Zendesk Platform Software Engineer

About the Opportunity

Takealot.com, South Africa's premier online retailer, is seeking a skilled and dedicated Software Engineer to take charge of their Zendesk and SurveyMonkey platforms. This is a pivotal role within a fast-paced, growth-oriented organisation, demanding a proactive individual who can ensure the technical health, optimal configuration, and ongoing enhancement of these critical customer experience (CX) tools. You will serve as the primary technical liaison, bridging the gap between business stakeholders, external vendors, and the internal engineering teams. The goal is to cultivate a customer-centric technology stack that is not only robust and secure but also scales effectively to meet the demands of a leading e-commerce business.

As the Zendesk Platform Software Engineer, your responsibilities will encompass the full lifecycle of the Zendesk platform. This includes meticulous administration, precise configuration, and rigorous governance, covering everything from routine upgrades and feature deployments to comprehensive environment management. You will be instrumental in resolving complex technical support issues by escalating and coordinating with Zendesk's support teams when necessary.

A significant aspect of the role involves the design and implementation of seamless integrations. You will leverage REST APIs, Webhooks, and SDKs to connect Zendesk with various internal systems and external services, ensuring a unified data flow. Furthermore, you will develop and maintain sophisticated data solutions utilising Google BigQuery and Looker, empowering insightful reporting and analytics for customer service operations.

Your role will also extend to managing relationships with third-party vendors, such as 1Stream, and fostering strong collaborative partnerships with Takealot's internal engineering and product teams. Keeping abreast of the latest developments, you will evaluate new Zendesk features and releases, providing strategic recommendations for adoption that align with business objectives. Maintaining a secure and compliant environment is paramount; therefore, you will conduct regular audits for data privacy regulations like POPIA and GDPR, perform API token reviews, and assess configurations to uphold governance standards. This position also involves leading technical planning, estimation, and project coordination for all CX platform initiatives, and performing equivalent administrative, support, integration, data pipeline, and compliance tasks for the SurveyMonkey platform.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, Takealot requires a candidate with a solid educational foundation, ideally a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or a closely related field. However, they are open to considering candidates with equivalent practical experience in lieu of a formal degree or advanced diploma.

You should possess 2-4 years of hands-on experience specifically in administering and configuring the Zendesk platform. Proven expertise in working with REST APIs, Webhooks, and SDKs within a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environment is essential. A strong command of Google BigQuery and Looker for data analytics and reporting is also a key requirement. Understanding of data privacy regulations, such as South Africa's POPIA or GDPR, is crucial, as is demonstrated experience in conducting technical audits, including those involving API tokens, configurations, and access controls.

While not strictly mandatory, a background in e-commerce or high-volume customer service environments would be highly advantageous. Additional experience that would set a candidate apart includes holding a Zendesk Administrator Certification, experience with SurveyMonkey Private App configuration, exposure to CX integrations like 1Stream or CTI solutions, familiarity with project management tools such as Jira and Confluence, and basic scripting skills in Python or JavaScript.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute significantly to the technological backbone of one of South Africa's most prominent online retailers. The skills developed in managing and integrating comprehensive CX platforms are highly transferable within the tech and e-commerce sectors. In South Africa, roles involving platform engineering and administration for major SaaS products often command competitive salaries, reflecting the specialised nature of the expertise required. As the company continues its hyper-growth trajectory, there are ample opportunities for professional development and career advancement for individuals who demonstrate initiative and technical proficiency.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering or a related field. In the absence of a Bachelor’s Degree or an Advanced Diploma, an equivalent experience requirement must be met.
• 2–4 years of hands-on experience in Zendesk administration and configuration
• Proven experience with REST APIs, Webhooks, and SDKs in a SaaS environment
• Proficiency with Google BigQuery and Looker for data analytics and reporting
• Understanding of POPIA or equivalent data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR)
• Experience conducting technical audits, including API tokens, configurations, and access controls
• Background in e-commerce or high-volume customer service environments
• Experience in the following will be advantageous:
• Zendesk Administrator Certification
• Experience with SurveyMonkey Private App configuration
• Exposure to CX integrations such as 1Stream or CTI solutions
• Familiarity with Jira and Confluence
• Basic scripting skills in Python or JavaScript