Python Software Engineer

Code for Africa (CfA) has an immediate vacancy for a Python Software Engineer to join one of our civic technology labs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania or Nairobi, Kenya.

Qualifications:

• 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 the Role

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.

You will help track misinformation and disinformation online, including helping to identify the botnets and ultimate ‘puppet masters’ who are producing and disseminating the false content. You will also find & ‘liberate’ key datasets about Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and organised crime and corruption that is often needed to debunk false info.

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

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

If successful, you will report to CfA’s Technology Lead and will work with the rest of CfA’s technology team to build tools and data infrastructure to support substantial growth over the next three years. You will specifically be responsible for CfA’s connectedAFRICA and AlertME stacks of tools and their composite parts.

CfA is an advocate for open-source software, and you would use guidelines and best practices as part of the development work. Also in keeping with CfA values, the engineer will interact with grantees, partners, and the community.

Responsibilities

• 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.