Job opportunity // Python Software Engineer with Code for Africa

Job opportunity // Python Software Engineer with Code for Africa

Our member Code for Africa is seeking to hire a Python Software Engineer to join one of their civic technology labs in Lagos, Nigeria, Cape Town, South Africa or Kampala, Uganda.

As a Python Software Engineer at CfA, you will be working on a distributed team of software engineers and product managers to build features used by journalists, civil society, government officials, scientists, researchers, and normal citizens across the continent. The work is challenging, fast-paced and always changing.

The ideal candidate has creative problem-solving skills, a commitment to quality, collaborative work ethic and good coding skills.

They would be expected to work in an agile software development team and be conversant with Python frameworks such as Django, as well as be comfortable in managing and deploying services on hosting services such as Amazon Web Services using Docker / Dokku (self-hosted Heroku).

Get more details here

What you’ll do

Work closely with project and product managers as well as fellow technologists to implement solutions to software projects within tight deadlines.

Embrace emerging standards while promoting best practices in order to deploy stable and scalable environments.

Support teams to compile, clean, analyse and publish data

Draft technical documentation to help other technologists understand the software solutions ad making sure it’s updated and relevant.

Manage your own time, and work well both independently and as part of a team

Collaborate with a geographically distributed team of developers.

What you’ve got

A Bachelors or equivalent degree in the IT field would be preferred, but not required. Your code portfolio/track-record is as important, if not more, as academic qualifications.

At least three years of overall professional experience using Python; ideally with a minimum of 1+ years of using PostgreSQL.

Ability to translate software requirements to working products and to effectively collaborate with colleagues who do not necessarily have technical backgrounds.

A track record in using git source code management, particularly with GitHub

Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritise, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders

A multitasker with the ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment. Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the CfA mission.

About Code for Africa

Code for Africa (CfA) is the continent’s largest federation of data journalism and civic technology laboratories, with labs in four countries and affiliates in a further six countries.

CfA manages the $1m/year innovateAFRICA.fund and $500,000/year impactAFRICA.fund, as well as key digital democracy resources such as the openAFRICA.net data portal and the GotToVote.cc election toolkit.

CfA’s labs also incubate a series of trendsetting initiatives, including the PesaCheck fact-checking initiative in East Africa, the continental africanDRONEnetwork, and the African Network of Centres for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR) that spearheaded Panama Papers probes across the continent. CfA is an initiative of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).