Backend Software Engineer (PHP)

Quick Facts

• Role: Backend Software Engineer (PHP)

Description

Build and maintain PHP-based backend systems powering distributed services. Apply OOP and system design to keep APIs secure, scalable, and performant.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain backend systems, APIs, and integrations

• Write clean, modular, and testable code in PHP (and related frontend-adjacent technologies)

• Contribute to distributed systems and microservices

• Apply OOP principles and architectural patterns for extensibility and maintainability

• Implement secure authentication and authorization mechanisms (OAuth2, JWT, RBAC)

• Optimize performance using data structures, algorithms, and caching

• Debug, profile, and tune performance across environments and services

• Collaborate with Product, Architects, QA, and Support to define scope and delivery

• Participate in QA testing strategies to ensure coverage of new and existing functionality

• Follow code quality, security, and scalability standards across the development lifecycle

• Participate in peer code reviews and contribute to knowledge sharing

• Maintain technical documentation, including API specifications and implementation notes

• Participate in engineering reviews, sprint ceremonies, and cross-team demos

• Ensure compliance with open-source usage and third-party dependency policies

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field OR equivalent professional experience

• 2+ years of backend software engineering experience, primarily in PHP production environments

• Solid understanding of OOP, design patterns, algorithms, and data structures

• Experience building and maintaining backend systems and service integrations

• Proficiency in secure API design and authentication/authorization concepts

• Experience with relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL)

• Familiarity with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and containerized environments

• Ability to debug, optimize, and deliver reliable solutions

• Good communication, collaboration, and documentation skills

• Strong ownership and accountability

• Overlap with Western European Time

• Ability to assist during an emergency weekend migration (infrequent)

• Upper-intermediate English level

Benefits

• Mentorship, TechTalks, and personalized growth roadmaps

• USD-based compensation with budgets for education, fitness, and team activities

• Exciting projects, including work for Fortune 500 enterprises and leading product brands

• Flextime with remote and office options