Tech Lead, Full Stack Developer, Software Architect

Role Profile:
Tech Lead

Level: Senior

Reporting to: Chief of Marketplace

Location: Bryanston (in-office; hybrid after probation)

Leadership here means setting the standard. You are expected to stay close to the codebase, review pull requests, and lead by example.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role within a large-scale marketplace platform. You'll be the most senior technical voice in the room—setting technical direction, reviewing code, unblocking engineers, and making pragmatic decisions that keep delivery moving.

A central focus of this role is platform modernisation
. The core marketplace runs on a production Java monolith with JSP-based frontends. You will own the strategy and execution for migrating to a modern, component-driven frontend while ensuring platform stability and continuous delivery. You won't just define the roadmap—you'll actively write and ship code alongside the team.

You'll report directly to the Chief of Marketplace and work closely with product, design, and engineering stakeholders.

• Define and lead the migration from JSP-based frontends to a modern frontend architecture.
• Evaluate frameworks, build proof-of-concepts, and deliver incremental improvements without disrupting production.
• Assess and drive backend modernisation initiatives (e.g. Java 17+/21 upgrades, improved API design, reduced coupling in the monolith).
• Act as the primary technical architect for the marketplace ecosystem, ensuring long-term scalability, reliability, and maintainability.

• Design, develop, and maintain high-quality, scalable software across the stack.
• Stay close to the codebase, contributing regularly and addressing technical debt before it becomes a production risk.
• Set high standards for performance, security, and reliability.

• Lead by example through clean, pragmatic, production-grade code.
• Review pull requests, mentor engineers, and raise the overall technical capability of the team through pairing and knowledge sharing.
• Work closely with product managers and designers to translate business needs into robust technical solutions.
• Clearly communicate technical trade-offs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Stay current with emerging technologies and best practices.
• Be genuinely open to adopting AI tooling where it demonstrably improves team velocity and product quality—because it works, not because it's trendy.

• Bachelor's Degree or National Diploma in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent experience.

• 10+ years of professional software development experience.
• Experience in ecommerce, marketplace platforms, or fintech is a strong advantage.
• Strong full-stack capability
  , with deep, hands-on experience in production Java systems
  .
• Proven experience modernising legacy systems—especially migrating JSP or server-rendered UIs to modern frontend frameworks.
• Practical experience with modern frontend frameworks such as React, Next.js, Vue
  , or similar, and a clear, opinionated approach to incremental migration.
• Strong backend expertise with modern Java (17+/21); experience with Go is a bonus.
• Solid experience working in AWS production environments
  , including EC2, RDS/Aurora, Lambda, S3, and Cloud Watch.
• High-level understanding of React Native + Expo
  is advantageous.
• A strong appreciation for reliability, performance, and operational excellence.

• Comfortable working in and improving a mature codebase rather than rewriting for novelty.
• A pragmatic problem-solver who understands trade-offs between big-bang rewrites and incremental delivery—and prioritises shipping value early.
• Proven ability to lead teams through complex technical change, building alignment without slowing momentum.
• Clear communicator who can earn trust across engineering, product, and business teams.