Senior/Principal Full Stack Software Engineer

About NOA:

Established in 2022, NOA is a leading renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) and energy trader, licensed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa. We empower commercial and industrial companies to reach their net-zero goals while securing long-term energy savings. Backed by R3.9 billion in equity capital from Old Mutual’s African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), we currently have 600 MW of owned generation capacity under construction, and another 300 MW of capacity under construction by IPPs where we are the off takers. 

At NOA, we believe that energy is life; it is the pulse that powers our industries, empowers our communities, and builds our societies. We are currently at a unique, once-in-a-generation moment in South African history, similar to the birth of the gold industry or the mobile revolution. It is a mission-critical time, and we have the right partners and expertise to shape the creation of an entirely new energy landscape. 

What truly sets us apart is The NOA Way—our intentionally crafted culture and roadmap for excellence. We aren't just a utility; we are a tight, high-functioning team of "all-in" problem solvers who lean into complexity to find original solutions. We speak simply, act big, and step forward to own the changes our nation needs. 

Our impact is immense: we are here to solve the immediate energy crisis, fuel the growth of the South African economy, and create a global blueprint for a decarbonised future. We are building a phenomenal team to do something magnificent together, and we make sure to savour the journey along the way. 

Role Purpose: 

NOA is looking for 4 exceptional full-stack software engineers (with 10+ years of experience).  

You'll work within a cross-functional, empowered product team alongside product management and design, solving hard problems in the energy trading and renewable energy domain. Our teams follow the product operating model — engineers participate in product discovery, assess feasibility, prototype solutions, and deliver outcomes. You won't be shielded from the business; you'll have direct exposure to customers and end users, domain experts, and the complex real-world problems our software needs to solve. 

 

What you will do 

• Solve real problems, not just ship features. Work with your product team to understand customer pain, evaluate technical approaches, and deliver solutions that move the business forward. 
• Build across the full stack. Design and implement backend services in Python/Django, build front-end interfaces in JavaScript/TypeScript, and work with cloud infrastructure on AWS. 
• Translate complex domain logic into well-architected software. You'll work closely with energy and financial domain experts — turning complex business models and spreadsheet-based workflows into robust, scalable systems. 
• Drive engineering quality. Write clean, tested, maintainable code. Contribute to architectural decisions, code reviews, and engineering standards as we build the foundation of our platform. 
• Leverage AI tools to maximise your impact. We expect engineers to actively use AI coding tools (we primarily use Claude, but experiment broadly) to accelerate their work without compromising quality. 
• Shape the engineering culture. We're in the early stages of building a world-class product and engineering organisation. You'll help establish practices, processes, and norms — not just inherit them. 
• Serve as the technical voice on your product team — partnering with product managers and designers to assess feasibility risk and drive technical discovery. 
• Mentor and elevate junior engineers through pairing, code review, and architectural guidance. 
• Make strategic technical decisions that balance short-term delivery with long-term platform health and scalability. 
• Take ownership of cross-cutting concerns: system architecture, reliability, performance, and security. 

What we're looking for

Must have skills & experience:

• Strong Python backend skills — significant experience building production systems with Python and Django (or Django REST Framework). 
• Full-stack capability — comfortable working across backend, frontend (JavaScript/TypeScript), databases, and infrastructure. You don't need to be an expert in all layers, but you must be willing and able to work across them. 
• Cloud platform experience — hands-on experience with AWS (preferred) or another major cloud provider. 
• Relational database proficiency — solid experience with PostgreSQL or similar. 
• Product-minded engineering — you think about the "why" behind what you build, not just the "how." You're comfortable participating in product discovery alongside product managers and designers. 
• Strong problem-solving instincts — you break down complex, ambiguous problems into clear technical approaches. 
• Effective communication — you can articulate technical decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical colleagues. 
• AI-augmented workflow — you actively leverage AI coding and productivity tools to accelerate your work and improve quality, and understand how to use AI safely and responsibly. 
• Relevant qualifications and experience — ideally a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electronic Engineering, or a related field, combined with relevant professional experience of 10 to 20 years. Qualifications and years of experience are a guide, not a gate. If your skills and impact exceed what your CV timeline suggests, we want to hear from you. 

