Full Stack Java Developer

About Unifi

Boldly different. Fiercely human. Proudly African.

Unifi is redefining credit in Africa with simple, fast personal loans delivered through online, mobile and branch channels. We make life easy for our clients across Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Tanzania. Unifi has conviction in the African continent and its people, and our products enable our clients to achieve even more. As one of the fastest-growing lenders in Africa, we combine exceptional client service with the very best tech and data analytics.

Purpose of the role

This role is based in Stellenbosch and would require the candidate to live in the Western Cape. Build and improve the software that powers Unifi's products and operations across Africa. Reporting to the Head Of Engineering the Full Stack Java Developer, you'll work across the full development lifecycle, partnering with your team to design, build and deliver reliable, scalable solutions that make life easier for our clients and the people who serve them. You'll take ownership, solve real business problems and help us continuously improve how we build software as Unifi grows.

Our Technology Stack

• We work with a modern and diverse technology stack to deliver high-quality solutions.
• Our core technologies include Groovy, Java and Kotlin (for new services) for programming, with Micronaut and Spring Boot as our primary application frameworks.
• We use Gorm and Hibernate for persistence and rely on MySQL as our main database. For web-based user interfaces, we utilize Vaadin.
• In addition, our technology stack features Activiti for workflow management, Micronaut and JAX-RS for microservices, and Electron for our desktop Branch Application.
• We manage queue processing through Apache ActiveMQ Artemis.
• Other tools in our stack include MongoDB for document storage and Apache Velocity as our template engine. We also use Swagger for API documentation.
• Our development environment follows Agile Kanban methodology using Bitbucket pipelines for builds, IntelliJ as our IDE, Bitbucket Git for source control, and Gradle for build configuration.
• We stay connected through Slack and Google, and manage our development cycle with Jira.
• To empower our engineering team, every developer is equipped with AI assistants like Gemini and Claude Code, helping them tackle complex daily challenges and craft optimal solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain reliable software that scales with Unifi as we grow
• Build systems that are simple, secure and easy to maintain by writing clean code and choosing practical solutions over unnecessary complexity
• Build observability into Unifi systems through logging, monitoring and tracing so issues can be identified and resolved quickly
• Take ownership of changes from technical design through development, testing, QA handover and into production, helping deliver value to our clients and frontline teams as quickly as possible
• Use AI tools such as Gemini and Claude Code responsibly to improve productivity while maintaining full ownership of every technical decision and every line of code you commit
• Work closely with developers, product teams and stakeholders to solve problems, improve our products and deliver great outcomes
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of our engineering practices, development processes and software architecture
• Share knowledge, support your teammates and help build a collaborative, high-performing culture
• Question the way something has always been built. If there is a simpler or faster way to do it, raise it and make the case

Requirements

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or a related field
• 8+ years' experience designing, building and maintaining software applications
• Solid experience with Java or another JVM-based programming language
• Strong understanding of relational databases, SQL and building data-driven applications
• Takes ownership, pays attention to detail and enjoys seeing work through to completion
• Practical problem solver who can think logically and make good technical decisions
• Able to work independently while collaborating closely with teammates to get the job done
• Curious, adaptable and always looking for better ways to solve problems and improve how we work
• A healthy spirit of adventure and sense of humour
• Passionate about Africa and excited to contribute to building products that make life easy for our clients