Senior Software Engineer

Join the team behind Mainboard, the platform powering top model and talent agencies in 28 countries for over 27 years. We’re looking for a Senior Backend Engineer who thrives on architecting scalable systems, tuning high-performance databases, and building clean, reliable APIs.This is a hybrid role based in Cape Town, balancing meaningful in-person collaboration with focused remote work.What You’ll DoArchitect, optimize, and maintain Microsoft SQL Server databases that run critical, real-time production workloads.Build and deploy GraphQL APIs end-to-end (schema design → resolvers → integration).Develop and maintain backend services in Node.js + TypeScript.Integrate third-party APIs and internal services cleanly and safely.Work with AWS to deploy and operate scalable systems.Collaborate closely with a small, senior team that values speed, clarity, and ownership.Read and interpret existing .NET Core code when required (no new feature development in .NET).What We’re Looking For10+ years of practical, hands-on software development experience.Deep, practical Microsoft SQL Server expertise:Query tuning & execution plan analysisIndexing strategy & SARGabilityParameter sniffing & transaction designAbility to write and optimize raw T-SQL confidentlyStrong backend engineering in Node.js + TypeScript.Solid experience building GraphQL and REST APIs.Experience with Prisma ORM for schema modeling and typed queries — and knowing when to bypass ORM for performance.Proven ability to design and implement integrations with external APIs.Comfort working with AWS in production environments.Curious, self-driven, and comfortable owning outcomes end-to-end.Nice to Have(Not required, but helpful)Familiarity with .NET Core for reading/understanding legacy code.Experience in event-driven or distributed system patterns.Performance profiling or observability experience.Why Join MainboardA global platform with long-term product stability and ongoing innovation.Work with a tight-knit, highly skilled, senior team — no bureaucracy, no slowdowns.Hybrid flexibility: real collaboration + real focus time.Opportunities to shape the next generation of agency, talent, and creative-industry tech: including AI and automation initiatives.27+ years in the industry and still building forward.If solving real technical challenges and seeing your work directly impact a global product excites you, we’d love to meet you.When applying, please include your expected salary range and availability.