AI-Assisted Backend Developer

About the Role

We're building a revolutionary AI-powered Learning Management System for accounting education in South Africa. We need a developer who can leverage AI coding tools (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cline) to rapidly build a production-ready backend in 4 weeks
.

This is NOT a traditional coding job.
We're looking for someone who excels at
prompt engineering
and working with AI assistants to generate high-quality code, rather than writing every line manually.

Location & Duration

• Location:
  Cape Town, South Africa (Remote OK, but preference for in-person collaboration)
• Duration:
  1 month (January 2026 start, flexible)
• Commitment:
  Full-time (40 hours/week minimum)
• Compensation:
  R20,000 - R30,000 for the month (depending on experience)

What You'll Build

Backend API for Educational Platform:

• Authentication & user management
• Payment processing (PayFast integration)
• Course delivery & progress tracking
• AI-powered features (auto-grading, chatbot, RAG knowledge base)
• WhatsApp integration
• Background job processing
• Admin reporting dashboard

Tech Stack:

• Backend:
  (Fastify)
• Database:
  PostgreSQL (Prisma ORM)
• Queue:
  Redis + BullMQ
• AI:
  Claude API, OpenAI, Pinecone
• Deployment:
  VPS/Railway

Required Skills

Must Have:

1. GitHub proficiency
   (clone, commit, push, pull requests, branches)
2. VS Code
   (extensions, terminal, debugging)
3. Basic programming knowledge
   (JavaScript/TypeScript fundamentals)

4. AI tool experience:

5. Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cline, or similar

6. Experience "vibe coding" with AI assistants

7. Strong prompt engineering skills

8. Problem-solving mindset
   (Google errors, read docs, troubleshoot)

9. English proficiency
   (write clear prompts, read technical docs)

Nice to Have:

• Previous AI-assisted coding projects
• API development experience
• Database basics (SQL)
• Payment gateway integration
• Docker/deployment experience

NOT Required:

• Years of experience (fresh graduates welcome)
• Deep knowledge of every technology
• Ability to write complex algorithms from scratch

Your Workflow

Day-to-day:

1. Receive detailed specification document (already prepared)
2. Use Claude Code to generate API endpoints, database schemas, integrations
3. Review and test generated code
4. Prompt AI to fix bugs and add features
5. Commit working code to GitHub
6. Deploy to staging environment
7. Daily check-ins minutes) to review progress

Example Task:

"Build PayFast webhook integration that validates signatures, processes payment events, updates invoice status, unlocks course access, and sends confirmation emails"

You'll prompt Claude Code with the spec, review the generated code, test it, and iterate until it works perfectly.

Success Metrics

By end of month, you'll deliver:

• 40+ API endpoints (fully tested)
• Database with 20+ tables
• Payment processing (PayFast live integration)
• AI features (grading, chatbot, RAG)
• Background jobs (emails, WhatsApp, dunning)
• Deployed backend on VPS
• API documentation (Swagger/OpenAPI)
• Handover document for maintenance

Compensation & Benefits

• Payment:
  R20,000 - R30,000 (paid at end of month or milestone-based)
• Flexibility:
  Work from home or co-working space
• Portfolio piece:
  Real production system (great for your resume)
• Learning opportunity:
  Master AI-assisted development
• Potential extension:
  If successful, ongoing maintenance contract available

Ideal Candidate Profile

Recent Graduate Persona:

• Just finished Computer Science, Informatics, or related degree
• Used ChatGPT/Claude to help with university assignments
• Comfortable learning new tools quickly
• Excited about AI-assisted development
• Wants hands-on experience building real products
• Willing to work intensively for 1 month

OR

Self-Taught Developer Persona:

• Built personal projects using AI tools
• Active on GitHub (has repos, even if small)
• Loves experimenting with new tech
• Follows AI development trends
• Strong Googling skills (knows how to find solutions)

Application Requirements

Submit the following:

1. GitHub Profile Link
   (show us your repos, even if they're small projects)

2. Brief Cover Letter
   words max):

3. Describe your experience using AI coding tools (Claude, Copilot, etc.)

4. Give an example of something you built with AI assistance

5. Why you're excited about this project

6. Practical Test
   (optional but highly preferred):

7. Use Claude Code or Cline to build a simple REST API with:

8. User registration (email + password)
9. Login with JWT
10. Protected endpoint (requires auth)
11. Push to GitHub and share the repo link
12. Should take 30-60 minutes with AI assistance

Selection Process

1. Application Review
   (48 hours)

2. Video Call
   (30 minutes):

3. Screen share: Walk us through your GitHub repo

4. Prompt engineering demonstration (live coding with AI)

5. Questions about the project

6. Decision
   (24 hours)

7. Contract & Start
   (within 1 week)

How to Apply

Email:

Subject:
Backend Developer Application - [Your Name]

Include:

• GitHub profile link
• Cover letter (Google Doc or PDF)
• Optional: Practical test repo link
• CV/Resume (optional)

Deadline:
[Insert Date - e.g., December 31, 2025]

FAQs

Q: I'm a fresh graduate with no professional experience. Should I still apply?

A: YES If you've used AI tools effectively and have basic programming knowledge, you're qualified.

Q: Do I need to know everything in the tech stack?

A: No. You need to know fundamentals (JavaScript, APIs, databases) and how to use AI to fill gaps.

Q: Can I work remotely?

A: Yes, but Cape Town-based candidates preferred for occasional in-person check-ins.

Q: What if I don't finish in 1 month?

A: The timeline is aggressive but achievable with AI assistance. We'll provide support and can extend if needed.

Q: Will you provide the AI tool subscriptions?

A: Yes. We'll cover Claude Code API costs and any other required tools.

Q: Is there potential for ongoing work?

A: Absolutely. If you deliver quality work, we'll offer a maintenance contract , and other contracts

Why This Opportunity is Unique

Learn cutting-edge AI development practices
(most companies still code traditionally)

Build a complete production system
(not just tutorials or toy projects)

Work with modern stack
(TypeScript, Fastify, Prisma, Claude AI)

Portfolio piece
that demonstrates AI-assisted development skills

Fast-track your career
(this experience = 6 months in traditional junior role)

Flexible working
(results-focused, not hours-focused)

Direct mentorship
from experienced founder

Please Don't Apply If...

• You've never used GitHub,
• You're not comfortable learning new tools quickly
• You're unavailable for daily check-ins
• You can't commit the full for 1 month ++

Start Date

Flexible from 15 Nov

Ready to build the future of education with AI?

Apply now and show us what you can create when human creativity meets artificial intelligence

Sample Projects to Demonstrate Skills (Optional)

If you want to impress us, use AI tools to build one of these mini-projects and share the GitHub repo:

1. Simple Blog API
   (CRUD operations, auth, comments)
2. Payment Webhook Handler
   (simulate PayFast events)
3. WhatsApp Chatbot
   (responds to messages, uses AI)
4. Quiz Generator
   (AI creates questions from PDF input)

Time estimate: 2 hours with AI assistance