality solutions aligned to business and technical standards.

Role Description

Back-End Development & Engineering:

Design, develop, and implement Go‑based backend services and APIs for enterprise channel and high‑volume systems.

Write clean, maintainable, idiomatic Go code using appropriate design patterns and concurrency mechanisms (including goroutines and channels).

Build modular, testable components aligned to organisational frameworks, engineering standards, and secure coding practices.

Participate in architectural discussions and contribute solution alternatives for medium to high‑complexity engineering challenges.

Systems Analysis & Solution Design:

Conduct system analysis on medium to high‑complexity services, integrations, and data flows, particularly within enterprise channel environments.

Translate technical and business requirements into scalable back‑end architectures using Go, microservices, distributed patterns, and modern integration techniques.

Testing, Quality & Performance:

Develop and maintain Go-specific unit, integration, and performance tests to ensure system reliability.

Participate in peer code reviews to ensure adherence to Go best practices, performance requirements, and engineering quality standards.

Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve issues across Go services, including transactional data anomalies, integration failures, and concurrency-related defects.

Service Integration & Deployment:

 Investigate and analyse integration requirements for Go-based services and support system interoperability across applications.

 Collaborate with DevOps, QA, and front-end teams to enable seamless deployment, containerisation, CI/CD automation, and operational readiness.

 Support production systems, troubleshoot data-related issues, and implement enhancements to improve system stability and performance.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement:

 Produce technical documentation for Go services, including solution designs, sequence diagrams, interface definitions, and configuration details.

 Contribute to engineering practice improvements, coding standards, and continuous learning initiatives.

Qualifications and experience

 Diploma or Degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field – (essential)

 +4 years’ experience in software engineering or a similar role – (essential)

 Proficiency in Go (Golang), including concurrency (goroutines, channels), modules, and Go tooling – (essential)

 Experience with Go unit, integration, and performance testing – (essential).

 Experience building RESTful APIs, backend services, and system integrations – (essential).

 Experience with SQL/NoSQL databases and database optimisation – (essential).

 Hands-on experience with containerisation (Docker/Kubernetes), CI/CD pipelines, and Git-based version control – (essential)

 Understanding of secure coding principles and modern security practices – (essential).

Key Competencies and Work Ethic

 Collaborative partner – Builds strong relationships with stakeholders while driving cross functional work teams and projects. Open, honest, and direct, comfortable giving and receiving constructive feedback. Thinks and acts independently as well as collaboratively.

 Technology expert, bringing top-quality expertise to drive priorities while introducing new tools and practices. Is curious and adaptable, finds agile and rapid ways of implementing solutions fast.

 Analytical and detailed - Readily grasps new concepts and information, investigates various courses of action and integrates multiple sources of data to guide decision-making and identify optimal solutions.

 Innovative and solution-orientated – Thinks outside of the box. Sound judgment, quick decision-making, and the ability to generate solutions that serve the flow of work and meeting deadlines.

 Results-driven - Proactively drives results, setting stretch goals for self and others, while remaining focused and working tenaciously to meeting and exceeding expectations within quality standards.

 Planning and organising – Able to timeously and efficiently prioritise and execute multiple and competing demands in a fast-paced environment. Identifies urgent and important tasks / priorities to ensure delivery.

 Business acumen - Understands how business operates and the issues and risks that drive technological success and impact commercial viability.

 Communication skills – Communicates effectively while being able to convert complex concepts into well-articulated messages. Adopts a range of influencing styles to facilitate and deal with challenges internally and externally.

 Team Collaboration Skills: Creates a safe team environment that promotes acceptance of failure; strong understanding when and how to include different parties; actively encourages people to live company values.

 Stakeholder Management Skills: Embodies "one team" attitude with key stakeholders; proactively works with stakeholders to support them in resolving roadblocks to ensure results are delivered.

 Flexible and resilient – Able to work in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple and competing priorities while managing ambiguity and adapting as the business evolves.

 Digital centric and savvy - Passionate about the possibilities of digital technologies and its value for the business. A self-starter who can come up to speed quickly on our applications, technologies, and processes.

Our Group and all its operating companies is committed to creating, embracing, and preserving a diverse workplace that values the unique talents, perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities that enrich our organisation. A place where everyone matters and feels included.

We are committed to Employment Equity when recruiting internally and externally.

Please take note that by responding to this application and providing your personal information, you confirm your express and informed consent for Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd and all its subsidiaries and affiliates companies to process your personal information for the Company to consider your application for this position. All Personal Information which you provide to the Company will be used and/or retained only for the purposes for which it is collected, whereafter it will be permanently destroyed. Your information is only retained if it is required by law or where you have given consent to us to retain such information for an extended period.

If you don’t hear from us within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful. Any personal information collected as part of your application will be destroyed, securely, in accordance with South African legislation.