Technical Team Lead (Python) – FinTech SaaS Platform

Role Summary

I am helping my client, a specialist FinTech firm based in Johannesburg, to look for an experienced Technical Team Lead (Python) to join their innovative product team. The team develops a cutting-edge risk management platform and integration platform, delivering hyper-scalable, customer-centric Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. These solutions empower financial institutions to comply with regulatory requirements, enhance performance, and connect trading platforms with third-party systems like the DTCC and the South African Reserve Bank. As a Technical Team Lead, you will drive the technical vision, design, and delivery of these transformative platforms, leading a small team of software engineers (internal and outsourced) while actively contributing to the full software development lifecycle. Your full-stack expertise and leadership will ensure technical excellence and the successful delivery of high-quality, market-ready features.

Role Goal

To lead and enhance the technical capabilities of the software engineering team, fostering a culture of speed, excellence, and a strong product-to-market focus. This includes driving architectural decisions, mentoring engineers, and ensuring the delivery of impactful, production-ready features for the enterprise and operational risk SaaS platform.

Responsibilities and Skills

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Lead and mentor a team of software engineers, fostering their growth and promoting best practices in software development, with a focus on Python.
• Architectural Vision & Design: Drive technical requirements gathering and lead solution design, creating technical specifications, architecture blueprints, and detailed software designs for the platform.
• Problem Solving & Optimisation: Apply advanced analytical skills to diagnose and resolve complex technical challenges, optimizing system performance within the platform ecosystem.
• System Integration Expertise: Architect and implement seamless integrations between the platform and various internal and external systems.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead initiatives to optimize and enhance existing systems, ensuring the platform remains innovative and competitive.
• Quality Assurance: Oversee the technical quality of deliverables, ensuring adherence to coding standards, performance benchmarks, and security protocols.
• Agile Development: Champion Agile methodologies to drive efficient, collaborative, and continuous delivery cycles.
• Innovation: Demonstrate a passion for exploring and applying new technologies, particularly in Artificial Intelligence, to enhance platform capabilities.

Not Required, but Beneficial

• Proven experience in product development within a FinTech SaaS environment.

Requirements

• Passion for creative problem-solving in a collaborative, dynamic financial markets environment, with a focus on simplifying complex processes.
• Exceptional analytical and reasoning skills, with the ability to visualize and address complex technical processes and outcomes.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in a Software Engineering role, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior capacity, preferably in a product-build or SaaS context, with significant Python expertise.
• Proven ability to translate business requirements into effective technical solutions with exceptional analytical skills.
• Proficiency in documenting proposed and existing solutions clearly and comprehensively.
• Track record of delivering high-quality results in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of articulating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong desire to thrive in a product-build, startup-like environment within an established organization, embracing innovation and continuous learning.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a highly collaborative working style, with the ability to lead and motivate a technical team.
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new and evolving technologies and environments.
• Capability to manage multiple competing priorities with minimal supervision.
• Extensive experience in cloud computing and designing/implementing distributed applications.

Technology Stack

• Python (primary focus)
• Golang (or equivalent procedural languages like Rust, C, or Erlang)
• NoSQL/Document databases (e.g., MongoDB, DynamoDB, CouchDB)
• JavaScript/TypeScript
• Modern web frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Vue)
• CI/CD tools and practices

Salt is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.