Java Backend Engineering Team Lead (South Africa)

Are you a problem-solver with a background in software development? Do you want to be a part of an innovative team that use their technical skills to make a positive impact? Then this role could be for you! About Tiko Tiko is an African nonprofit committed to strengthening the potential and resilience of adolescent girls across Africa. We address the “Triple Threat” of unintended pregnancy, HIV infection, and sexual and gender-based violence by building local health ecosystems that provide stigma-free, no-cost, quality-assured services. Our model brings together key local actors: community-based organizations (CBO) with peer mobilisers who act as health companions to girls; public and private health clinics that deliver care; and retail partners that redeem Tiko Miles -our behavior-change incentive programme that rewards service uptake and feedback. We invest in partners by strengthening CBO capacity, training frontline workers and providers, supporting clinic quality improvement, and compensating partners based on performance. Our technology platform connects all actors by enabling referrals, verifying service delivery, facilitating payments, and generating real-time data. Tiko operates in six countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burkina Faso, South Africa, and Nigeria, with additional offices in Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. For a clear overview of our work, we recommend watching this short video . Globally, our team consists of +250 enthusiastic, international colleagues. Whether you are working from our biggest office in Nairobi, the fast-growing office in South Africa, or from home, our people are young, and our culture is global and dynamic. Our work environment is fast-paced, informal, and friendly. For this position, we are happily looking for candidates currently based in South Africa. The Job Our Java Engineering Team Lead is responsible for leading and developing a team of talented software engineers and creating and maintaining the software that allows our platform to function. Other responsibilities include: Lead and develop the individuals in your team. The maintenance and development of new features on our software platform. Our team works in an agile way, and you will be part of the rituals and practices. Coordination of the work that the software engineering team need to do. Applying software engineering principles to the design, development, maintenance, testing, and evaluation of our software. Ensuring that the software you develop is secure and safe when it comes to data protection. You document your work and make sure that your documentation is clear and understandable for future use by others. About You You have in-depth development experience using Java and building software from the ground up. You’re a logical thinker and a natural problem solver who wants to use your technical skillset to make an impact. Requirements: 8+ years of backend engineering experience focused on JVM languages 3+ years of formal leadership experience managing a team of Java backend engineers, including responsibility for conducting team performance reviews Experience within Microservices and AWS You have extensive experience working with the Spring framework, as well as various other Java backend tools and frameworks Experience or knowledge of Salesforce CRM would be a plus You don’t want to just write code, you want to build scalable systems with quality You are based in South Africa You have excellent English skills Recruitment Process Introductory call with recruiter | First Interview with Tech Team | Technical Challenge | Final interview with the Tech Team The Rewards The gross monthly salary bracket for this position is R88,008 - R146,600 (x12). We will offer you a salary in this bracket depending on your level of experience and how it relates to your future colleagues. In addition to your monthly salary, we offer you: Benefits and allowances tailored to your location Flexible work arrangements, including remote or hybrid options A personal development budget to invest in your professional growth Unlimited holiday days to use as you see fit - just coordinate with your team and take the time you need to recharge The opportunity to shape a growing, impactful product and leave your mark on how we work A culture built on trust - we believe you’ll do your best without the need for unnecessary rules or micromanagement The details Interested? Click Apply for This Job! Want more information? Check out our website or contact our Global Recruiter. We only accept applications through the apply links, not by email. Important Recruitment Fraud Alert Please be aware that Tiko maintains a professional and ethical recruitment process. Zero Fees: We do not charge candidates any fees for applications, interviews, or processing at any stage of the hiring journey. Fraud Prevention: If you receive a request for money, bank details, or "onboarding equipment" payments from someone claiming to represent us, this is not a legitimate request. Official Channels: We only communicate through our verified company email domain (@tiko.org). If you are approached by anyone asking for payment in our name, please ignore the request. — Tiko prioritizes integrity in our workplace and respects your privacy. Tiko is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour by its employees at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. This is why we will do reference and background screening checks on successful candidates before hiring. Tiko also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme . As part of this scheme, we will request information from your previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during your employment, or incidents under investigation when you left employment. By applying for this position, you confirm you have read and understood these recruitment procedures. We value your privacy and understand the importance of safeguarding your personal data. We invite you to review our privacy notice for the recruitment process to understand how we collect, use, and protect your personal data during the recruitment process. Click here to view the document. By applying for this position, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our privacy notice.