Senior Backend Software Engineer (Java, Spring Boot, RESTful APIs, Fintech) (Cape Town – Hybrid) at Datafin Recruitment

ENVIRONMENT:

• Our client is a leading international gaming, leisure, and entertainment group offering exciting and entertaining customer experiences, in venues or online.  They are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join their Fintech team who are responsible for the core, high-throughput processing services and 3rd party payments integrations.
• You'll design and own the backend systems powering deposits, withdrawals, and real-time transaction processing, where correctness, speed, and regulatory integrity are non-negotiable.  They are at an exciting inflection point: actively experimenting with AI across the SDLC and looking for engineers who want to help shape
• what that looks like in practice – not just adopt tools, but influence how the team thinks, builds, and ships.

DUTIES:

• Design and Development: Create robust, efficient, and scalable backend services using Java and Spring Boot with a focus on accuracy, idempotency and fault tolerance.
• API Development: Design, build, and maintain secure APIs for web and mobile applications.
• Performance and Security: Ensure application performance, scalability, and security best practices.
• Domain Ownership: Drive the low-level architecture of core flows – ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Cloud Integration: Collaborate with various teams to integrate cloud services into their backend infrastructure.
• Code Quality: Write high-quality, maintainable code that adheres to industry standards.
• Mentorship: Support junior and mid-level team members, conduct code reviews, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• AI-Augmented Development Practices: Champion the adoption of AI and agentic tools to accelerate the engineering lifecycle across the team. Define guardrails, evaluate tooling, and upskill the team on responsible AI-augmented engineering.
• Modernising legacy stored procedures into Spring Boot services.

REQUIREMENTS:

• 7+ years of professional experience as a Backend Engineer.
• Experience in high-volume, low-latency transaction processing.
• Experience showing strong problem-solving skills and a passion for creating user-centric solutions.
• Core Java proficiency. A strong command of the Java language, including object-oriented programming, design patterns,
• exception handling, and memory management.
• Spring Framework (including Spring Boot) – In-depth knowledge of Spring, especially Spring Boot for building efficient and scalable backend applications.
• Proficiency in designing and implementing RESTful APIs.
• Experience in event-driven architecture.
• Experience in industry-standard CI/CD implementation.
• Bachelor’s degree in software Engineer, Computer Science, Engineering or equivalent

Nice to have

• Exposure to PCI-DSS environments and controls
• Experience integrating with payment providers.