Principal Software Engineer
First seen by Alion on Nov 5, 2026.
OVERVIEW
PRINCIPAL
SOFTWARE
ENGINEER
WHAT YOU’LL OWN
• Technical direction and architecture across the team, setting the standards, patterns, and technical guardrails our
developers build inside of.
• Implementation style and stack choices, deciding how we build, what we build with, and when to change either. Making
those calls stick.
• Platform evolution, making considered, evidence -based decisions about how the platform should grow, and bringing the
team along on those decisions.
• Technical coherence across squads, making sure the teams aren’t drifting apart architecturally, and that patterns learned
in one part of the platform get applied consistently across the rest.
• Quality oversight of the team leads’ technical work, acting as a design partner to them and reviewing significant
architectural decisions.
• Championing test -driven development, code review culture, and the standard of work we’re proud to put our name on.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We’re hiring a Principal Software Engineer to be the technical authority for our software platform. You’ll report to the Head
of Tech and act as the most senior technical voice in the team.
You’ll be responsible for the coherence of our technical vision, our architecture, and our implementation across several
squads that deliver independently. Your job is to make sure that as the team grows, the platform grows deliberately, with a
clear techn ical direction that supports where we want the business to go.
This is a technical role first. You’ll still get into the code where it matters, and you’ll be the person the team leads brin g their
hardest design problems to. We’re looking for an engineer who has earned the right to lead technically through the quality
of their thinking and the depth of their experience, and who wants to keep doing the work.
• Technical breadth, defining standards and giving guidance across the broader stack, not just within a single platform.
• Right -hand to the Head of Tech, trusted to turn business ambition into technical excellence.
WHAT YOU BRING
EDUCATION:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, with a strong academic record.
•
EXPERIENCE:
• 8+ years of software development experience, with a track record that goes beyond shipping code into shaping how teams
build.
• 5+ years of hands -on Java experience at production scale.
• Experience acting as the senior technical voice across multiple teams, setting architecture, reviewing designs, and
defending technical decisions under pressure.
• Hands -on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment workflows on GitHub.
• Experience with test -driven development and modern engineering practice.
• Practical experience introducing AI -assisted engineering into how teams work.
ADDED VALUE :
• Hands -on Salesforce / Apex experience.
• Salesforce certifications: Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, Application Architect, System Architect, or Technical
Architect.
BONUS POINTS :
• Experience with penetration testing and security -conscious engineering.
• Front -end development skills.
• Integration architecture and RESTful API design at scale.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR FIRST 12 MONTHS
After a year the team is visibly stronger technically because of your work.
Architecture decisions across the squads now ladder up to a coherent technical strategy that you’ve authored and the team
has bought into. The platform is evolving deliberately, with a clear point of view on where it should go next.
Technical excellence is pervasive across the team. AI is being used effectively in how we build, and development velocity is
increasing.
The team leads treat you as the technical partner they bring their hardest design problems to. Their technical work is sharpe r
because you’re in it.
You’re a trusted partner to the Head of Tech, shaping the technology roadmap and helping us make the right calls.
LOCATION AND WAYS OF WORKING
• Based in Johannesburg, four days a week in our Melrose Arch office.
• Working alongside a tight, ambitious tech team that takes craft seriously and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
OUR VALUES
• Excellence : we pursue outstanding results in everything we do, always striving to exceed expectations and lead by
example.
• Freedom & Responsibility : our people are empowered to make decisions and take initiative, backed by a strong sense of
ownership and accountability.
• Innovation : we embrace change, challenge the norm, and constantly seek smarter ways to deliver value.
• Collaboration : we share, support, and succeed as one team, because the best outcomes are built together.
• Integrity : we act with honesty and honour, building trust through consistent, principled behaviour.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE
• Work hard. Laugh harder. Get rewarded.
• merit matters. No politics, just performance.
• We’ve built a workplace that runs on caffeine, curiosity,
and good vibes!
•
•
• Book club and games corner
• Daily chocolate drops
• Walking pads + standing desks
• Unlimited popcorn (we’ve tried to finish it)
• Mother’s room
• “First Fridays” social hangouts
OVERVIEW
PRINCIPAL
SOFTWARE
ENGINEER
WHAT YOU’LL OWN
• Technical direction and architecture across the team, setting the standards, patterns, and technical guardrails our
developers build inside of.
• Implementation style and stack choices, deciding how we build, what we build with, and when to change either. Making
those calls stick.
• Platform evolution, making considered, evidence -based decisions about how the platform should grow, and bringing the
team along on those decisions.
• Technical coherence across squads, making sure the teams aren’t drifting apart architecturally, and that patterns learned
in one part of the platform get applied consistently across the rest.
• Quality oversight of the team leads’ technical work, acting as a design partner to them and reviewing significant
architectural decisions.
• Championing test -driven development, code review culture, and the standard of work we’re proud to put our name on.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We’re hiring a Principal Software Engineer to be the technical authority for our software platform. You’ll report to the Head
of Tech and act as the most senior technical voice in the team.
You’ll be responsible for the coherence of our technical vision, our architecture, and our implementation across several
squads that deliver independently. Your job is to make sure that as the team grows, the platform grows deliberately, with a
clear techn ical direction that supports where we want the business to go.
