Senior Software Engineer at Code for Africa

Overview

• Do you want to help build digital tools that strengthen our democracies and empower citizens? Code for Africa (CfA) has an immediate vacancy for a Senior Software Engineer to join our civic technology lab to help build digital tools that strengthen our democracies and empower citizens.
• The successful candidate will report to CfA’s Tech Lead and will work closely with our data, design and content teams to build robust systems and infrastructures for our partners in watchdog civil society organisations, the investigative media and selected progressive government agencies.
• CfA is a non-profit advocate for open source software (along with open data), and the successful candidate will therefore be required to help champion these principles by adopting best practices and helping document all our technologies to help others reuse it free of charge.
• Also in keeping with CfA’s values, you will be expected to regularly interact with the wider civic tech community, as well as CfA’s grantees and partners, to share insights and offer guidance.
• The successful candidate will work as part of a multinational and multilingual team across the continent, using digital collaboration tools to create content for a global audience and international media partners.

About the Role

• The successful candidate will join CfA’s Technology team as a Senior Software Engineer. The technology team is responsible for designing, developing, deploying and maintaining all digital tools at CfA.
• As a Senior Software Engineer, you will be contributing to the design and development of robust systems and infrastructure tools as well as being responsible for the availability, performance, monitoring, and incident response of our platforms and services.

Responsibilities
Your daily responsibilities will include:

•  Participate and influence every aspect of the software development process,
•  Design, develop and deploy robust systems and infrastructure tools that will be used by the organisation and partners.
•  Contribute to and drive the technological and architectural decisions.
•  Collaborate with a geographically distributed team of designers, researchers, developers, and journalists; proactively explore all options.
•  Provide actionable feedback on the work of junior technologists.

Required
Minimum requirements include:

• B.Sc / B.Eng Computer Science, Computer Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• 4 years of relevant programming experience building and operating multi-tier web applications (including REST APIs) using Unix-like operating systems.
• Deep expertise in Python & proficiency in SQL and JavaScript.
• Working knowledge of modern software development practices and technologies such as Agile methodologies and DevOps.
• Self starter with the ability to work effectively in teams across internal and external organisations and virtual teams

Language and Location Requirements:

• Location: Labs are located in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Lagos (Nigeria),  Nairobi (Kenya), and Cape Town or Johannesburg (South Africa). However the role can be performed remotely, and applicants across Africa will therefore be considered.
• Primary language: English
• Preferred but not required: French, Amharic or Arabic.

What We Offer

• A competitive salary, subject to experience, with opportunities for performance-based growth, both in terms of career path and public stature.
• A dynamic workplace, with a transnational team, occasional international travel, and generous vacation benefits.
• Ongoing opportunities to learn new cutting-edge skills and techniques/technologies to future-proof yourself in a rapidly evolving industry.
• A chance to shine on a global stage, writing for international audiences and interacting with colleagues around the world.