Assistant Software Development Lead

Role Overview

This is a hands-on leadership position within a software development team based in Kakamega. You will spend your time building and refining full-stack applications while also mentoring a group of junior developers, assigning their work, and keeping delivery on track. The role is central to maintaining a stable, secure ERP ecosystem that supports internal business operations, so your technical judgment and leadership directly influence systems that people rely on every day.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain full-stack features across PHP/Laravel back ends, Vue 3 front ends, and relational database layers.
• Take ownership of ERP system enhancements, including customising modules, diagnosing defects, and improving data integrity.
• Guide junior developers by breaking down tasks, reviewing their work, and helping them grow through clear feedback and support.
• Set and enforce engineering standards around code quality, testing, documentation, and secure development practices.
• Investigate and resolve bugs, slow queries, server errors, and integration failures that affect business processes.
• Manage deployment pipelines and server infrastructure, including Ubuntu, Nginx, PHP-FPM, Supervisor, and Git-based CI/CD workflows.
• Write and maintain automated tests at unit, feature, and end-to-end levels using tools such as Cypress, Playwright, or Laravel Dusk.
• Integrate and maintain REST APIs and third-party services, ensuring reliable data exchange and secure authentication.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Computer Science, Software Engineering, IT, or a closely related field.
• Solid commercial experience with PHP and Laravel, including familiarity with Laravel 11 or newer versions.
• Strong front-end skills with Vue 3, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
• Practical experience working with both MySQL and PostgreSQL databases, including schema design and query optimisation.
• Demonstrated ability to build and consume REST APIs and work with third-party system integrations.
• Comfortable administering Linux servers, particularly Ubuntu, along with Nginx, PHP-FPM, and Supervisor.
• Experience with Git, GitHub Actions, and CI/CD pipelines for automated build, test, and deployment processes.
• Knowledge of application security principles, multi-tenant architecture, and common database performance pitfalls.
• Prior experience supporting or developing ERP or other enterprise-level systems.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or supervising junior developers in a professional setting.
• Willingness to relocate to and work from Kakamega on a full-time basis.