Zeraki • Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
We are looking for highly capable Senior Software Engineers to strengthen Zeraki’s engineering capability and help us build scalable, reliable and high-quality technology across our education technology ecosystem.
This is a hands-on engineering role for someone with strong technical depth, sound engineering judgment and a high level of ownership. You will work on complex systems, contribute to architectural decisions, solve challenging technical problems and help improve the reliability, performance and scalability of Zeraki’s platforms.
You will work primarily within our Java/Spring Boot backend ecosystem, while collaborating closely with Frontend, DevOps, Product and other engineering teams to deliver cohesive, scalable and reliable systems.
For engineers who demonstrate the capability and take on formal technical leadership responsibilities, Zeraki will provide a Tech Lead allowance.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & System Design
Lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure, and maintainable backend systems using Java and Spring Boot
Own architectural decisions across services, ensuring clear contracts between backend, frontend (Angular), and infrastructure
Translate ambiguous product requirements into well-defined technical designs and execution plans
Drive system design discussions, identifying trade-offs in scalability, performance, and maintainability
Ensure alignment between frontend and backend through well-structured APIs and data contracts
Backend Engineering & Execution
Write high-quality, production-grade code for mission-critical systems
Build and maintain RESTful APIs and backend services
Optimize system performance, reliability, and scalability
Proactively identify and address technical debt and bottlenecks
Establish and enforce best practices in code quality and testing
Team Productivity & Enablement
Act as a force multiplier through code reviews and technical leadership
Unblock engineers quickly when they face challenges
Balance personal contribution with team enablement
Ownership & Delivery
Take full ownership of multi-sprint projects
Coordinate execution across engineers
Drive incident response and post-mortems
Proactively identify and resolve risks
Cross-Stack Collaboration
Work closely with Angular frontend engineers
Partner with DevOps on deployment pipelines
Ensure end-to-end system reliability
Business & Product Alignment
Align engineering decisions with product goals
Collaborate with Product Managers
Balance technical excellence with delivery timelines
Mentorship & Team Development
Mentor junior and mid-level engineers
Contribute to hiring and onboarding
Foster a culture of ownership and learning
Performance Expectations
Deliver complex multi-sprint projects reliably
Improve team velocity and code quality
Maintain high system uptime
Drive system performance improvements
Mentor engineers effectively
What We’re Looking For
Experience & Technical Skills
5+ years in backend engineering
Strong expertise in Java and Spring Boot
Experience with distributed systems
Strong System and API design skills
Database experience (SQL/NoSQL)
Familiarity with cloud services and CI/CD configurations
Working knowledge of Angular frontend concepts
Leadership & Mindset
Strong ownership mentality
Proven leadership ability
Excellent communication skills
Pragmatic decision-maker
Passion for mentorship
● A chance to contribute to a mission-driven company that's making a real difference in education across Africa.
● A collaborative, inclusive, and dynamic work environment where your input is valued.
At Zeraki, our culture defines how we work, how we make decisions, and how we succeed together. We are united by eight core values: Integrity, Love of Learning, Highest Standards, Deliver Results, Hire & Develop the Best, Manage Through Trust, Empathy, and Have Backbone; Disagree & Commit.
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