Senior Backend Engineer
Gameplay Galaxy
🇿🇦 Hirezar Summary for South African Applicants
This fully remote full time position at Gameplay Galaxy is open to applicants from South Africa. The estimated monthly salary is R92,500 – R123,333 ZAR. 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
About the role
You'll own the backend for a live mobile F2P game and the AI agentic platform that powers how we operate it. Feature releases, live ops, monetization, analytics pipeline, reliability. Senior IC with real ownership from day one and a path to platform / tech lead as we scale. You work with our production systems serving real players and real revenue. The primary stack is TypeScript/Node.js (Fastify) with MongoDB, ClickHouse, Redis, and RabbitMQ. The AI tooling layer is Go. We use AI heavily as part of how we work. Claude agents write production code alongside us. If you're a strong backend engineer who's comfortable with that mode, you'll fit right in.
What you'll work on
* Game backend: API server, realtime (Socket.io), analytics ingestion, cron jobs - all in one TypeScript monorepo
Game backend: API server, realtime (Socket.io), analytics ingestion, cron jobs - all in one TypeScript monorepo
* AI agent platform: MCP server in Go bridging LLMs with our databases and third-party APIs
AI agent platform: MCP server in Go bridging LLMs with our databases and third-party APIs
* External integrations: Slack, Discord, GitLab, Meta Ads, Google Ads, AppLovin, Apple App Store
External integrations: Slack, Discord, GitLab, Meta Ads, Google Ads, AppLovin, Apple App Store
* LLM routing: Anthropic, OpenAI, DashScope
LLM routing: Anthropic, OpenAI, DashScope
* Production support for our live PvP mobile game
Production support for our live PvP mobile game
Required
* 5+ years backend engineering
5+ years backend engineering
* TypeScript/Node.js at production scale. you've shipped & operated production services at scale
TypeScript/Node.js at production scale. you've shipped & operated production services at scale
* MongoDB in production: replica sets, aggregation pipelines, transaction patterns
MongoDB in production: replica sets, aggregation pipelines, transaction patterns
* ClickHouse: analytical queries, materialized views, joins at scale
ClickHouse: analytical queries, materialized views, joins at scale
* Kubernetes in production (we run k3s on GCP, deploy via Helmfile + GitLab CI)
Kubernetes in production (we run k3s on GCP, deploy via Helmfile + GitLab CI)
Strongly preferred
* Go: comfortable reading and extending stdlib net/http services. Our MCP server is Go
Go: comfortable reading and extending stdlib net/http services. Our MCP server is Go
* LLM API integrations (Anthropic, OpenAI)
LLM API integrations (Anthropic, OpenAI)
* Mobile gaming backend: live ops, A/B test infrastructure, IAP validation
Mobile gaming backend: live ops, A/B test infrastructure, IAP validation
* RabbitMQ or similar async messaging
RabbitMQ or similar async messaging
* OAuth/JWT/RBAC
OAuth/JWT/RBAC
Nice to have
* MCP (Model Context Protocol) - we use mark3labs/mcp-go
MCP (Model Context Protocol) - we use mark3labs/mcp-go
* F2P economy design / monetization backend experience
F2P economy design / monetization backend experience
* Apple/Google Play Store API
Apple/Google Play Store API
* Agent systems or autonomous workflow background
Agent systems or autonomous workflow background
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 R92,500/month, this role pays well above the average South African remote salary. The USD equivalent ($5,000/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 Gameplay Galaxy
Gameplay Galaxy is a company in the backend industry that hires remote workers from South Africa.