Great to have skills & experience:

We're building a team with complementary strengths. You don't need all of these, but depth in one or more is a strong plus: 

• AWS architecture and security — including networking, IAM, and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform) 
• DevOps and platform engineering — CI/CD pipelines, containerisation (Docker), monitoring, and reliability 
• Data engineering — data lakes, ETL/ELT pipelines, large-scale data processing, analytics architecture 
• Front-end architecture — experience leading front-end technology choices and building modern JavaScript/TypeScript applications 
• Energy sector or energy trading experience — familiarity with complex, technical domain-heavy environments 

This role is a great fit if you...

• Are motivated by impact and learning — you want to build something meaningful, not just collect a title. 
• Thrive in ambiguity and rapid change — you're energised, not paralysed, when requirements are still forming. 
• Are flexible across technical functions — you'll happily pick up work outside your core capabilities when the team needs it. 
• Are eager to learn a complex new domain — our energy trading business is intellectually demanding and you'll need to get up to speed quickly. 
• Have a builder's mindset — you'd rather roll up your sleeves and ship something imperfect than wait for a perfect specification. 
• Want to shape a culture, not just fit into one — we're actively building our engineering practices and product operating model, and you'll have a direct hand in defining how we work. 

This role might not be for you if...

• You prefer working within a narrow technical field and aren't interested in working across the stack. 
• You're not open to working in Python and Django. 
• You're not motivated to learn new tools, frameworks, and AI-assisted workflows. 
• You prefer well-established processes and a stable, predictable environment — we're a startup and things move fast. 
• You want to be told exactly what to build — our engineers are expected to help figure out what to build, not just how. 

Tech Stack

While the below represents our current tech stack, as a senior member of our technology team, you will assist in building out the future tech stack and be a part of making key technology decisions as we accelerate our products. 

• Backend: Python, Django, Django REST Framework 
• Frontend: Mostly JavaScript on Django UI for now while our long-term front-end strategy is being developed. 
• Database: PostgreSQL 
• Infrastructure: AWS, Terraform, Docker 
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions 
• Orchestration: Apache Airflow, MWAA, Ploomber 
• AI tools: Claude (primary), GitHub Copilot, plus continuous experimentation across the AI ecosystem 

Why join NOA?

A Once-in-a-Career Mission:  

Joining NOA is an invitation to be part of a growing team at the very forefront of the South African renewable energy industry. We are a dynamic, mission-driven organisation with strong financial backing and a deep commitment to unlocking a just energy transition for our nation. This is a unique moment in history—a chance to shape a new industry from its inception.  

The NOA Way: Culture by Design  

We don't leave our culture to chance; we have intentionally crafted a roadmap called The NOA Way to ensure our business is a remarkable place that houses your highest aspirations. We are "all-in" problem solvers who think big and move with speed to make a significant impact. We value "Performance Connections," the belief that through genuine collaboration, we can achieve results far greater than the sum of our individual parts.  

Investment in Your Evolution:  

We provide a world-class environment designed to help you thrive in a demanding sector:  

• The Powerkit: Every new team member participates in a day-long offsite "experience" in Cape Town to master the skills needed to excel within the NOA system.  

• Continuous Growth: You will benefit from a constant feedback loop through our "RAP" (Review, Analyse, Plan) cadence, alongside coaching resources and "lunch and learns" to own your career path. 

• Supportive Wellbeing: We promote true work-life integration with flexible hours, hybrid work-from-home options, and wellness initiatives specifically designed to "refuel your tank".  

Competitive Reward & Equity:  

We recognise and reward exceptional performance with a framework that allows you to participate in our collective success:  

• Market-Leading Compensation: We offer a competitive salary tailored to your experience level.  

• Incentives for Impact: You will be eligible for a performance-related short-term incentive (STI) bonus.  

• Ownership Culture: We offer meaningful equity investment exposure through our staff share scheme, ensuring you are truly invested in the future we are building.