PHP Developer
Job Description
About the Role
We are hiring an experienced PHP Developer to build and maintain production applications using Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter. This role requires strong technical fundamentals, clean code practices, and the ability to ship features independently while collaborating effectively with a remote team. The ideal candidate writes well-tested PHP code, has experience with MySQL and PostgreSQL, and can contribute to architecture decisions for systems serving thousands of users. You'll participate in code reviews, technical planning, and sprint ceremonies while owning features from implementation through deployment.
Key Responsibilities
- Own Laravel implementation and optimization — configuration, customization, and ongoing enhancement based on business needs
- Manage Symfony workflows including setup, user training, and continuous improvement of processes
- Implement and maintain CodeIgniter ensuring seamless integration with existing systems and workflows
- Build and maintain PHP application features following clean code and SOLID principles
- Write comprehensive tests — unit, integration, and e2e — maintaining high test coverage
- Review code from teammates with constructive, thorough feedback focused on correctness and maintainability
- Participate in sprint planning, estimation, and technical architecture discussions
- Deploy code to production using established CI/CD pipelines and monitor for issues post-deployment
- Debug and resolve production issues with root cause analysis and prevention measures
- Document technical decisions, API contracts, and system architecture for team knowledge base
Must-Have Qualifications
- Hands-on experience with Laravel — configuration, customization, and troubleshooting in production environments
- Proficiency with MySQL as part of the PHP development/operations workflow
- 3+ years of professional PHP development experience
- Strong fundamentals in PHP architecture patterns and best practices
- Experience writing tests and maintaining codebases with good test coverage
- Git proficiency — branching strategies, code review workflows, and conflict resolution
- Clear English communication skills for daily standups, code reviews, and documentation
Nice-to-Have Skills
- Zend Certified PHP Engineer certification or equivalent validated credential
- Laravel Certified Developer certification or equivalent validated credential
- Experience with advanced PHP features: Symfony, CodeIgniter, API Development
- Familiarity with the broader PHP ecosystem including PostgreSQL and Redis
- Contributions to open-source projects or a notable GitHub/portfolio presence
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Docker, and cloud deployment
Interview Tips
Technical Coding Exercise
Give a small, realistic PHP coding challenge that tests fundamentals — clean code, edge case handling, and test writing. Time-box to 45-60 minutes.
Architecture Whiteboard
Present a system design problem relevant to PHP. Evaluate their approach to scalability, data modeling, and trade-off discussions.
Code Review Simulation
Show a PHP pull request with both good patterns and subtle issues. Assess what they catch, how they communicate feedback, and what they prioritize.
Past Project Deep-Dive
Have them walk through their most challenging PHP project. Ask probing questions about architecture decisions, obstacles, and what they learned.
Typical Team Structure
Team Size
2-5 PHP developers
Reports To
Engineering Manager, Tech Lead, or CTO
Collaborates With
Product Management, QA/Testing, DevOps, Design
Skip the JD — Get Matched Instead
Tell us your PHP requirements and we'll send pre-vetted profiles with video intros in 24-48 hours.
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