Engineering Lead at Virgin Active South Africa

Your Purpose…

• As we transform into a Social Wellness Club, we’re redefining how we approach technology by building globally scalable solutions. A key part of this transformation is consolidating our core member engagement platform (our Mobile App and related services) under a central team. This team will own a unified codebase, enabling faster, more consistent feature rollouts across multiple countries.
• We’re looking for an Engineering Lead to drive the architecture, design, and development of our mobile app and backend integration services. You’ll be a hands-on technical expert, guiding the team on complex problems, setting coding standards, and ensuring high-quality, reliable software delivery.
• Working closely with Product Managers and stakeholders, you’ll own key technical initiatives and make critical decisions that align with our product and business goals.

Your Duties and Responsibilities...

Leadership & Management

• Lead design and architecture discussions for mobile and backend systems.
• Set coding standards, conduct code reviews, and promote best practices.
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for complex engineering challenges.
• Mentor engineers on technical skills, architecture, and problem-solving.
• Contribute hands-on to development, ensuring high-quality and maintainable code.

Technical Execution

• Own delivery of technical initiatives, from design through deployment.
• Collaborate with Product Managers and Designers to align technical priorities with business goals.
• Ensure system reliability, performance, and security.
• Oversee backlog prioritization and guide the team to deliver efficiently.
• Drive continuous improvement in architecture, development processes, and code quality.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product, Design, Data, and Operations to define and execute technical roadmaps.
• Communicate technical progress, risks, and trade-offs to leadership and stakeholders.
• Advocate for technical feasibility and best practices in product planning

We can't live without... (Minimum Requirements)

• 8+ years of software development experience
• Strong hands-on experience in software engineering, with deep expertise in mobile app development (native or cross-platform).
• Expertise in application architecture, system design, and performance optimization.
• Track record integrating mobile apps with backend systems, APIs, and third-party services.
• Solid understanding of RESTful services, integration patterns, and mobile-friendly API design.
• Experience mentoring engineers and providing technical guidance.
• Strong problem-solving, debugging, and communication skills.
• Experience in Kotlin Multiplatform
• Background in Agile/Scrum development methodologies.
• Experience working with remote or hybrid teams.

We’d like you to have… (Attributes)

• Adaptability (must be able to adapt to a fast paced, changing environment)
• Be curious (must be willing to succeed, seek opportunities to learn and grow)
• Have a winning mentality (must be willing to go over and above to achieve success)
• Must be motivated to achieve success.
• A commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.
• A Growth mindset
• The ability to work independently.
• Trustworthiness (must always act in doing the right thing)
• A drive to create moments of magic for our members.
• The ability to make decisions and take ownership and responsibility for the decision.
• Action orientation

We’d love you to have… (additional skills)

• Wellness knowledge, to engage and inspire others to take a holistic approach to wellness.
• The ability to be agile.
• The ability to be collaborative.
• High Interpersonal skills (EQ)

 Closing Date 09 February 2026