Full-stack Software Engineer

Note:

By applying to this position your application is automatically submitted to the following locations:
Cape Town, ZA

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to eliminate the back row in education – and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class digital education  the parent company of edX, the world’s leading online learning platform, 2U powers more than 4,000 online higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees.

Together with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporate partners, we are helping to unlock human potential.

We are looking for a Software Engineer III with experience building and maintaining data pipelines, developing generative AI solutions, and designing robust backend systems. You will participate in the discovery, design, and engineering of multiple cross‑functional projects, while troubleshooting complex business and production issues. You will uphold industry best practices and will help encourage our team to continuously improve. Above all, you care about delivering quality software in a sustainable and timely manner and about software craftsmanship.

Sitting within the Technology portfolio, the Xpert Platform team develops and maintains innovative tools that connect users to cutting‑edge generative AI capabilities, effectively supporting our students, faculty, and internal content and learning teams. The team implements and sustains tools that leverage advanced generative AI systems and data pipelines, ensuring efficient data management and AI integration. Additionally, the team is responsible for creating and enhancing a versatile platform product that can be utilized across various business units, driving technological advancement and operational efficiency throughout the organization.

• Lead technical design of applications and participate in larger system design efforts
• Design and implement generative AI experiences
• Refactor legacy code to improve maintainability
• Conduct exploratory and automated testing
• Efficiently debug complex problems
• Provide technical guidance and feedback to other team‑members

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent professional experience).
• 5+ years of professional experience in a data‑intensive environment, with a proven track record of building and scaling full‑stack applications.
• Proficiency in Python for backend development, data processing, and AI integration.
• Strong experience with React.js and the modern frontend ecosystem (Type Script, state management, and responsive design).
• Experience designing and developing AI applications
  , specifically working with Large Language Models (LLMs) and the OpenAI API.
• Proven experience leading cross‑functional initiatives
  , collaborating with product and design teams to take a feature from concept to production.
• Desired
  
  Skills:
  • Full-Stack Architecture: Ability to lead the technical design of applications, ensuring performant communication between React frontends and Python backends.
  • Generative AI Implementation: Skill in building real‑time AI experiences, including handling streaming data and prompt engineering.
  • Cloud Infrastructure: Hands‑on experience with AWS services (S3, Lambda, SAM, Step Functions).
  • Code Quality: Expertise in writing maintainable, performant code and a passion for refactoring legacy systems to improve long‑term health.
  • Testing & Debugging: Proficiency in exploratory and automated testing across the entire stack to ensure high‑quality software delivery.

• AI/ML Depth: Familiarity with machine learning workflows, data modeling, and vector databases like Open Search
  .
• Modern Frontend Tooling: Experience with Tailwind CSS, Next.js, or Vite to streamline the development lifecycle.
• Mentorship: A natural inclination for providing technical guidance and constructive feedback to team members.
• Sustainability: A background in delivering software using Agile methodologies with a focus on long‑term maintainability over quick‑fix…