{"id":3816264,"url":"https://alion.io/job/computer-experts-personnel-principal-software-engineer","title":"Principal Software Engineer","company":{"id":4503712,"name":"Computer Experts Personnel","domain":null,"url":"https://alion.io/company/computer-experts-personnel","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":true,"employer_type":"agency","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":null,"truth_index":null},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["South Africa"],"countries":["ZA"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":null,"max":150000,"currency":"ZAR","period":"month","gross":true,"usd_annual":109476},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Apex","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"GitHub","optional":false},{"name":"Java","optional":false},{"name":"Rest API","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-05T13:57:17Z","employer_posted_date":null,"last_verified_at":"2026-11-05T13:57:17Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"not_scored","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Introduction\n\nOVERVIEW\n\nPRINCIPAL\n\nSOFTWARE\n\nENGINEER\n\nWHAT YOU’LL OWN\n\n• Technical direction and architecture across the team, setting the standards, patterns, and technical guardrails our\n\ndevelopers build inside of.\n\n• Implementation style and stack choices, deciding how we build, what we build with, and when to change either. Making\n\nthose calls stick.\n\n• Platform evolution, making considered, evidence -based decisions about how the platform should grow, and bringing the\n\nteam along on those decisions.\n\n• Technical coherence across squads, making sure the teams aren’t drifting apart architecturally, and that patterns learned\n\nin one part of the platform get applied consistently across the rest.\n\n• Quality oversight of the team leads’ technical work, acting as a design partner to them and reviewing significant\n\narchitectural decisions.\n\n• Championing test -driven development, code review culture, and the standard of work we’re proud to put our name on.\n\nABOUT THE ROLE\n\nWe’re hiring a Principal Software Engineer to be the technical authority for our software platform. You’ll report to the Head\n\nof Tech and act as the most senior technical voice in the team.\n\nYou’ll be responsible for the coherence of our technical vision, our architecture, and our implementation across several\n\nsquads that deliver independently. Your job is to make sure that as the team grows, the platform grows deliberately, with a\n\nclear techn ical direction that supports where we want the business to go.\n\nThis 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\n\nhardest design problems to. We’re looking for an engineer who has earned the right to lead technically through the quality\n\nof their thinking and the depth of their experience, and who wants to keep doing the work.\n\n• Technical breadth, defining standards and giving guidance across the broader stack, not just within a single platform.\n\n• Right -hand to the Head of Tech, trusted to turn business ambition into technical excellence.\n\nWHAT YOU BRING\n\nEDUCATION:\n\n• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, with a strong academic record.\n\n•\n\nEXPERIENCE:\n\n• 8+ years of software development experience, with a track record that goes beyond shipping code into shaping how teams\n\nbuild.\n\n• 5+ years of hands -on Java experience at production scale.\n\n• Experience acting as the senior technical voice across multiple teams, setting architecture, reviewing designs, and\n\ndefending technical decisions under pressure.\n\n• Hands -on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment workflows on GitHub.\n\n• Experience with test -driven development and modern engineering practice.\n\n• Practical experience introducing AI -assisted engineering into how teams work.\n\nADDED VALUE :\n\n• Hands -on Salesforce / Apex experience.\n\n• Salesforce certifications: Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, Application Architect, System Architect, or Technical\n\nArchitect.\n\nBONUS POINTS :\n\n• Experience with penetration testing and security -conscious engineering.\n\n• Front -end development skills.\n\n• Integration architecture and RESTful API design at scale.\n\nWHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR FIRST 12 MONTHS\n\nAfter a year the team is visibly stronger technically because of your work.\n\nArchitecture decisions across the squads now ladder up to a coherent technical strategy that you’ve authored and the team\n\nhas bought into. The platform is evolving deliberately, with a clear point of view on where it should go next.\n\nTechnical excellence is pervasive across the team. AI is being used effectively in how we build, and development velocity is\n\nincreasing.\n\nThe team leads treat you as the technical partner they bring their hardest design problems to. Their technical work is sharpe r\n\nbecause you’re in it.\n\nYou’re a trusted partner to the Head of Tech, shaping the technology roadmap and helping us make the right calls.\n\nLOCATION AND WAYS OF WORKING\n\n• Based in Johannesburg, four days a week in our Melrose Arch office.\n\n• Working alongside a tight, ambitious tech team that takes craft seriously and doesn’t take itself too seriously.\n\nOUR VALUES\n\n• Excellence : we pursue outstanding results in everything we do, always striving to exceed expectations and lead by\n\nexample.\n\n• Freedom & Responsibility : our people are empowered to make decisions and take initiative, backed by a strong sense of\n\nownership and accountability.\n\n• Innovation : we embrace change, challenge the norm, and constantly seek smarter ways to deliver value.\n\n• Collaboration : we share, support, and succeed as one team, because the best outcomes are built together.\n\n• Integrity : we act with honesty and honour, building trust through consistent, principled behaviour.\n\nWHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE\n\n• Work hard. Laugh harder. Get rewarded.\n\n• merit matters. No politics, just performance.\n\n• We’ve built a workplace that runs on caffeine, curiosity,\n\nand good vibes!\n\n• \n\n• \n\n• Book club and games corner\n\n• Daily chocolate drops\n\n• Walking pads + standing desks\n\n• Unlimited popcorn (we’ve tried to finish it)\n\n• Mother’s room\n\n• “First Fridays” social hangouts\n\nDuties & Responsibilities\n\nOVERVIEW\n\nPRINCIPAL\n\nSOFTWARE\n\nENGINEER\n\nWHAT YOU’LL OWN\n\n• Technical direction and architecture across the team, setting the standards, patterns, and technical guardrails our\n\ndevelopers build inside of.