At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to eliminate the back row in education – and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class digital education at scale. As the parent company of edX, the world's leading online learning platform, 2U powers more than 4,000 online higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporate partners, we are helping to unlock human potential.
What We're Looking For:
2U's Engineering team is seeking a Salesforce Engineering Lead for our Cape Town or Johannesburg location. This is a hands-on role for a senior engineer who enjoys building at the architecture level as much as they enjoy leading a team. While you will manage a small team of 4–6 developers, your primary impact will be as the technical architect and individual contributor—driving our Salesforce roadmap, building Agentforce/AI-driven solutions, and ensuring code excellence. If you are a Lead Engineer looking to own complex platform strategies while mentoring a high-performing team, this is the role for you.
Exciting Ownership Project
In this role, the Engineering Manager will lead and take ownership of the "Agentforce AI" project, driving innovation and implementation across the organization.
Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:
Technical
- Architectural Ownership: Own the production environment and maintain a robust Salesforce architecture, ensuring scalability across Sales, Service, and Experience Clouds.
- Data Strategy & Orchestration: Lead the implementation and management of Salesforce Data Cloud, ensuring high-quality data ingestion, harmonization, and unification (Identity Resolution) to power downstream AI and analytics.
- AI & Agentic Workflows: Lead the strategy and deployment of Agentforce, building and managing autonomous agents that leverage Data Cloud insights to streamline business processes.
- Requirements Alignment: Collaborate with Product and Stakeholders to ensure CRM and Data strategies align with technical capabilities and long-term roadmap goals.
- SDLC & Data Governance: Accountable for the sprint lifecycle, ensuring best practices in Salesforce DevOps and strict adherence to data privacy and governance standards within the CRM.
- Quality & Integrity: Ensure code integrity (Apex, LWC) and declarative configuration quality, proactively seeking platform optimizations to reduce technical debt and data silos.
People Management
- Performance Leadership: Take hands-on responsibility for the CRM engineering team's performance and output.
- Mentorship: Set S.M.A.R.T goals, providing specific guidance on Salesforce career paths and emerging AI technologies and Data Cloud.
- Talent Pipeline: Build and grow the team through recruitment and interviews, specifically looking for talent capable of navigating the shift toward agentic AI.
- Team Health: Prioritize employee morale, fostering an environment of continuous learning and high engagement.
Accountability for Results
- Strategic Execution: Collaborate on strategic requirements, translating high-level business needs into operational Salesforce execution plans.
- SME Leadership: Act as the CRM Subject Matter Expert, identifying potential platform bottlenecks and solving complex integration problems.
- Resource Allocation: Own sprint planning and resource allocation to ensure high-value features and Agentforce workflows are delivered on time.
- Domain Representation: Represent the CRM domain in executive meetings, influencing decisions with data-driven insights.
Leadership and Personal Development
- Culture Carrier: Embody company principles and promote an inclusive, supportive, and high-performance work environment.
- Continuous Learning: Stay at the forefront of the Salesforce release cycle, specifically regarding AI, Data Cloud, and Agentforce innovations.
- Communication: Enhance transparency between the technical team and non-technical business units.
Management Responsibilities
- Day-to-day oversight of CRM systems, and third-party integrations within your remit.
- Direct management of Salesforce Engineers, Admins, and Declarative Developers.
Things That Should Be In Your Background:
- Experience: A minimum of 7 years of software engineering experience, with at least 3 years focused on the Salesforce ecosystem and 2+ years in a supervisory role
- Agentforce Mastery: Proven experience or deep theoretical knowledge in deploying Salesforce Agentforce (or similar LLM-based agentic workflows).
- Education: Degree in Computer Science, Software Development, or a related field.
- Business Acumen: Strong ability to balance business urgency with technical sustainability.
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Certifications: Salesforce Certified Administrator, Salesforce Data Cloud Consultant or Platform Developer II is preferred; Architecture certifications are a major plus, but not required.
Benefits & Culture
Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you're excited by the opportunity to provide over 40 million learners and counting with access to world-class online higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. #NoBackRow
We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance.
Full-time, ZA benefits include:
- 2 complimentary Getsmarter short courses per year
- Subsidised medical aid with Discovery Health Medical Scheme
- 4% 2U contribution towards Discovery Life Pension Fund and Group Risk Benefit
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Generous leave policy including time off to volunteer for non-profit organization, study leave, sports leave and a company-wide festive season break
2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement
At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we've taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike.
2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at: [email protected].
About edX
edX is the education movement for restless learners and a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU). Together with the majority of the world's top-ranked universities and industry-leading companies, we bring our community of over 45 million learners world-class education to support them at every stage of their lives and careers, from free courses to full degrees. And we're not stopping there — we're relentlessly pursuing our vision of a world where every learner can access education to unlock their potential, without the barriers of cost or location. Learn more at edX.org.
Learn more at https://2u.com/careers/
#NoBackRow
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans' status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U's equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay.
2U is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from South African citizens who are members of designated groups who may contribute to Employment Equity within the workplace and the further diversification of ideas. In this regard, the relevant laws and principles associated with Employment Equity will be considered when appointing potential candidates. We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. 2U requires that you submit a copy of either your identity document or your passport and any applicable work permit if you are a foreign national, along with an updated curriculum vitae.
