Senior Backend Engineer (Java) at Strivo Labs

Role Overview

• The Senior Backend Engineer will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining high-performance backend services using Java and modern microservices architectures. 
• This role requires deep expertise in distributed systems, API design, data management, and secure financial systems.
• You will work closely with product managers, frontend engineers, DevOps, and security teams to deliver robust platforms that meet strict performance, reliability, and regulatory requirements.

About the Organisation

• Our client is a leading financial services institution in Africa, delivering large-scale digital banking, payments, and lending platforms used by millions of customers across the continent. 
• The organisation is building highly resilient, secure, and scalable systems to power its next phase of growth.
• They are seeking an experienced Senior Backend Engineer (Java) to play a key role in designing, building, and operating mission-critical backend systems within a regulated financial environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop scalable backend services using Java (Spring Boot, Spring Cloud).
• Architect and maintain microservices and API-based platforms for high-volume financial transactions.
• Build and optimise data access layers using relational and NoSQL databases.
• Implement secure authentication, authorisation, and data protection mechanisms.
• Ensure system reliability, performance tuning, and fault tolerance in production environments.
• Lead code reviews, enforce engineering best practices, and mentor mid-level engineers.
• Collaborate with DevOps teams on CI/CD pipelines, containerisation, and cloud deployments.
• Participate in architecture discussions and contribute to long-term platform strategy.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, audit, and security standards common to financial services.

Required Skills & Experience

• 6+ years of professional backend engineering experience, with a strong focus on Java.
• Advanced proficiency in Java, Spring Boot, Spring MVC, and RESTful API design.
• Strong experience with microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Solid understanding of SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle) and experience with NoSQL databases.
• Experience with message queues and event-driven systems (Kafka, RabbitMQ, etc.).
• Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Strong understanding of system design, performance optimization, and scalability.
• Experience working in regulated environments (banking, fintech, payments) is a strong advantage.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with high-throughput transaction systems.
• Knowledge of financial protocols, payments systems, or core banking platforms.
• Exposure to reactive programming and asynchronous processing.
• Prior experience leading technical initiatives or small engineering teams.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work on large-scale, high-impact financial platforms.
• Competitive compensation and benefits.
• A strong engineering culture with emphasis on quality and reliability.
• Hybrid working environment and career growth opportunities.