Back End Developer - VKB I&T, Head Office Reitz

Introduction to the VKB Group

The VKB Group is an agricultural company providing support to farmers and producing straight-from-the-farm foods for consumers. Apart from its various consumer brands, the VKB Group is also represented by its regional brands: VKB, GWK and NTK.

Our roots are firmly planted in agriculture, with farming at our core, continuously growing and evolving throughout the years. Starting with providing everything needed on the farm to produce food, we now operate across the entire food supply chain, including processing, logistics, storage, handling and national and international market channels.

This "house of brands", established with the support of our farmer shareholders, forms the foundation for building the agribusiness of the future.

Why this role matters?

This role will be responsible for designing, developing and/or maintaining server-side applications, APIs, and databases which services front end applications. Solutions will primarily be based on the .NET ecosystem.

You will work with business representatives, analysts, front-end developers, integration developers and QA engineers to deliver functionally accurate, secure, scalable, and high-performance solutions.

What success looks like?

Success in this role would be demonstrated by consistently delivering secure, scalable, and high-performing .NET back-end solutions that meet business requirements and integrate seamlessly with front-end applications. The successful candidate takes ownership of projects from design through deployment, collaborates effectively with technical and business teams, produces high-quality, well-tested code, resolves issues proactively, and contributes to continuous improvements that enhance system performance, reliability, and the overall user experience.

Who are we looking for:

• Respectful Customer Servicing
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
• Takes ownership of own accountabilities
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Attention to detail and a passion for creating great user experiences.
• Finds relevant facts to resolve service requests
• Manages own time, development, stress and conflict
• Ability to work in a dynamic environment using Agile/Scrum methods

Minimum requirements, including: Qualifications Required

• Matric,
• IT Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Desired Experience
  • 5+ years of experience in back-end development

Languages

• Read and Write, English and/or Afrikaans
• Other languages will be beneficial

Location

• Preferred – On site in Reitz in the Free State
• Hybrid will be an option depending on experience (Resident in SA will be a requirement)

Competencies

• Ability to review business requirements and translate these into appropriate solution designs
• Ability to take relevant business requirements and solution designs and develop code which enable these.
• Ability to ensure that the code that was developed is functionally and technically sound.
• Ability to make use of DevOps code repositories and deployment pipelines.
• Ability to engage business and demonstrate the solutions that were developed

Skills Required

• Proficiency in C# and strong knowledge of the .NET Core / .NET Framework.
• Experience with Entity Framework / EF Core or similar ORM tools.
• Strong understanding of SQL Server (queries, stored procedures, optimization).
• Familiarity with RESTful API design and integration.
• Knowledge of asynchronous programming, multithreading, and concurrency in .NET.
• Experience with DevOps, Git or other version control systems.
• Solid understanding of software design principles (SOLID, OOP, layered architecture).
• Experience with JQuery, Bootstrap etc.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain server-side applications using C#, .NET Core / .NET Framework.
• Build and consume RESTful APIs (and/or GraphQL, if relevant).
• Develop scalable, secure, and high-performance services.
• Work with SQL Server (and other relational/non-relational databases) to design schemas, optimize queries, and manage data.
• Implement authentication, authorization, and data security best practices.
• Write unit tests, integration tests, and ensure code quality through reviews and documentation.
• Collaborate with front-end developers to integrate APIs with client-facing applications.
• Participate in the full software development lifecycle (design, coding, testing, deployment, monitoring).
• Monitor application performance and troubleshoot production issues.
• Stay updated with best practices, emerging trends, and technologies in back-end development.

Important Information for Applicants

VKB Group reserves the right to close or withdraw any vacancy at its discretion. All personal information submitted through the Career Portal will be used solely for recruitment purposes and, where applicable, for matters related to employment.

As an equal opportunity employer, VKB Group is committed to Employment Equity, transformation, and the inclusion of People with Disabilities. Our recruitment decisions are aligned with the VKB Group Employment Equity Plan and Transformation Strategy.

When applying, please ensure that:

• You use Google Chrome to access the Career Portal.
• You upload a clear and professional CV in PDF or Word format only.
• Your CV does not contain handwritten notes or markings.
• Supporting documents such as your ID, driver's licence, certificates, or other documentation are uploaded in the designated sections and not combined with your CV.
• Your profile photo meets the minimum size requirement of 300 x 300 pixels.

A Note on Honesty and Integrity

As part of the application process, you will be required to complete a screening questionnaire. We strongly encourage all candidates to answer every question honestly and accurately.

At VKB Group, our culture is rooted in the values of being Humble, Hungry, Smart, Bold, and Playing as One Team. We believe in building authentic relationships and making sound decisions based on trust and integrity. Misrepresenting qualifications, experience, competencies, criminal history, or any other information may result in your application being withdrawn or your employment being terminated should discrepancies be identified during verification processes.

We respect your time and ask that you respect ours by providing truthful information throughout the recruitment process. This helps ensure that we focus on candidates who are genuinely aligned with the requirements of the role and the values of our organisation.