Senior Software Developer

Christian Jobs Ltd; Cheswick Green; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

iKnow Software is seeking a Senior Full Stack Developer to update existing products and build new features. You will own work from technical planning through to implementation, testing and deployment to QA, reporting to a Development Manager and collaborating with designers and QA colleagues.

AI is embedded in the workflow; your coding ability and engineering judgement will be essential to evaluating that work and delivering reliable software.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of commercial development experience with other developers.
• Solid hands-on experience with Laravel, React, PHP and MySQL.
• Strong coding and system design skills and the ability to improve an existing codebase.
• Practical debugging and problem-solving: investigate root causes and verify solutions.
• Experience diagnosing performance problems using appropriate tools.
• Solid understanding of server configuration, including Apache and PHP-FPM.
• Strong testing practices and the ability to assess if tests verify the intended behaviour.
• Experience with React Native or mobile app development is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Designing and delivering module migrations, product improvements and new features.
• Making sound decisions about architecture, maintainability, performance and security.
• Reviewing code and AI-generated plans, identifying weaknesses and correcting implementations.
• Writing and validating tests, investigating failures and verifying finished behaviour.
• Diagnosing technical issues and improving system performance.
• Deploying changes to our development environment for QA readiness.
• Developing and maintaining our in-house AI skills and workflows.
• Managing tasks, reporting progress and raising risks early.

Skills

Strong coding and system design

Problem-solving and debugging

Independent work ability

Clear communication

Team collaboration

Tools

Laravel

React

PHP

MySQL

AWS

Docker

Apache

PHP-FPM

CodeIgniter 3

React Native

GitHub

ClickUp

Figma

Claude Code

Codex

Cursor

Job description

• Location:Hybrid, with three days per week at our Solihull office
• Hours:Full time, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm
• Holidays:26 days plus bank holidays, increasing with service
• Salary:£45,000-£53,000

iKnow Software develops web applications and a companion mobile app that help thousands of churches and organisations manage their communities, communication, donations and safeguarding.

We're looking for an experienced Senior Full Stack Developer to help update our existing products and build new features.

You'll own work from technical planning through to implementation, testing and deployment to our development environment for QA. You'll report directly to a hands-on Development Manager and collaborate with developers, design and QA colleagues.

AI is embedded in our development workflow, supporting planning, implementation and testing. Your coding ability and engineering judgement will be essential to evaluating that work and delivering reliable software.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Designing and delivering module migrations, product improvements and new features.
• Making sound decisions about architecture, maintainability, performance and security.
• Reviewing code and AI-generated plans, identifying weaknesses and correcting implementations.
• Writing and validating tests, investigating failures and verifying the finished behaviour.
• Diagnosing technical issues and improving system performance.
• Deploying changes to our development environment so they are ready for QA.
• Developing and maintaining our in-house AI skills and workflows.
• Managing your tasks, reporting progress and raising risks early.

You'll have scope to propose improvements and discuss changes to technical approaches, delivery plans and scope with your manager.

Our Tech Stack

• Backend:PHP, Laravel and an existing CodeIgniter 3 codebase.
• Web frontend:React, JavaScript, HTML and CSS, with jQuery in legacy areas.
• Mobile:React Native.
• Database:MySQL.
• Infrastructure:AWS, including EC2, S3 and CloudFront; Apache, PHP-FPM and Docker.
• Collaboration:GitHub, ClickUp and Figma.
• AI development:Claude Code, Codex and Cursor.

What You’ll Bring

We're looking for a capable engineer who understands the systems they build and can take responsibility for the quality of their work.

Engineering experience

• At least five years' commercial development experience working with other developers.
• Solid hands-on experience with Laravel, React, PHP and MySQL.
• Strong coding and system design skills, including the ability to understand and improve an existing codebase.
• A practical approach to debugging and problem-solving: investigating root causes, assessing options and verifying solutions.
• Experience diagnosing performance problems using appropriate tools.
• Solid understanding of server configuration, including Apache and PHP-FPM.
• Strong testing practices and the ability to assess whether tests meaningfully verify the intended behaviour.
• Experience with React Native or mobile app development would be an advantage.

Working with AI

• The ability to critically review AI-generated plans, code and tests, and resolve problems using your own technical understanding.
• Awareness of model access boundaries, permissions and the safe use of code, data and connected tools.
• Experience using, creating and maintaining an in-house set of AI skills.
• Ability to select and use AI models, tools and skills effectively for different development tasks.
• Experience building workflows with subagents and reviews across different models.
• Experience integrating plugins, connectors and third-party tools into development workflows.
• An active interest in keeping your knowledge of AI development tools up to date.

You'll also be comfortable working independently, communicating clearly and keeping colleagues informed about progress and blockers.

Working at iKnow

You'll join a small, collaborative team where your work has a visible impact and you can contribute directly to how our products evolve.

We provide:

A MacBook.

CompanyAI team plans, with additional credits available to support ongoing development.

One learning day each month for work-related learning and development.

Your birthday off when it falls on a working day.

26 days' holiday plus bank holidays, increasing to 28 days after two years and 30 days after five years.

A 10-week paid sabbatical after 10 years.

An annual paid eye test and a £49 contribution towards glasses if required.

A complimentary mini-valet f"or your car every two months.

An additional paid day off in the following quarter when the development team achieves at least 80% of its quarterly objectives.