AI-First Full-Stack Software Engineer (Mid–Senior)
Somewhere
🇿🇦 Hirezar Summary for South African Applicants
This fully remote full time position at Somewhere is open to applicants from South Africa. The estimated monthly salary is R46,250 – R92,500 ZAR. This role is suited for mid-level professionals. As a remote position, you can work from anywhere in South Africa — whether you're based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, or a smaller town.
Job Description
AI-First Full-Stack Software Engineer (Mid–Senior)Location:RemoteType:Contract
About the Company
We are a premier AI services and advisory firm partnering with leading enterprises to solve their most complex business challenges. We design, build, and integrate bespoke AI-powered systems that deliver measurable impact.
We’re not a traditional dev shop—we act as a strategic AI transformation partner. Our small, talent-dense team thrives on building production-grade systems that bring cutting-edge AI capabilities into real-world environments. We’re now seeking full-stack engineers with anAI-first mindsetto join us on the front lines of applied AI.
What You’ll Do
As a Full-Stack Developer and AI Engineer, you’ll be a key contributor on high-impact client projects, helping to design and build scalable, intelligent systems that integrate LLMs and AI tooling.
Architect & Build
* Design and develop scalable applications and AI-powered features using React, Next.js, Node.js, Python, and FastAPI
* Contribute to the full development lifecycle—from initial specs to production deployment
AI Integration & Feature Development
* Integrate LLMs and AI APIs (OpenAI, Claude, Cohere, HuggingFace, etc.) into intelligent user features and backend services
* Leverage frameworks like LangChain, Vercel AI SDK, and Bolt.new to build AI-native products
* Build AI-enhanced features such as chat interfaces, document summarization, auto-tagging, and agent workflows
Solve Client Problems
* Collaborate directly with internal and client teams to understand business needs
* Translate those needs into technical roadmaps and actionable development plans
* Contribute meaningfully in client-facing environments and technical conversations
Shape Internal Practice
* Help evolve internal frameworks, prompting libraries, and delivery playbooks
* Improve quality and efficiency across engineering workflows
Harden AI Prototypes
* Transform demos and experimental builds into production-ready services
* Ensure systems are containerized, observable, secure, and scalable
Who We’re Looking For
We’re looking forpragmatic full-stack developerswho are comfortable owning the full lifecycle of web applications and actively integrate AI into their workflow.
You’ll thrive here if:
* You are afull-stack problem-solver(frontend, backend, infra) who loves shipping products.
* You naturally incorporateAI coding tools(e.g., Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf) and AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) into your daily development process.
* You’ve builtLLM-powered featuresor integrated AI APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, HuggingFace, LangChain, Vercel AI SDK, etc.) into production systems.
* You communicate clearly, thrive in ambiguous situations, and balance velocity with quality.
* You enjoy the challenge of turningideas into production-grade systemsthat scale.
Preferred Skills & Experience
Full-Stack Development:
* 5+ years building and shipping production web applications.
* Expert inPythonandTypeScript/Node.js, with experience in modern frameworks (FastAPI, Express, Next.js, React, TailwindCSS, shadcn/ui).
* Strong understanding of REST & GraphQL APIs, relational databases (Postgres, Supabase), and caching (Redis).
AI-First Mindset:
* Experience building features withLLMs and AI APIs(e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, HuggingFace).
* Comfortable withagentic frameworks(LangChain, Vercel AI SDK) and AI-first developer tools (V0, Bolt.new, Lovable).
* Proficient at prompt engineering, unit test generation, and AI-assisted refactoring.
Cloud & Infrastructure:
* Hands-on experience deploying apps onAWS, GCP, or Azure.
* Proficient withDocker, container orchestration (Kubernetes, ECS/Fargate), and infrastructure as code (Terraform/Pulumi).
* CI/CD setup using GitHub Actions or GitLab CI with automated tests, linting, and security checks.
* Experience with observability and performance tooling (OpenTelemetry, Datadog, Grafana).
Why This Role?
* Direct impact: Build AI-powered applications that solve real-world problems at scale.
* Work in asmall, elite teamwhere you’ll own projects end-to-end.
* Push your skills at the intersection offull-stack engineering and AI innovation.
What Success Looks Like
Within your first 90 days, you will have shipped multiple full-stack features leveraging LLMs, integrated AI APIs into client products, and improved our delivery playbooks for faster, more reliable execution
Tips for South African Applicants
Timezone Advantage
South Africa (SAST, UTC+2) overlaps well with European business hours and has a few hours of overlap with US East Coast. Mention your timezone flexibility in your application.
Salary in Context
At R46,250/month, this role is competitive with the average South African remote salary. The USD equivalent ($2,500/mo) benefits from the favourable exchange rate.
Application Tips
Tailor your CV to international standards — use a clean format, highlight remote work experience, and include your English proficiency. Many SA applicants succeed by emphasising their strong work ethic and cultural adaptability.
Load Shedding Preparedness
If you're applying for a remote role, having a backup power solution (UPS, inverter, or generator) and mobile data as a backup internet connection shows employers you're prepared for South Africa's infrastructure challenges.
About Somewhere
Somewhere is a company in the Recruitment & Staffing industry that hires remote workers from South Africa. They currently have 614 open positions on Hirezar. View all Somewhere jobs →