Software Engineer (Onboarding & Security)

Job Description

About Us

VALR is Africa's largest crypto exchange by trade volume, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. Serving over 1 million users globally, including 1,100 corporate and institutional clients, we’re licensed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa, with additional approvals to offer services in Europe and initial approval from Dubai's VARA.
VALR distinguishes itself with a customer-first philosophy, delivering secure, transparent, and innovative solutions for both professional and retail traders.

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a world where finance unites rather than divides. Our name, derived from the word "valour" without distinction between American and British English, symbolises our commitment to universal values of courage, ethical integrity, and the intrinsic worth of every human being. These values drive us to design a platform that breaks down financial barriers, making it as seamless to send value across borders as it is to send an email.

Our Mission

At our core, we’re a values-driven exchange, dedicated to building a financial ecosystem that serves all of humanity. We believe in simplifying the complex world of crypto and blockchain to make it accessible to everyone, bridging the gap between traditional finance and the blockchain-powered future.

We’re Dedicated To

• Serving all Humanity: Inspired by the adage "it is expensive to be poor," we’re committed to creating a financial ecosystem accessible to all, challenging the status quo and reducing the frictions of outdated systems.
• Promoting for Unity: Our platform reflects our belief in a socio-financial evolution. We envision a future where the global community is not defined by national boundaries but united by a shared vision of justice and prosperity.

Job Requirements

• Practical experience is more relevant than formal qualifications.
• 5+ years of experience as a Software Engineer in production environments.
• A strong drive to leverage AI tools extensively — from writing and reviewing code to debugging and architecture.
• Strong proficiency in either backend (Kotlin, Java, or other JVM-based languages) and/or frontend (React, JavaScript/TypeScript)
• Experience working across the stack is advantageous but not required.
• Experience building and integrating REST APIs and/or WebSockets.
• Hands‑on experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS or GCP) in scalable environments.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, Git, Docker, and Kubernetes.
• Strong understanding of security fundamentals such as authentication, authorisation, secure session management, and API security.
• Experience working in fintech, crypto, or high‑compliance environments is advantageous.
• Strong problem‑solving ability and comfort working in fast‑paced, evolving teams.
• Clear communication skills and ability to collaborate cross‑functionally

Functional Competencies

• Full Stack System Design: Design and build scalable onboarding and security features across backend and frontend, ensuring seamless integration between user interfaces, APIs, and core services.
• Security‑Focused Engineering: Apply strong security principles in day‑to‑day development, including authentication, authorisation, data protection, and secure API design.
• Delivery Execution: Take ownership of delivering high‑quality features end‑to‑end, prioritising effectively and resolving blockers in a fast‑paced environment.
• Cross‑functional Collaboration: Work closely with product, design, compliance, and security teams to deliver onboarding experiences that are both user‑friendly and compliant.
• Hands‑on Contribution: Remain deeply involved in coding across the stack, contributing to critical onboarding flows, integrations and system improvements.

Job Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain full‑stack systems supporting onboarding, identity, and account access.
• Develop backend services, frontend interfaces, or both, depending on strengths and team needs.
• Build and enhance secure onboarding flows, including authentication, authorisation, and user verification processes.
• Ensure secure data handling and enforce best practices across authentication, authorisation, and user data protection.
• Collaborate with product, design, and security teams to deliver intuitive and compliant onboarding journeys.
• Optimise systems for performance, scalability, and reliability in a high‑volume trading environment.
• Implement testing, monitoring, and CI/CD processes to maintain high engineering standards.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and help shape the onboarding and security domain within VALR.