{"id":3870899,"url":"https://alion.io/job/discovery-developer","title":"Developer","company":{"id":1811548,"name":"Discovery","domain":"discovery.co.za","url":"https://alion.io/company/discovery-co-za","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"SuccessFactors","truth_index":null},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":null,"employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Sandton, South Africa"],"countries":["ZA"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"JavaScript","optional":false},{"name":"Linux","optional":false},{"name":"Microsoft Excel","optional":false},{"name":"Microsoft Office","optional":false},{"name":"Oracle","optional":false},{"name":"PHP","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"SQL","optional":false},{"name":"Unix","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-21T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":null,"last_verified_at":"2026-09-21T00:00:00Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":null,"days_open":46,"trust":{"level":"not_scored","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":46},"description":"Key Purpose\n\nThe role has multiple facets, the first being to become completely familiar with existing software models to maintain and enhance them. Equally important is the development of new software models and functionality for the team.\n\nA less challenging but equally important role is running the software programs on a daily and monthly basis – these are called production runs. The programs that need to be run include software developed in-house as well as third party software. For all these, the input files need to be created, usually by means of C/C++ programs, SQL and shell scripting. Some of these input files themselves can be complex in nature, being created of data from multiple sources. \n\nRunning these production runs can involve working outside of office hours, for which time off is granted in lieu of overtime pay. Finally a requirement is to develop ad-hoc programs and front-ends for the team to be able to run various programs themselves – usually through a web page.\n\nIt is important for the candidate to be able to work on their own to solve various technical challenges that may arise. Thought must be given to the latest and future technologies and methodologies that may better address these challenges. Although C/C++ has traditionally been used for its superior performance, an open mind must be kept to using the correct technology to address current and future requirements. \n\nAlthough guidance will be provided at the beginning, the candidate must work towards being able to make decisions on their own. To this end, a good understanding must be gained of the basic clinical principles, such as clinical coding, that are instrumental in all software developed and run by the team. It is also expected of the candidate to keep current with new developments in software and modelling techniques\n\nAreas of responsibility include but may not be limited to \n\nMaintaining and enhancing existing software\n\nDeveloping new software\n\nCreating input files\n\nCollating output from the various programs for loading into a database\n\nRunning or assisting with production runs\n\nDeveloping simple front-ends (usually web-pages) to enable the team to run the programs themselves on a single record basis\n\nKeeping third party software up to date by updating license keys etc.\n\nDeveloping ad-hoc programs and scripts as required by the team\n\nInvestigating new technologies and methodologies to keep the software current.\n\nPersonal Attributes and Skills - high proficiency required \n\nHigh proficiency in C/C++ in a Linux or Unix environment\n\nA good knowledge of SQL and relational databases\n\nProficiency in Unix/Linux shell scripting.\n\nGood knowledge of Unix/Linux\n\nTechnical computer knowledge – e.g. using shared memory, binary files etc.\n\nMust be able to work unsupervised (mentorship is provided)\n\nEnthusiasm and willingness to learn \n\nPersonal Attributes and Skills – proficiency required\n\nUnix/Linux command-line experience\n\nWorking knowledge of Microsoft Office products; MS-Word, MS-Excel\n\nWorking with a source-level debugger (for C) and IDE for Python\n\nProC (Oracle’s SQL interface for C)\n\nSome HTML / CSS\n\nSome PHP\n\nSome Java/Javascript\n\nSome Python\n\nAny other web technologies such as APIs\n\nEducation and Experience – minimum \n\nComputer-related tertiary qualification – or minimum 5 years’ experience working in a highly technical environment\n\nMinimum 5 years’ C or C++ programming experience\n\nMinimum 5 years’ experience software deployment in a Unix/Linux environment.\n\nMinimum 3 years’ SQL experience\n\n2 years shell scripting (knowledge of awk or perl advantageous)\n\n1 year HTML programming exposure\n\n6 months PHP programming\n\n2 years working with MS-Excel, MS-Word etc.\n\nEMPLOYMENT EQUITY \n\nThe Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.","description_format":"text","description_chars":3948,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Property & Casualty Insurance","Health Insurance & Benefits","Digital Banks & Neobanks","Life Insurance & Annuities"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-06T14:23:15Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":3,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":0.4,"p_active":0.199,"p_room":0.35,"age_days":46,"expected_fill_days":10,"reasons":["seen:46","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-11-06T20:53:13Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/discovery-developer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/discovery-developer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-06T20:53:13Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":525,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-07T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1811548},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1811548"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fdiscovery-developer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fdiscovery-developer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fdiscovery-developer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/discovery-developer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fdiscovery-developer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3870899}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"discovery.co.za","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3870899},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}