Research Development Engineer: Innovation; Intermediate

We Are Innovators & Category Creators

Clickatell, founded in Cape Town in 2000, was the first company to connect businesses with consumers via SMS using just four lines of code. Today, it powers AI-driven chat commerce for leading global brands across industries like banking, retail, telecoms, and healthcare. Over 25 years, Clickatell has led multiple industry firsts through its award-winning AI Chat Commerce Platform, enabling brands to connect, interact, and transact with customers seamlessly.

The Role

As a Research and Development Engineer:
Innovation (Intermediate), you are a key driver of our R&D initiatives, responsible for taking ownership of complex features and technical challenges. You will collaborate with engineers and researchers to design and implement innovative solutions that enhance our SaaS platform. This role marks a transition into an "Independent Solver," where you are expected to navigate ambiguity and lead small "Tactical Pods" or projects from ideation to execution.

You play a vital role in mentoring junior talent and graduates, ensuring our innovation efforts are modular, scalable, and aligned with the "Big Picture" of our systems architecture.

We Do The Right Things

Responsibilities of the Role

o Research and Analysis: Conduct in-depth research on industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitor products to identify opportunities for innovation.

o Idea Generation: Brainstorm, conceptualize, and propose innovative ideas and solutions that can improve our SaaS products.

o Prototyping: Develop proof-of-concept prototypes to test and validate new ideas, leveraging your technical skills.

o Collaborative Innovation: Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including software developers, designers, and product managers, to bring innovation projects to life.

o Documentation: Document research findings, design concepts, and development processes to maintain a clear and organized record of innovation efforts.

o Testing and Validation: Assist in testing and validation of new features, ensuring they meet the highest quality standards.

o Continuous Learning: Stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices to contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

o Independent Solutioning: Take ownership of complex "Stories" and navigate ambiguity by figuring out how to build a solution from high-level requirements with minimal oversight.

o Feature Ownership & Integration: Manage the end-to-end development of specific features, ensuring that code is not only functional but modular, data-driven, and seamlessly integrates into the broader SaaS architecture.

o Technical Quality Assurance: Perform rigorous peer reviews and self-testing to ensure all delivered code is "Day 2" ready—meaning it is extendable, secure, and maintains system performance as it moves toward production readiness.

o Active Mentorship: Support the growth of Junior Engineers and Graduates by providing technical guidance on their tasks, performing constructive code reviews, and helping them navigate the department's "Way of Work."

We Are On A Learning Journey

Requirements of the Role

o Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

o Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, Java, or C++.

o A passion for innovation and a keen interest in emerging technologies.

o Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities.

o Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively in a team.

o Demonstrates Eagerness to learn, adapt, and take on new challenges.

o Knowledge of SaaS and cloud computing is essential.

o Minimum of 2–4 years of experience with a track record of "figuring out how to build it" and working alone.

o Experience taking ownership of a full "Story" from initial requirement to a functional, integrated feature.

o Ability to provide constructive code reviews and technical support to Junior engineers and Graduates.

o Good AI understanding and daily use in a responsible way.

A Bit About You

Behavioral competency requirements of a Highflyer:

o Team Player:
Self-directed and dedicated team player who positively engages with the team to solve.

o Optimizing…