Senior SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) L1

Recruiter:

Network Contracting

Job Ref:

NCM002869/KMa

Date posted:

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Location:

Cape Town, South Africa

SUMMARY:
We are looking for a Senior SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) L1 with strong Backend Development experience to join our team on-site in Cape Town. This is a senior technical role ideal for someone who enjoys both building backend systems and ensuring their quality through automation, engineering excellence, and robust testing practices.

Main Purpose of the Role

To produce quality, integrated software products and documentation according to functional and non-functional specifications, and to lead the implementation of the team’s software development and testing practices.

POSITION INFO:
As a Senior SDET L1, you will take ownership of both backend development and testing excellence across integrated products:

Backend Development

Develop backend systems and APIs using C#/.NET.
Design, optimise, and maintain database structures using PostgreSQL.
Contribute to system architecture, design reviews, and technical decision-making.
Write clean, testable, high-performance code across multiple integrated products.

Automation & Quality Engineering

Build, enhance, and maintain automated functional and non-functional tests.
Ensure test coverage across integrated services and backend components.
Review, design, and optimise test frameworks, tools, and pipelines.
Lead and participate in code reviews with a quality-first approach.
Drive quality gates, threat modelling considerations, and performance testing.

DevOps & CI/CD

Build, manage, and optimise CI/CD pipelines using YAML, Docker, and automation.
Troubleshoot complex pipeline issues and ensure automated, safe deployments.
Ensure strong monitoring, alerting, and compliance within pipelines.

Technical Leadership

Lead the implementation of best practices in software engineering and test automation.
Mentor developers and testers in writing high-quality, well-tested software.
Identify improvement areas and help reduce technical and testing debt.
Collaborate across product, engineering, and architecture teams to support strategic delivery.

Requirement

Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
4–6 years experience in software development and/or SDET roles.
Strong Backend Development experience in:
â C#/.NET
â PostgreSQL
â DevOps / CI-CD pipelines / Docker
Experience with automation, testing frameworks, and quality engineering.
Solid understanding of SDLC, integration points, design patterns, and architecture.
Ability to lead engineering quality practices and support the team technically.