Software Development Engineer - AI

Confidential Company; Dubai; On-site; AED 6,000,000 - 10,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Company in Dubai is recruiting a Senior SDE-AI to architect and deliver mission-critical internal systems using AI-augmented development. You will own end-to-end architecture from database design to UI, leveraging PHP Symfony, PostgreSQL, and Claude AI, while ensuring code quality and reliability.

You will mentor junior developers, define precise Claude-based specs, and drive AI-assisted practices across the stack, including cloud components (AWS/Azure), Docker/Kubernetes, and

Qualifications

• 6–7 years of professional software development experience with ownership of systems from requirements through production.
• Expert-level PHP 8+ with Symfony and Twig.
• Production experience with Symfony 5+ (or Laravel), REST API design, form handling, and security hardening.
• Deep knowledge of relational databases, PostgreSQL mandatory; NoSQL a plus.
• Hands-on with Claude AI / Cursor as a development partner; write precise specs and validate AI-generated code.
• Mastery of Git; branching, reviews, and release workflows.
• Architect scalable, secure, and maintainable systems balancing simplicity and features.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Diploma or degree in CS/SE/IT.
• Good understanding of cloud components (AWS or Azure).
• Front-end fundamentals: HTML, CSS, Vue.js or React.
• Containerization and deployment: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD.
• Scripting: Python or Bash.
• Testing: unit/integration/TDD and benchmarking.
• Security: OWASP top 10 and secure credentials.
• Experience with advanced AI tooling beyond Claude.

Responsibilities

• Architect and build full-stack systems from database schema to UI using PHP Symfony and Claude AI for rapid iterations.
• Own features end-to-end: define requirements, design schema and APIs, implement with AI assistance, test and deploy.
• Lead AI-assisted development, write precise specs, review Claude outputs, and validate all deliverables.
• Mentor and conduct code reviews, share AI best practices, maintain code quality standards.
• Identify workflow or data model gaps and drive improvements to production.
• Troubleshoot deeply, trace root causes across layers and resolve issues permanently.
• Maintain specifications as truth source; keep architecture docs, API specs, and DB schemas current.

Skills

PHP 8+

Symfony

Twig

REST API

PostgreSQL

Vue.js

React

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Git

Python

Shell scripting

Claude AI

Cursor

AWS or Azure

Security

AI tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Software Engineering / IT

Tools

Claude AI

Cursor

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

Job description

ROLE SUMMARY

The SDE-AI is a senior engineer who architects and delivers the company s mission-critical internal systems using AI-augmented development This role combines deep expertise in Claude PHP Symfony and relational databases with the strategic ability to leverage AI assistance for rapid high-quality delivery The engineer drives architectural decisions mentors junior developers and ensures that AI tooling augments-never replaces-critical judgment and code quality Ownership spans from database design to user experience with accountability for both feature delivery and system reliability

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Architect and build full-stack systems from database schema to UI using PHP Symfony as the primary stack and Claude AI for rapid high-quality iteration
• Own features end-to-end define requirements design schema and APIs implement with AI assistance review critically test thoroughly deploy and support live
• Lead AI-assisted development practice write precise specifications guide Claude s output generation catch and correct mistakes and validate every deliverable as rigorously as hand-written code
• Mentor and code review guide junior developers conduct thorough code reviews share AI best practices and maintain code quality standards
• Identify and propose improvements notice gaps in workflows systems or data model propose solutions and drive them to production
• Troubleshoot at depth investigate root causes trace complex failures across layers and resolve issues permanently
• Maintain specifications as the source of truth keep architecture documentation API specs and database schemas current as behaviour evolves

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• 6–7 years of professional software development experience, with demonstrated ownership of systems from requirements through production.
• Expert-level proficiency in PHP 8+ with Symfony framework and Twig templating.
• Production experience with Symfony 5+ (or similar like Laravel) , REST API design, form handling, and security hardening required.
• Deep working knowledge of relational databases, particularly PostgreSQL (mandatory) and No-SQL (good to have) : schema design, query optimization, transactions, migrations, and performance tuning.
• Hands-on experience with Claude AI / Cursor / similar as a development partner: ability to write precise specs, validate AI-generated code, catch logical errors, and integrate Claude into development workflows. Prior AI-assisted projects required.
• Mastery of version control (Git): branch strategies, code review cycles, merge conflicts, and release workflows.
• Architectural thinking: can design systems for scalability, security, and maintainability; understands trade-offs between simplicity and feature richness.
• Excellent written and verbal communication: documents decisions, explains code rationale, asks clarifying questions, and raises concerns early.
• Diploma or degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent demonstrated expertise.
• Good understanding of one of cloud components (AWS or Azure)
• Front-end fundamentals: HTML, CSS, modern JavaScript frameworks (Vue.js, React).
• Containerization and deployment: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI).
• Scripting and automation: Python or Bash for data pipelines, testing, and DevOps tasks.
• Testing expertise: unit tests, integration tests, test-driven development (TDD), and performance benchmarking.
• Security practices: input validation, authentication/authorization, OWASP top 10, secure credential management.
• Experience with agentic or advanced AI tooling beyond Claude; understanding of model limitations and prompt engineering.