Lead Full-Stack Developer (Remote-First)
Summary
Leads a fully remote development team for a bespoke software firm in Cape Town: architecting and hands-on coding scalable web applications, doing code reviews, mentoring developers, and overseeing deployments. Stack spans modern JS front-end frameworks (React/Angular/Vue), back-end languages (Node.js/Python/Java/Go), SQL/NoSQL databases, REST APIs, and cloud/container tooling.
About the Role
Our client, a rapidly expanding technology firm specializing in bespoke software solutions, is looking for a Lead Full-Stack Developer to join their fully remote team. This is a crucial leadership role where you will architect, develop, and deploy innovative applications, guiding a talented team of developers. You will be instrumental in defining technical strategy, ensuring code quality, and driving the successful delivery of complex projects. The ideal candidate possesses deep technical expertise across the full stack, a passion for building scalable and robust systems, and proven leadership capabilities. This position offers the unique opportunity to make a significant impact on our client's product roadmap and technology stack, working from anywhere in **Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA**, within a highly collaborative and forward-thinking remote culture. You will be empowered to make key technical decisions and foster an environment of innovation and excellence.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design, development, and implementation of scalable web applications across the full stack (front-end, back-end, database, and APIs).
- Architect robust and maintainable solutions, ensuring high performance and security standards.
- Mentor and guide junior and mid-level developers, providing technical leadership and code reviews.
- Collaborate with product managers and stakeholders to define project requirements and technical specifications.
- Oversee the deployment process and ensure the reliability and stability of production systems.
- Identify and implement improvements to development processes, tools, and technologies.
- Drive technical discussions and decision-making within the engineering team.
- Contribute hands-on coding to complex features and critical components.
- Stay current with emerging technologies and industry best practices.
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
- 8+ years of experience in full-stack development, with a significant portion in a leadership or senior role.
- Expertise in modern front-end frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js) and back-end technologies (e.g., Node.js, Python, Java, Go).
- Strong experience with relational and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis).
- Proven experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs.
- Solid understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Demonstrated experience in leading development teams and managing project lifecycles.
- Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
- Experience working effectively in a remote team environment.
Benefits
- Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
- Comprehensive medical and dental coverage.
- Generous retirement savings plan.
- Significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development.
- A supportive and flexible remote work environment.
- Annual budget for home office setup and upgrades.
- Regular virtual team-building activities and social events.