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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Technical Developer

💰 $95,000 - $150,000

Software DevelopmentEngineeringITTechnology

🎯 Role Definition

The Technical Developer is a cornerstone of the engineering department, serving as a hands-on creator and problem-solver responsible for turning ideas into reality. This role bridges the gap between conceptual design and tangible, high-quality code, focusing on the entire software development lifecycle. A Technical Developer is expected to not only write exceptional code but also to contribute to architectural decisions, mentor peers, and drive technical excellence across projects. They are accountable for building scalable, secure, and maintainable systems that meet the strategic needs of the business.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Software Developer
  • Software Engineer I
  • Associate Developer
  • Computer Science Graduate with significant project experience

Advancement To:

  • Senior Technical Developer / Senior Software Engineer
  • Lead Developer / Tech Lead
  • Software Architect
  • Engineering Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • DevOps Engineer
  • Solutions Architect
  • Technical Product Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Design, develop, and implement end-to-end software solutions, from conceptualization and architecture design to deployment and maintenance, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technical requirements.
  • Write clean, scalable, and well-documented code across the full technology stack, adhering to established coding standards, best practices, and a test-driven development (TDD) methodology.
  • Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, UX/UI designers, and quality assurance engineers, to translate product requirements and user stories into technical specifications and functional code.
  • Architect and maintain robust and scalable backend services and APIs, ensuring high levels of performance, security, and reliability for our core applications.
  • Develop responsive, accessible, and interactive front-end user interfaces using modern JavaScript frameworks and web technologies like HTML5 and CSS3/SASS.
  • Integrate a variety of third-party services, external APIs, and diverse data sources into our existing platforms, ensuring seamless data flow and functionality.
  • Actively participate in peer code reviews, providing and receiving constructive feedback to maintain high code quality, share knowledge, and foster a culture of continuous improvement within the engineering team.
  • Design and manage complex database schemas for both relational (e.g., PostgreSQL) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB) systems, writing efficient queries and optimizing database performance.
  • Implement, maintain, and improve CI/CD pipelines to automate the build, testing, and deployment processes, enabling faster and more reliable software delivery cycles.
  • Troubleshoot, debug, and resolve complex technical issues and production incidents, performing thorough root cause analysis to implement effective long-term solutions.
  • Create and maintain comprehensive technical documentation, including system architecture diagrams, API specifications, and developer onboarding guides, to support team-wide understanding.
  • Contribute to the research, evaluation, and adoption of new technologies, frameworks, and tools that can enhance our development stack and improve overall engineering productivity.
  • Implement robust security best practices throughout the software development lifecycle to protect against common vulnerabilities (e.g., OWASP Top 10) and ensure data integrity.
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive suite of unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to guarantee the quality, functionality, and performance of the software.
  • Proactively profile and optimize application performance by identifying and addressing bottlenecks in code, database queries, and system architecture.
  • Participate actively in Agile/Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, to ensure transparent and efficient project execution.
  • Mentor junior developers, providing technical guidance on complex challenges, instilling best practices, and supporting their professional growth.
  • Stay current with emerging industry trends, technologies, and best practices in software development and actively apply this knowledge to innovate and improve our products.
  • Manage and deploy containerized applications using technologies like Docker and orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes for scalable and resilient operations.
  • Develop and deploy solutions within a cloud-based infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP), effectively leveraging platform-specific services for computing, storage, and networking.
  • Own the complete lifecycle of features, from initial technical design and implementation through to post-launch monitoring, metrics analysis, and ongoing support.
  • Refactor and modernize legacy codebases, methodically improving their structure, maintainability, and performance without disrupting existing functionality.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to provide insights for business stakeholders.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader technology strategy and long-term roadmap discussions.
  • Collaborate with business units outside of technology to understand their needs and translate them into actionable engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies with adjacent teams (like data engineering or platform) to ensure cross-functional alignment.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep proficiency in one or more server-side programming languages such as Python, Java, C#, Go, or Node.js.
  • Strong command of modern front-end frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js) and core web fundamentals (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript/TypeScript).
  • Extensive experience designing and managing both relational (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis) databases.
  • Demonstrated ability to design, build, and consume secure and scalable RESTful or GraphQL APIs.
  • Practical experience with a major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and its core services for compute, storage, and databases.
  • Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker) and container orchestration platforms (Kubernetes).
  • Solid understanding of CI/CD principles and practical experience with automation tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions.
  • Expertise with version control systems, particularly Git, and collaborative workflows such as GitFlow.
  • Knowledge of software testing methodologies (Unit, Integration, E2E) and experience with relevant testing frameworks (e.g., Jest, PyTest, Cypress).
  • A strong grasp of software architecture patterns, including microservices, event-driven architectures, and monolithic designs.
  • Proven experience working within an Agile/Scrum development environment and using related tools like Jira or Azure DevOps.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical Problem-Solving: A natural ability to deconstruct complex technical problems, identify root causes, and devise effective, pragmatic solutions in a timely manner.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: The capacity to work effectively within a cross-functional team, sharing knowledge openly, respecting diverse perspectives, and contributing to a positive, productive environment.
  • Exceptional Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Adaptability & Resilience: A flexible mindset and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving technical landscape, quickly learning and mastering new technologies and methodologies.
  • Ownership & Accountability: A strong sense of personal responsibility for the quality and delivery of one's work, from conception through to production support and beyond.
  • Inherent Curiosity & Continuous Learning: A genuine passion for technology and a commitment to staying current with industry trends, continuously improving personal skills, and sharing that knowledge with the team.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

A Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field or equivalent, demonstrable practical experience through a strong portfolio of work.

Preferred Education:

A Master's degree in Computer Science or a closely related engineering discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Technology
  • Mathematics or Physics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-7 years of professional experience in a hands-on software development role, with a clear progression of responsibility.

Preferred:

Demonstrable experience working on large-scale, distributed systems and a proven track record of delivering high-quality, impactful software products from start to finish.

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