Back-End Developer

Description

At 99c, we're dedicated to crafting unforgettable digital campaigns that captivate audiences and deliver tangible results for our clients. With a keen focus on pioneering digital solutions, we're committed to expanding our client portfolio while nurturing and evolving our internal departments.

As a Back End Developer at 99c, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping our technical architecture, ensuring the scalability, reliability, efficiency, and security of our back-end systems. The ideal candidate will have a unique blend of technical expertise, insatiable curiosity, and analytical mindset. You'll champion the maintenance of our systems, while also collaborating with our IT, operations, and innovation teams to future-proof our offerings.

The development department crafts bespoke technical solutions that align with our clients' campaign requirements, seamlessly blending creativity with performance-driven strategies. You'll collaborate closely with designers, front end developers, IT specialists, and project managers to translate our clients' web and mobile visions into reality.

If you're equipped with the requisite training and experience, and possess an unwavering passion for tackling challenges head-on, we eagerly await your application!

RESPONSIBILITIES

General Responsibilities:

• Develop server-side logic and databases for websites, microsites and apps, ensuring high performance and responsiveness.
• Collaborate with frontend developers to integrate user-facing elements with server-side logic and API build and integration requirements.
• Design and develop scalable, efficient, and maintainable back-end systems, APIs, and database schemas.
• Database management particularly with MySQL or similar database experience.
• Optimize application performance, scalability, and reliability through code optimization, caching mechanisms, and other best practices.
• Troubleshoot and debug issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement timely solutions.
• Implement and maintain security measures and best practices to protect sensitive data and maintain data integrity in order to protect against unauthorized access, data breaches and other security threats.
• Conduct code reviews, identify areas for improvement, and provide constructive feedback to team members.
• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code, following best practices and coding standards.
• Experience with version control systems (e.g.: Git) and collaboration tools.
• Stay up to date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices.

Internal Agency Requirements:

1. Maintain and enhance existing internal systems to meet evolving business needs.
2. Working with 99c IT to set up, secure and maintain internal server instances / stacks such as Ubuntu
   • Full stack deployment on Ubuntu
3. Ensuring all assets are secure with latest patches and security upgrades applied
4. Ensuring that data protection and POPI requirements are met
   • Determine end of life strategy for data retention per project
   • Database security, encryption and firewalls
   • Running monthly penetration tests
5. Maintaining AWS Infrastructure
   • Live Frontend S3 bucket and Cloudfront
   • Staging S3 bucket and Cloudfront
   • Master database
   • Master API
   • Staging database
   • Staging API
   • CMS instance
   • CMS database
   • CMS assets in the S3 bucket
6. Maintaining email servers and templates (PostMark)
7. Managing Auth0 account
8. Maintaining Algolia Search System and syncing entries through multiple databases
9. Experience with open AI technology
10. Maintaining and developing the backend components to 99c Internal Systems
11. API technical documentations and integrations
12. Continuous integration and automated testing
13. Maintenance and set up of Jenkins pipelines for internal projects

Internal Systems and Platforms used for integrations:

• Workbook
• Sage
• Microsoft

Client Offering Requirements:

1. (14) Setting up tech stacks, servers, and instances for client campaign websites
   • Collaborate with IT department with DNS settings, SSL Certificate set up and renewals and Domain registration
   • Set up of staging and master environments
   • Managing any data call set ups or requirements based on the project scope 
   • Q&A testing
   • Management of deployment process
2. (15) Monitoring and maintaining client security requirements

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience 3-5 years as a Backend Developer with a portfolio of strong projects.
• Solid understanding of PHP and Laravel frameworks, including dependency injection, routing, migrations, and ORM.
• Researching new and emerging backend technologies, with a focus on the increasing use of AI.

Qualities & Skills

• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Attention to detail with a commitment to producing high-quality code.
• Deadline-driven with good time management skills.

Technology Stack Experience

• Frameworks: A proven track record working with the PHP, Laravel and Node.JS.
• Servers: Proficiency in network, server instance management and associated security is required. Experience with web servers like Apache.
• Cloud Platforms: An excellent working knowledge of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure and associated technologies.
• Knowledge of version control systems and CI/CD pipelines.
• Databases: Experience with relational and non-relational databases e.g. MySQL. Strong understanding of Big Data structures and schemas.
• Proficiency in RESTful API development and integration. Skilled at creating and securing API endpoints to be used by the frontend dev team.
• Experience in Power Apps (Proficiency in Microsoft Power Suite and Active Directory)

Bonus Experience, Qualities or Skills

• Experience in the advertising or creative industry.
• Knowledge of other backend languages or frameworks (e.g. Python, C#, Django or Ruby on Rails etc.).
• Understanding of broader frameworks used by the team (e.g. JavaScript, VueJS, SAAS/Bootstrap, Quasar or Vuetify etc.)
• Experience with containerization technologies (e.g. Docker or Kubernetes etc.).
• Previous experience working in an Agile/Scrum development environment.
• Umbraco.net CMS and framework experience
• Adobe AEM experience

Work Level

Skilled

Job Type

Permanent

Salary

Market Related

EE Position

No

Location

Cape Town CBD