This is a technical role first. You’ll still get into the code where it matters, and you’ll be the person the team leads brin g their
hardest design problems to. We’re looking for an engineer who has earned the right to lead technically through the quality
of their thinking and the depth of their experience, and who wants to keep doing the work.
• Technical breadth, defining standards and giving guidance across the broader stack, not just within a single platform.
• Right -hand to the Head of Tech, trusted to turn business ambition into technical excellence.
WHAT YOU BRING
EDUCATION:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, with a strong academic record.
•
EXPERIENCE:
• 8+ years of software development experience, with a track record that goes beyond shipping code into shaping how teams
build.
• 5+ years of hands -on Java experience at production scale.
• Experience acting as the senior technical voice across multiple teams, setting architecture, reviewing designs, and
defending technical decisions under pressure.
• Hands -on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment workflows on GitHub.
• Experience with test -driven development and modern engineering practice.
• Practical experience introducing AI -assisted engineering into how teams work.
ADDED VALUE :
• Hands -on Salesforce / Apex experience.
• Salesforce certifications: Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, Application Architect, System Architect, or Technical
Architect.
BONUS POINTS :
• Experience with penetration testing and security -conscious engineering.
• Front -end development skills.
• Integration architecture and RESTful API design at scale.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR FIRST 12 MONTHS
After a year the team is visibly stronger technically because of your work.
Architecture decisions across the squads now ladder up to a coherent technical strategy that you’ve authored and the team
has bought into. The platform is evolving deliberately, with a clear point of view on where it should go next.
Technical excellence is pervasive across the team. AI is being used effectively in how we build, and development velocity is
increasing.
The team leads treat you as the technical partner they bring their hardest design problems to. Their technical work is sharpe r
because you’re in it.
You’re a trusted partner to the Head of Tech, shaping the technology roadmap and helping us make the right calls.
LOCATION AND WAYS OF WORKING
• Based in Johannesburg, four days a week in our Melrose Arch office.
• Working alongside a tight, ambitious tech team that takes craft seriously and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
OUR VALUES
• Excellence : we pursue outstanding results in everything we do, always striving to exceed expectations and lead by
example.
• Freedom & Responsibility : our people are empowered to make decisions and take initiative, backed by a strong sense of
ownership and accountability.
• Innovation : we embrace change, challenge the norm, and constantly seek smarter ways to deliver value.
• Collaboration : we share, support, and succeed as one team, because the best outcomes are built together.
• Integrity : we act with honesty and honour, building trust through consistent, principled behaviour.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE
• Work hard. Laugh harder. Get rewarded.
• merit matters. No politics, just performance.
• We’ve built a workplace that runs on caffeine, curiosity,
and good vibes!
•
•
• Book club and games corner
• Daily chocolate drops
• Walking pads + standing desks
• Unlimited popcorn (we’ve tried to finish it)
• Mother’s room
• “First Fridays” social hangouts
WHAT YOU BRING
EDUCATION:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, with a strong academic record.
•
EXPERIENCE:
• 8+ years of software development experience, with a track record that goes beyond shipping code into shaping how teams
build.
• 5+ years of hands -on Java experience at production scale.
• Experience acting as the senior technical voice across multiple teams, setting architecture, reviewing designs, and
defending technical decisions under pressure.
• Hands -on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment workflows on GitHub.
• Experience with test -driven development and modern engineering practice.
• Practical experience introducing AI -assisted engineering into how teams work.
ADDED VALUE :
• Hands -on Salesforce / Apex experience.
• Salesforce certifications: Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, Application Architect, System Architect, or Technical
Architect.
BONUS POINTS :
• Experience with penetration testing and security -conscious engineering.
• Front -end development skills.
• Integration architecture and RESTful API design at scale.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR FIRST 12 MONTHS
After a year the team is visibly stronger technically because of your work.
Architecture decisions across the squads now ladder up to a coherent technical strategy that you’ve authored and the team
has bought into. The platform is evolving deliberately, with a clear point of view on where it should go next.
Technical excellence is pervasive across the team. AI is being used effectively in how we build, and development velocity is
increasing.
The team leads treat you as the technical partner they bring their hardest design problems to. Their technical work is sharpe r
because you’re in it.
You’re a trusted partner to the Head of Tech, shaping the technology roadmap and helping us make the right calls.
LOCATION AND WAYS OF WORKING
• Based in Johannesburg, four days a week in our Melrose Arch office.
• Working alongside a tight, ambitious tech team that takes craft seriously and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
OUR VALUES
• Excellence : we pursue outstanding results in everything we do, always striving to exceed expectations and lead by
example.
• Freedom & Responsibility : our people are empowered to make decisions and take initiative, backed by a strong sense of
ownership and accountability.
• Innovation : we embrace change, challenge the norm, and constantly seek smarter ways to deliver value.
• Collaboration : we share, support, and succeed as one team, because the best outcomes are built together.
• Integrity : we act with honesty and honour, building trust through consistent, principled behaviour.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE
• Work hard. Laugh harder. Get rewarded.
• merit matters. No politics, just performance.
• We’ve built a workplace that runs on caffeine, curiosity,
and good vibes!
•
•
• Book club and games corner
• Daily chocolate drops
• Walking pads + standing desks
• Unlimited popcorn (we’ve tried to finish it)
• Mother’s room
• “First Fridays” social hangouts
up to a max of R150K pm