Senior Software Engineer

Sotheby’s, a global institution synonymous with the world’s most prestigious art and luxury goods auctions, is currently seeking a seasoned Senior Software Engineer to join their remote technical team. Established in 1744, the organisation has evolved far beyond the traditional auction floor, leveraging a sophisticated, modern technology stack to connect collectors with exceptional items across 70 diverse categories. This role is ideal for a developer who thrives in an environment where historical prestige meets cutting-edge digital innovation.

About the role

As a Senior Software Engineer within this international team, you will be instrumental in the ongoing evolution of Sotheby’s proprietary technology platform. This is not a role for those who prefer working in silos; you will be expected to interface regularly with cross-functional departments to conceptualise, architect, and deploy high-impact features.

The core focus of your work will involve maintaining high standards of software excellence. You will be responsible for ensuring that the systems supporting their global auctions and retail operations are responsive, performant, and resilient. Since the platform handles high-value transactions and significant user traffic during auction cycles, your input on technical strategy and bug mitigation will be critical to the firm’s continued digital success.

Your daily contributions will involve a mix of hands-on coding, system architecture discussions, and collaborative troubleshooting. Key responsibilities include:

• Engineering, maintaining, and scaling core software components within the Sotheby’s technology ecosystem.
• Partnering with product managers, designers, and fellow engineers to define the technical specifications for new luxury-market features.
• Rigorous monitoring of application performance to identify and resolve potential bottlenecks before they impact the user experience.
• Engaging in the full software development lifecycle to ensure high-quality, bug-free, and maintainable code deployments.
• Applying best practices in software design to keep the platform ahead of the curve in a highly competitive luxury retail landscape.

What they're looking for

Sotheby’s is looking for a professional who combines technical depth with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving. To be successful in this position, you should bring the following to the table:

• A minimum of five years of professional experience in software development, ideally within complex or large-scale environments.
• Deep proficiency in Golang, along with a solid understanding of its associated frameworks and ecosystem.
• Demonstrable experience working with cloud-native technologies, reflecting an ability to build for distributed systems and modern infrastructure.
• A collaborative mindset, with excellent communication skills to facilitate remote teamwork across different time zones.
• A proactive attitude toward identifying systemic issues and proposing creative solutions to improve overall platform health.

For South African developers, joining a global entity like Sotheby’s offers a unique opportunity to work on international-scale infrastructure while operating remotely. In the current South African job market, senior engineers with specialised knowledge in languages like Golang and cloud-native architecture are highly sought after. Depending on experience and individual negotiation, roles of this seniority for international firms often command competitive remuneration packages in the R90,000 to R130,000+ monthly range. Working for a firm with such a long-standing pedigree provides an excellent growth path, as it bridges the gap between traditional enterprise stability and the fast-paced, innovative nature of modern e-commerce technology.

• 5+ years of experience in software development.
• Strong knowledge of Golang and its frameworks.
• Experience with cloud-native technologies.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work in a team.