Senior Full-Stack Engineer, Contract

Xcelirate; Greater London; On-site; GBP 103,000 - 111,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annualised contractor rate with bonus

MacBook workstation

Global co-working access

Flexible location and hours

Team events and gatherings

Job summary

Xcelirate is seeking a senior Full-Stack Developer with deep PHP and frontend skills to join our team. You’ll work on scalable platforms used by thousands of users, delivering features end-to-end and maintaining code quality.

You’ll own features from ideation to deployment, write tests, optimize performance, and contribute to architecture discussions. The role emphasizes independence, reliability, and practical problem solving in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive PHP experience with one or more major frameworks.
• Strong web architecture knowledge and scalable design.
• Experience building with modern JS frameworks.
• Hands-on with CI/CD and automated tests.
• Familiarity with cloud deployment and security best practices.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain features across backend and frontend.
• Refactor and optimize applications for performance and reliability.
• Write unit, integration and E2E tests to ensure quality.
• Participate in all lifecycle stages from ideation to deployment.
• Contribute to architecture decisions and infrastructure discussions.
• Hands-on work across the stack from server logic to UI interactions.
• Identify and streamline inefficiencies in workflows.
• Take ownership and deliver high-quality, maintainable solutions.

Skills

PHP development

Frontend frameworks

CI/CD pipelines

Testing / TDD

Security & auth

Cloud deployments

Agile tooling

Documentation

Tools

Symfony framework

Zend framework

Vue.js

React

Nuxt

Next.js

Terraform

Ansible

AWS

Azure

Google Cloud

Job description

Who Are We?

Xcelirate develops technologically-advanced platforms which are accessed by thousands of users every minute! We are proud to offer a workplace where the sharpest developers come together to strategically plan and swiftly execute practices which see us maintain our existing market dominance and attain global expansion. We owe our success to our customers who have seen us grow across a decade, and our talented team who have made that growth possible!

What are we looking for?

You’re a Full-Stack Dev - you’ve been around the block, and you know your way through both backend trenches and frontend battlefields. PHP? Still your reliable sidekick. JavaScript? Sometimes a mischievous friend, sometimes a chaos gremlin, but you’ve learned how to keep it in line.

You work best with fierce independence. You don’t need hand-holding - you’re the one who does the hand-holding when it’s needed. You don’t wait for direction; you are the direction. To twist a phrase: you’re not the one who knocks, you’re the one who delivers.

You live for making things work. Whether that’s a clean new feature, a quirky legacy bug fix, or tracking down why that button refuses to do what it’s told. You like code that’s neat and maintainable, but you’re also practical - you know sometimes duct tape is exactly what the situation calls for.

Building apps is your thing - you tinker, refactor, and optimize because you can’t help yourself. You get a kick out of speeding things up, cleaning things up, and occasionally wondering what exactly your predecessor was drinking when they wrote that function.

And yes, you’re not afraid to dive into the relics. That PHP app last touched in 2010? It still needs love. The JavaScript file with 1,200 lines and no semicolons? You’ll wrestle it into submission.

What will you be doing?

• Manage your own time while adhering to priorities set by the company.
• Build new features and improve existing ones across our platforms.
• Refactor and enhance applications to keep them performant, scalable, and maintainable.
• Write tests (unit, integration, and end-to-end) to ensure software reliability.
• Be involved in every phase of the software lifecycle, from ideation to deployment.
• Participate in deep technical discussions and help shape our applications and infrastructure.
• Get hands-on with all elements of the stack, from backend logic to frontend interactions.
• Identify inefficiencies and help streamline workflows, reducing unnecessary work.
• Take ownership of your work, ensuring high-quality results and maintainable solutions.

What will you bring along?

• 10+ years of PHP development, with expertise in at least one framework (Symfony, Zend preferred).
• 12+ years of web application development experience: you’ve seen the evolution of web tech and know how to build for the future.
• 6+ years working with frontend frameworks/libraries like Vue.js, React, Nuxt, or Next.js.
• Deep understanding of scalable web architectures: monolithic, microservices, or hybrid, you know when to use what.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to both engineers and non-engineers.
• Passion for automated testing (unit, integration, and end-to-end) and test-driven development (TDD).
• Hands-on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong expertise in PHP development, debugging, and algorithm/software design.
• Knowledge of agile development tools, techniques, and principles.
• Familiarity with Ansible and Terraform for infrastructure automation.
• Experience deploying, managing, and scaling applications in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
• Strong grasp of web security: encryption, authentication, authorization, and everything in between.
  

How We Support Our Contractors

• An annualised rate of €125,000 + retention bonus scheme: Competitive contractor rate with a generous bonus paid every 6 months based on your time with us.
• Top-Notch Workstation: We provide the latest MacBook, branded merchandise, and everything you need for an optimal work environment.
• Global Co-Working Access: Work from a global network of co-working spaces to keep your work-life dynamic and flexible.
• Flexibility: Enjoy full flexibility in work location and hours, supporting a work-life balance tailored to your needs.
• Events and Gatherings: Participate in exciting events throughout the year, including team gatherings, cultural events, and other fun activities.