\n\n• Implementation style and stack choices, deciding how we build, what we build with, and when to change either. Making\n\nthose calls stick.\n\n• Platform evolution, making considered, evidence -based decisions about how the platform should grow, and bringing the\n\nteam along on those decisions.\n\n• Technical coherence across squads, making sure the teams aren’t drifting apart architecturally, and that patterns learned\n\nin one part of the platform get applied consistently across the rest.\n\n• Quality oversight of the team leads’ technical work, acting as a design partner to them and reviewing significant\n\narchitectural decisions.\n\n• Championing test -driven development, code review culture, and the standard of work we’re proud to put our name on.\n\nABOUT THE ROLE\n\nWe’re hiring a Principal Software Engineer to be the technical authority for our software platform. You’ll report to the Head\n\nof Tech and act as the most senior technical voice in the team.\n\nYou’ll be responsible for the coherence of our technical vision, our architecture, and our implementation across several\n\nsquads that deliver independently. Your job is to make sure that as the team grows, the platform grows deliberately, with a\n\nclear techn ical direction that supports where we want the business to go.\n\nThis 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\n\nhardest design problems to. We’re looking for an engineer who has earned the right to lead technically through the quality\n\nof their thinking and the depth of their experience, and who wants to keep doing the work.\n\n• Technical breadth, defining standards and giving guidance across the broader stack, not just within a single platform.\n\n• Right -hand to the Head of Tech, trusted to turn business ambition into technical excellence.\n\nWHAT YOU BRING\n\nEDUCATION:\n\n• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, with a strong academic record.\n\n•\n\nEXPERIENCE:\n\n• 8+ years of software development experience, with a track record that goes beyond shipping code into shaping how teams\n\nbuild.\n\n• 5+ years of hands -on Java experience at production scale.\n\n• Experience acting as the senior technical voice across multiple teams, setting architecture, reviewing designs, and\n\ndefending technical decisions under pressure.\n\n• Hands -on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment workflows on GitHub.\n\n• Experience with test -driven development and modern engineering practice.\n\n• Practical experience introducing AI -assisted engineering into how teams work.\n\nADDED VALUE :\n\n• Hands -on Salesforce / Apex experience.\n\n• Salesforce certifications: Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, Application Architect, System Architect, or Technical\n\nArchitect.\n\nBONUS POINTS :\n\n• Experience with penetration testing and security -conscious engineering.\n\n• Front -end development skills.\n\n• Integration architecture and RESTful API design at scale.\n\nWHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR FIRST 12 MONTHS\n\nAfter a year the team is visibly stronger technically because of your work.\n\nArchitecture decisions across the squads now ladder up to a coherent technical strategy that you’ve authored and the team\n\nhas bought into. The platform is evolving deliberately, with a clear point of view on where it should go next.\n\nTechnical excellence is pervasive across the team. AI is being used effectively in how we build, and development velocity is\n\nincreasing.\n\nThe team leads treat you as the technical partner they bring their hardest design problems to. Their technical work is sharpe r\n\nbecause you’re in it.\n\nYou’re a trusted partner to the Head of Tech, shaping the technology roadmap and helping us make the right calls.\n\nLOCATION AND WAYS OF WORKING\n\n• Based in Johannesburg, four days a week in our Melrose Arch office.\n\n• Working alongside a tight, ambitious tech team that takes craft seriously and doesn’t take itself too seriously.\n\nOUR VALUES\n\n• Excellence : we pursue outstanding results in everything we do, always striving to exceed expectations and lead by\n\nexample.\n\n• Freedom & Responsibility : our people are empowered to make decisions and take initiative, backed by a strong sense of\n\nownership and accountability.\n\n• Innovation : we embrace change, challenge the norm, and constantly seek smarter ways to deliver value.\n\n• Collaboration : we share, support, and succeed as one team, because the best outcomes are built together.\n\n• Integrity : we act with honesty and honour, building trust through consistent, principled behaviour.\n\nWHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE\n\n• Work hard. Laugh harder. Get rewarded.\n\n• merit matters. No politics, just performance.\n\n• We’ve built a workplace that runs on caffeine, curiosity,\n\nand good vibes!\n\n• \n\n• \n\n• Book club and games corner\n\n• Daily chocolate drops\n\n• Walking pads + standing desks\n\n• Unlimited popcorn (we’ve tried to finish it)\n\n• Mother’s room\n\n• “First Fridays” social hangouts\n\nDesired Experience & Qualification\n\nWHAT YOU BRING\n\nEDUCATION:\n\n• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, with a strong academic record.\n\n•\n\nEXPERIENCE:\n\n• 8+ years of software development experience, with a track record that goes beyond shipping code into shaping how teams\n\nbuild.\n\n• 5+ years of hands -on Java experience at production scale.\n\n• Experience acting as the senior technical voice across multiple teams, setting architecture, reviewing designs, and\n\ndefending technical decisions under pressure.\n\n• Hands -on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment workflows on GitHub.\n\n• Experience with test -driven development and modern engineering practice.\n\n• Practical experience introducing AI -assisted engineering into how teams work.\n\nADDED VALUE :\n\n• Hands -on Salesforce / Apex experience.\n\n• Salesforce certifications: Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, Application Architect, System Architect, or Technical\n\nArchitect.\n\nBONUS POINTS :\n\n• Experience with penetration testing and security -conscious engineering.\n\n• Front -end development skills.\n\n• Integration architecture and RESTful API design at scale.\n\nWHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR FIRST 12 MONTHS\n\nAfter a year the team is visibly stronger technically because of your work.\n\nArchitecture decisions across the squads now ladder up to a coherent technical strategy that you’ve authored and the team\n\nhas bought 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