Senior PHP Developer

We are looking for a PHP Developer to join the team behind a specialized software system designed to support the education and welfare of children in care. The platform provides real-time attendance tracking, personal education plan management, and secure data sharing among social workers, teachers, and local authorities. It emphasizes data security, compliance, and role-based access to ensure sensitive information is handled appropriately. Future developments include mobile app accessibility, AI-driven insights, and automated support features. With a strong track record and partnerships with over 100 local authorities, the platform is a trusted solution for managing complex educational and welfare needs. In this role, you will be involved in transforming and modernizing the existing system into its next-generation version, focusing on long-term scalability, reliability, and maintainability.

Requirements:

• Strong expertise in PHP 8+ and modern backend development practices.

• Strong understanding of database design, indexing, and query optimization using MySQL and PostgreSQL.

• Solid knowledge of AWS services (EC2, S3, RDS, etc.) along with cloud best practices.

• Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines and modern DevOps practices.

• Experience with automated testing frameworks, particularly PHPUnit.

• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and architectural thinking skills.

• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

• English proficiency at B2 level or higher for daily collaboration in an international team.

• Proactive mindset with the ability to take ownership of tasks and drive technical solutions.

• Experience with frontend technologies (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript) and modern frameworks, particularly React.js.

• Familiarity with frontend testing tools (e.g., Jest).

• Experience with API integration and design (RESTful APIs, GraphQL).

Responsibilities:

• Focus on improving, refactoring, and modernizing an established backend system.

• Ensure high performance, stability, and scalability without full system rewrites.

• Analyze and optimize existing database schemas and backend architecture.

• Implement reliable backend solutions following clean code principles and best practices.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (product, QA, frontend) to deliver robust solutions.