Software Engineering Team Lead

Entersekt, a well-established player in the digital banking fraud prevention and payment security landscape, is seeking a talented Software Engineering Team Lead to join their fully remote team in South Africa. With over 16 years of experience and recent backing from Accel-KKR, Entersekt offers scalable products that have gained traction across global markets, focusing on solutions for mobile authentication, app security, and robust payment authentication for a range of financial institutions.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a vital team responsible for developing and enhancing the core products powering Entersekt's innovation in signal and data processing. If you're passionate about building secure, scalable microservices and influencing technical strategy, this role could be your next career move.

About the Role

As a Team Lead, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of Entersekt's product development, specifically within the Signal Processing team. This team is at the forefront of processing vast amounts of data in real-time to bolster the accuracy and effectiveness of the company's authentication and fraud detection systems. Your leadership will directly impact the technical direction, design principles, and overall architecture of these critical systems.

You will be responsible for nurturing a high-performing team, guiding them through the development lifecycle of sophisticated software solutions. This includes overseeing the intricate processes of building, testing, and maintaining robust, scalable microservices designed to handle massive data volumes efficiently.

The responsibilities of this role are multifaceted, encompassing technical leadership, team mentorship, and strategic input into product development. You will:

• Spearhead the development, rigorous testing, and ongoing maintenance of microservices. These services must be robust, scalable, and capable of processing significant real-time data streams.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and ongoing optimisation of machine learning pipelines, ensuring seamless integration with cloud infrastructure, particularly AWS.
• Guide the design of new product features, prioritising high-performance and secure implementation to meet stringent industry standards.
• Actively mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers, fostering their professional growth and equipping them with the skills needed for future leadership roles.
• Collaborate effectively with various cross-functional teams to conceptualise and implement innovative, data-driven solutions.
• Work closely with the DevOps team to ensure the smooth deployment and scalable operation of microservices within cloud environments.
• Champion architectural improvements aimed at enhancing system performance, fault tolerance, and overall resilience.

What They're Looking For

Entersekt is looking for individuals with a strong technical foundation and proven leadership capabilities. Key requirements include:

• A minimum of five years of hands-on experience with general-purpose programming languages such as Java, Python, or Golang, underpinned by a solid understanding of object-oriented programming and design principles.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, with a proven ability to guide, mentor, and motivate a technical team.
• Practical experience with cloud platforms, with a particular emphasis on Amazon Web Services (AWS). This includes familiarity with core AWS services like Lambda, DynamoDB, and S3, as well as experience deploying and managing applications in cloud environments.
• Proficiency in large-scale data processing technologies such as Apache Kafka or AWS Kinesis, essential for managing real-time data streams and building scalable solutions.
• Experience with containerisation and orchestration technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, crucial for managing microservices-based architectures.
• Exposure to machine learning workflows and a clear understanding of how to integrate ML models into production systems.
• A strong grasp of software architecture principles, coupled with experience in building and scaling microservices for high-performance applications.
• Familiarity with security best practices, including knowledge of cryptography, public key infrastructure (PKI), and secure system design.
• Experience with automated testing methodologies, including unit, integration, and performance tests, to ensure software quality and stability.
• Experience working within Agile frameworks, such as Scrum or Kanban, and contributing effectively to cross-functional, agile teams.
• A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is preferred, though extensive relevant experience will be highly valued.

In South Africa, software engineering team lead roles are in demand, particularly those with specialised skills in cloud technologies and data processing. Salaries can vary significantly based on experience, company size, and specific tech stack, but often range from R50,000 to R80,000+ per month for experienced leads in companies like Entersekt. Career progression typically involves moving into more senior technical leadership positions, architectural roles, or even management of larger engineering departments.

• 5+ years of experience with general-purpose programming languages such as Java, Python, or Golang, with a strong grasp of object-oriented programming and design principles.
• Proven leadership experience with the ability to guide and mentor a technical team.
• Experience with cloud platforms, particularly AWS. Familiarity with key AWS services like Lambda, DynamoDB and S3, and experience deploying and managing applications in cloud environments.
• Knowledge of large-scale data processing technologies, such as Apache Kafka or AWS Kinesis, for handling real-time data streams and integrating them into scalable solutions.
• Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes, for managing microservices-based architectures.
• Exposure to machine learning workflows and an understanding of how to integrate ML models into production systems.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, with experience building and scaling microservices for high-performance environments.
• Familiarity with security best practices, including knowledge of cryptography, public key infrastructure (PKI), and secure system design.
• Experience with automated testing, including unit, integration, and performance tests, to ensure software quality and stability.
• Agile experience: Familiarity with Scrum or Kanban methodologies, contributing effectively in cross-functional, agile teams.
• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field is preferred, though relevant experience is highly valued.