Senior AI & Backend Engineer

Our Scrums.com Story

At Scrums.com (formerly SovTech), we believe the future of software lies in the talent, innovation, and creativity found on the African continent. For over a decade, we have been pioneering world-class software development for a global audience. We are the leading custom software development company from Africa that, like any great tech company, was founded in a garage. Scrums.com has now grown to more than 350 of the best AI-powered software engineering experts, building world-class platforms for growing businesses across four cities on three continents.

‍Looking ahead, we remain committed to growing Africa's tech ecosystems. Africa is home to the world's youngest population, with over 50% of Africans under the age of 25. Recent estimates indicate there are over 700,000 professional software developers across Africa today. That number is projected to double by 2025. We believe in the future of African tech talent and the impact it will have on scaling global companies.

Accelerating business growth with expert tech talent

Trusted by 400+ companies, Scrums.com helps businesses scale with our cloud-based engineering subscription platform, offering consistent, cost-effective AI-powered experts, teams, and reliable developer analytics. 

Our Culture

Our culture is underpinned by 8 core values. 

Earth’s leading software company from Africa- that's where we're going.

Why Join Us?

Be part of a dynamic, people-first team that’s showcasing and advancing Africa’s tech landscape on the global scale. At Scrums.com, we celebrate your individuality, empower your decision-making, and create meaningful experiences. Together, we’re driving innovation and building  exceptional teams 🚀 Take a look at some of the highlights:

Embrace Our African Talent Footprint, Flexibility, and Autonomy 🌍

• At Scrums.com, we champion an empowered workplace where you shape the culture, influence decisions on tech stacks, and take charge of user testing—all while working from wherever you thrive best across our interconnected Guilds.

• Our distributed teams span South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and other parts of the continent, showcasing the diversity and brilliance of African talent.

The Scrums.com Vibes 💙

• Annual Foos-Fest ⚽️ : Showcase your skills at our legendary Foosball Festival and take home quirky, sought-after awards.

• AI-Powered Hackathons 💻 : Collaborate with your team to create innovative, market-ready products in just 24 hours—all while enjoying live music and family-friendly fun.

• Year-End Celebrations 🏞️ : Reflect and connect at our unforgettable year-end events, a decade-old tradition we continue to cherish.

• Popcorn Fridays, Dev Chats, and Braais🍿 : Bond with colleagues over insightful discussions and sizzling good vibes.

• Fluid Clubs🥾 : Join like-minded peers in activities like hiking, running, and more to foster shared interests beyond work.

• Weekly All-Hands 🙌 : Stay inspired and in the loop with our weekly All-Hands sessions that bring us together as one team.

• Explore Week 🐘 : Our annual tradition encourages you to work from anywhere around the globe for one exciting week—freedom meets inspiration!

Scrums.com Rewards & Recognition 🎉

• Stacos (our company currency) : Reward and recognise your peers with Stacos and exchange them for cool vouchers to celebrate accomplishments big and small.

• Commission Incentives : Unlock attractive rewards for successful business development leads and employee referrals.

Continued Career Growth & Support 🔑

• Internal AI Platforms : We empower our teams with access to both closed and open source LLM’s that make work easier and empower your professional growth. We love AI! 

• High-Performance Culture : Stay aligned and on track with OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and structured annual reviews.

• Personalized Mentorship : Receive dedicated guidance from leadership and the Talent SuccessTeam through one-on-one sessions and quarterly check-ins tailored to your career aspirations.

Our teams are powered by AI—Transforming How We Work 🤖

• Our teams embrace cutting-edge AI platforms, agents and tools, creating smarter workflows and accelerating career development with AI. 

• OpenAI, Anthropic, Llama - we use them all so choose what suits you best!

• You don’t need your own licenses - we cover the costs and have our own internal AI platforms that gives you access to them all in a secure environment. 

Outstanding Employee Benefits* ➕

• Discovery Medical Aid : Prioritizing your health with the best care.

• Half-Day Birthday Leave : Celebrate your special day with an afternoon off!

• Family responsibility & Parental Benefits : Providing full support for a meaningful work-life balance.

*Please note: Benefits may vary depending on employment type

Join us and be part of a dynamic, supportive team that’s making waves across Africa.

Location: Johannesburg

Contract Type: Independent Contractor Agreement

Engagement Length: 12 months

Years of Experience: 5+ years in a similar role

Qualifications: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Certifications: Advantageous

Work Model: Remote

Key Skills

Node.js

Python

SQL

Relational Database Design

PandaDoc Integration

Document Automation APIs

AI Agents

LLM Tooling

Agentic Workflows

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Agent Communication Frameworks

WebSockets

Real-Time Applications

Machine Learning Concepts

Data Pipelines

Preferred Qualifications

Experience building or deploying AI-driven products.

Background with cloud services (Azure, AWS, or GCP).

Knowledge of vector databases and RAG systems.

Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD, and Docker/Kubernetes.

Responsibilities

➔ Develop, maintain, and optimize backend services using Node.js and Python.

➔ Build and manage APIs and real-time communication channels using WebSockets.

➔ Design, implement, and maintain database solutions using SQL.

➔ Implement workflows and automation using PandaDoc APIs and related document automation tools.

➔ Work with AI agents, AI tools, and machine learning models to integrate intelligence into business workflows.

➔ Collaborate on systems using MCP (Model Context Protocol) or similar frameworks.

➔ Build scalable architectures supporting AI-driven features and real-time data processing.

➔ Troubleshoot, optimize, and ensure high performance and reliability of backend systems.

Requirements

➔ Proficiency in Node.js for backend services.

➔ Experience with Python for scripting, automation, and machine learning tasks.

➔ Strong understanding of SQL and relational database design.

➔ Experience with PandaDoc integrations or document-generation APIs.

➔ Knowledge of AI agents, LLM tooling, and agentic workflows.

➔ Familiarity with MCP or similar agent communication frameworks.

➔ Hands-on experience with WebSockets for real-time applications.

➔ Understanding of machine learning concepts and data pipelines.

➔ Experience building or deploying AI-driven products (preferred).

➔ Background with cloud services such as Azure, AWS, or GCP (preferred).

➔ Knowledge of vector databases and RAG systems (preferred).

➔ Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD, and Docker/Kubernetes (preferred).

➔ Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking skills.

➔ Collaborative and communicative approach.

➔ Self-driven and comfortable in fast-paced environments.