As an engineer at Mara, your role extends far beyond merely developing features—you will play a pivotal part in constructing the foundational “trust infrastructure” that guarantees every dollar is effectively allocated, enabling community-led organizations to execute hyper-proximate interventions for women and girls in the greatest need.
We design and uphold a robust set of engineering principles that guide our technical strategy and execution across all projects. These pillars ensure scalability, reliability, and security while fostering innovation and operational excellence. Each team member is expected to embody these principles in their daily work, contributing to a cohesive and high-performing engineering culture. Proficiency in these areas is essential for advancing both individual and organizational goals.
We design a unified Fintech solution—structured as a single contractual framework—to address government procurement requirements, enabling dynamic capital reallocation across diverse geographic regions.
AI-powered verification and fraud prevention solutions leverage the Tito platform and advanced artificial intelligence to automate data collection while confirming real-world effectiveness. By replacing labor-intensive, high-expense auditing processes with real-time, high-integrity data insights, this approach ensures greater efficiency and accuracy.
We are architecting an ecosystem-scale platform to serve the entire sector, extending beyond Tito to empower diverse organizations and funders within a unified, transparent environment.
Ensuring the utmost security for sensitive health and educational data, this role upholds the highest standards of data integrity to champion “paying for what works” as a universal benchmark in philanthropic practices. By safeguarding information with rigorous protocols, the position drives forward the global adoption of responsible and effective funding models in charitable initiatives.
We are actively seeking qualified candidates residing in South Africa and Kenya for this role.
The Job
Our Java Engineering Team Lead oversees the leadership and development of a team of software engineers while overseeing the creation and maintenance of the Mara Impact software. Additional duties involve:
Provide guidance and foster the growth of your team members through effective leadership and development initiatives.
The Mara Impact software requires the design, development, and ongoing maintenance of new features to ensure its continuous enhancement and functionality.
As an integral member of our collaborative team, you will actively engage in our agile methodologies and associated ceremonies and practices.
The software engineering team’s tasks are managed and synchronized to ensure seamless collaboration and progress.
Designing, developing, maintaining, testing, and evaluating software by applying established software engineering principles.
Developing software with robust security measures to safeguard data integrity and confidentiality is a critical responsibility of this role.
You ensure that your work is thoroughly documented, maintaining clarity and accessibility for future reference by colleagues.
About You
You possess extensive experience in Java development and end-to-end software construction, with a strong foundation in architectural design. As a methodical thinker and analytical problem solver, you are driven by the opportunity to leverage your technical expertise to deliver meaningful contributions.
Seeking a highly motivated individual to join our team as a [Job Title], responsible for [primary job function]. The ideal candidate must possess a [specific degree or certification], along with [X years] of relevant experience in [industry/field]. Proficiency in [specific software, tools, or technical skills] is essential, and strong analytical and problem-solving abilities are required. Excellent communication and teamwork skills are necessary to collaborate effectively across departments. The candidate should demonstrate a proven track record of [specific achievement or responsibility], ensuring alignment with our company’s goals. Familiarity with [industry-specific regulations or standards] is a plus. This role offers opportunities for professional growth and development within a dynamic and innovative environment.
With at least eight years of dedicated backend engineering experience, particularly in JVM-based languages, you possess a strong technical background to excel in this role.
With a minimum of three years of formal leadership experience, you will have overseen a team of Java backend engineers, in addition to being accountable for conducting performance reviews for team members.
Proficiency in Microservices architecture combined with hands-on experience utilizing AWS cloud services is essential for success in this role.
With a robust background in Java backend development, you possess deep expertise in the Spring framework along with proficiency in diverse Java-based tools and frameworks.
Preferred candidates will have prior familiarity with or hands-on experience using the Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform.
You aspire to move beyond mere coding and instead focus on engineering robust, scalable systems that uphold the highest standards of quality.
You must be located in either Kenya or South Africa to fulfill this role.
You possess strong proficiency in English, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in professional settings.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND
Experience Required
8 years
