Tech Lead
Bob is simplifying e-commerce in South Africa through smart tech, seamless payments and logistics that just work. We move fast, cut the red tape and give our people real ownership. Come join us and build something that matters.
Bob is simplifying e-commerce in South Africa through smart tech, seamless payments and logistics that just work. We move fast, cut the red tape and give our people real ownership. Come join us and build something that matters.
Level: Senior
Reporting to: Chief of Marketplace
Location: Bryanston. in office, hybrid after completion of probabtion
Service unit: Tehcnology (Bobshop)
This is a hands-on leadership role within the Bob Shop service. You'll be the most senior technical voice in the room: setting direction, reviewing code, unblocking engineers, and making the calls that keep delivery moving. You'll report directly to the Chief of Marketplace and work closely with the product and design team. A key part of this role is leading the modernisation of our platform. Our core marketplace runs on a production Java monolith with JSP-based frontends. We need someone who can chart a clear path from that legacy frontend to a modern, component-driven framework while keeping the platform stable and the team productive. That means evaluating the right approach, whether that's incrementally migrating to a modern JavaScript framework, upgrading our Java backend, or both, and then actually executing it alongside a team of Java developers and a frontend developer. You won't just draw the roadmap; you'll write the code.The expectation is that you review PRs, stay close to the codebase, and lead by example. Leadership here means setting the standard.
• Platform Modernisation: Define and drive the migration strategy from JSP to modern frontend architecture. Evaluate frameworks, build proof-of-concepts, and incrementally deliver the new frontend while keeping the existing platform running smoothly. In parallel, assess opportunities to modernise the Java backend (e.g. upgrading to Java 21, improving API design, reducing monolith coupling).
• Software Development & Maintenance: Design, develop, and maintain high-quality, scalable software solutions that deliver seamless user experiences. Identify and resolve technical debt before it becomes a production problem.
• Architectural Leadership: Act as the primary designer of the Bob Shop ecosystem, translating complex business needs into scalable high-level architectures and overseeing the structural integrity of the entire platform.
• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Work alongside product managers, designers, and other engineers to deliver features and products that solve real-world problems.
• Code Reviews & Mentorship: Lead by example in writing clean, efficient code. Participate in code reviews to share knowledge and maintain high technical
standards. Keep the team's technical skills sharp through mentoring, pairing, and knowledge-sharing sessions.
• Continuous Innovation: Stay on top of emerging technologies and best practices, and be genuinely open to adopting AI tooling where it makes the team faster and the product better. Not because it's trendy, but because it works.
Bachelor’s Degree / National Diploma: Computer Science, Information Technology.
• 10+ years in software development. Experience in ecommerce, marketplace platforms, or fintech is a strong advantage.
• Full-stack capability with strong Java foundations. Our core is a production Java monolith; you need to be genuinely comfortable in it. Equally important is meaningful experience with modern frontend frameworks (React, Next.js, Vue, or similar) and a clear perspective on how to migrate away from JSP-based UIs.
• Modernisation experience. You've led or played a significant role in migrating a legacy frontend to a modern stack, ideally within a running production system. You understand the tradeoffs between big-bang rewrites and incremental migration, and you lean towards approaches that ship value early.
• Backend depth. Comfortable working with Java in production, with an appreciation for modern Java (17+/21). Experience with Go is a great addition, which we use across Bob Pay, Bob Go, and internal tooling.
• Infrastructure: AWS. You're comfortable with EC2, RDS/Aurora, Lambda, S3, and CloudWatch in a production environment.
• Mobile: High-level understanding of React Native + Expo will be advantageous.
• Passion for reliability: A genuine interest in building software that is fast, efficient, and doesn't break.
• Strong problem-solving skills: You're not afraid to dig into a mature codebase, understand what's already there, and make it better rather than rewrite it for the sake of it.
• Team leadership in practice: You can bring a team along on a complex migration journey, communicating tradeoffs clearly to engineers and non-technical
stakeholders alike. You build consensus without slowing down.
At Bob, you’ll grow your career, take on new challenges, and make a real impact on our customers and courier partners. Join a transparent, inclusive team where your voice matters, enjoy a healthy work-life balance, and benefit from a supportive, passionate environment. Plus, great coffee and snacks to keep you going.
At Bob, your work is your own, so if you’re ready to take ownership, make an impact, and grow alongside an ambitious, dynamic team, apply today.
