Software Engineer III (SAP Commerce Cloud / Hybris)

Role Purpose

The role is responsible for the system analysis, design, creation, testing, implementation, maintenance and support of highly complex enterprise eCommerce applications and integrations built on SAP Commerce Cloud (Hybris), in accordance with agreed specifications, Shoprite standards and architectural frameworks. Works alongside systems designers, Solution Architects, Product Teams and business stakeholders to build scalable, sustainable and innovative commerce solutions. Takes the lead on technical design, development, maintenance and support of large-scale, high-complexity SAP Commerce Cloud platforms, applying deep, specialised knowledge of commerce architecture, integrations and cloud-based delivery. Further plays the role of mentor to Software Engineer I and II team members, enabling the function to grow capability while creating a high-performing team. Has advanced technical writing skills for solution designs, use cases, process flows and architecture diagrams.

Role Description

- Take the technical lead on large and complex SAP Commerce Cloud initiatives and serve as a senior technical expert in understanding and translating business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
- Design and implement SAP Commerce Cloud solutions, including custom extensions, services, facades, controllers, interceptors, business processes and integrations.
- Direct suitable solution designs, technical interfaces, specifications and application architectures that address business needs, operational requirements and long-term scalability.
- Lead system analysis for highly complex commerce applications and integrations and guide analysis conducted by Software Engineer I and II team members.
- Create conceptual, logical and physical solutions and write clean, scalable and maintainable Java code using appropriate techniques, methodologies and SAP Commerce best practices.
- Develop and maintain Core Commerce, OCC APIs, Product Catalog Management, WCMS, Promotions and Pricing, Order Management, Backoffice, Solr Search, CronJobs and the Business Process Engine.
- Design and develop RESTful OCC APIs and integration services.
- Define and maintain development standards, coding principles and quality compliance criteria.
- Guide requirements workshops with systems designers, architects and developers.
- Identify opportunities for platform optimisation, technical debt reduction and continuous improvement, and lead deliverables throughout the software development lifecycle.
- Work within Agile, Scrum and DevOps delivery frameworks.
- Plan, organise and control own work effort, provide regular progress feedback and support the work efforts of Software Engineer I and II team members.
- Lead solution quality assurance, including unit, integration, automation, performance and volume testing.
- Produce and oversee high-quality technical documentation, solution designs, process flows and architecture diagrams.

Support and maintain existing commerce solutions and platforms

- Troubleshoot highly complex production, transactional, performance and integration issues across SAP Commerce Cloud environments.
- Perform root-cause analysis, identify and verify problems, and propose sustainable corrective actions.
- Liaise with technical and business users to resolve incidents and operational challenges. Oversee and implement enhancements and maintenance changes to existing commerce applications.
- Optimise application performance, scalability, security, reliability and availability.
- Support SAP Commerce Cloud upgrades, migrations, releases and platform modernisation initiatives.

Manage, analyse, develop, implement and assist with designing solutions

- Liaise with Solution Architects and Systems Designers to define requirements, system designs and technical documentation on multiple high-complexity projects.
- Conduct system analysis for complex commerce and integration projects and lead delivery of project-related technical outputs.
- Design and oversee integrations between SAP Commerce Cloud and SAP S/4HANA, ERP, CRM, PIM, OMS, payment gateways, logistics providers and third-party services.
- Perform and oversee system development, automation testing, integration testing and performance testing.
- Lead code reviews and ensure compliance with Shoprite standards and SAP Commerce best practices.
- Drive adherence to security, architecture, development governance, organisational frameworks and processes.
- Provide effort estimates and technical delivery planning, and lead features from technical design through implementation and deployment.

Coordinate the integration of new software and systems into the existing environment

- Investigate and evaluate new technologies, frameworks and SAP Commerce capabilities.
- Plan, design and support enterprise integration solutions across commerce and retail ecosystems.
- Work with DevOps teams to implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines and deployment strategies.
- Support cloud-based deployments, monitoring, logging and production support activities.
- Participate in architecture reviews and strategic technology initiatives.

Practice Responsibilities

- Schedule and drive practice improvement workshops and relevant Communities of Practice.
- Contribute to the evolution of engineering standards and best practices across the broader function.
- Promote knowledge sharing and engineering capability-building initiatives across teams.

Qualifications and Experience

- Diploma / Degree in Information Systems, B.Sc. Computer Science, Software Engineering or a similar IT-related qualification - advantageous.
- Agile Foundation Training completed.
- Security training, including OWASP Top 10, completed and advanced.
- Formal leadership training, such as RLDP - advantageous.
- Advanced certification in a programming language and related frameworks, or advanced certification in software / solution
- design - advantageous.
- SAP Commerce Cloud (Hybris) certification - advantageous.
- 7+ years experience as a Software Engineer / Software Developer / Analyst Programmer - essential.
- 5+ years hands-on SAP Commerce Cloud (Hybris) development experience - essential.
- Extensive experience delivering enterprise-scale eCommerce solutions and working on highly complex projects across the Software Development Life Cycle - essential.
- Extensive code review, code quality assurance, solution design, systems analysis and enterprise integration experience - essential.
- Experience working in Agile, Scrum and DevOps environments - essential.
- Experience within a retail, omnichannel or eCommerce environment - essential.
- Experience with Spartacus / SAP Composable Storefront and Angular - advantageous.
- Experience with SAP Integration Suite (CPI) and SAP S/4HANA integrations - advantageous.
- Experience with Kafka and event-driven architecture - advantageous.
- Experience with Docker and Kubernetes - advantageous.
- Experience with AWS or Azure cloud services - advantageous.
- Experience with GraphQL, headless commerce architecture or cloud-native development - advantageous.

Position-Specific Technical Requirements

- Advanced hands-on expertise in SAP Commerce Cloud (CCv2) / SAP Hybris, Java and the Spring Framework.
- Strong experience with SAP Commerce architecture, custom extensions, OCC APIs, REST services, Impex, FlexibleSearch and data modelling.
- Practical experience with Backoffice, WCMS, CronJobs, Business Process Engine, Solr, SQL, Git and CI/CD.
- Proven capability in enterprise integrations, performance optimisation, troubleshooting, security and scalable solution design.
- Sound knowledge of OOP, SOLID principles, microservices and SOAP/REST web services.

Key Competencies and Work Ethic

- Technical leadership capability - Positively serves the team and supports capability development, delivery and team morale.
- Collaborative partner - Builds strong stakeholder relationships and works effectively across functional teams and projects.
- Technology expert - Brings deep SAP Commerce expertise, introduces relevant tools and practices, and adapts quickly.
- Analytical and detailed - Integrates multiple sources of information to guide decisions and identify optimal solutions.
- Innovative and solution-orientated - Generates practical solutions that support delivery flow, quality and deadlines.
- Results-driven - Proactively drives outcomes while maintaining quality standards and delivery commitments.
- Planning and organising - Prioritises and executes multiple competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
- Business acumen - Understands how technical decisions affect commercial viability, risk and business outcomes.
- Communication skills - Converts complex technical concepts into clear, well-articulated messages.
- Team collaboration skills - Creates an inclusive team environment and encourages people to live company values.
- Stakeholder management skills - Works proactively with stakeholders to remove roadblocks and support delivery.
- Flexible and resilient - Balances competing priorities, manages ambiguity and adapts as the business evolves.
- Digital centric and savvy - Is passionate about digital technology and rapidly learns applications, technologies and processes.