Senior Software Developer PHP & Javascript

Rise Technical Recruitment; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic B2B fashion distribution firm is looking for a Senior Software Developer to join their small team in Bristol. This role involves designing backend systems and collaborating with the Head of Development on architectural decisions. The ideal candidate should be proficient in PHP using Symfony or Laravel and have strong JavaScript skills (Vue or React). Offering a hybrid work environment, the company values team fit and communication over strict technical criteria. Competitive salary and benefits included.

Benefits

28 days holiday

Private medical insurance

Pension

Social events

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience with PHP in a framework like Symfony or Laravel.
• Solid understanding of SOLID principles for maintainable code.
• Experience with unit and functional testing in a backend setting.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain backend features for internal systems.
• Collaborate with the Head of Development on solution design.
• Ensure clean, testable PHP code with strong testing coverage.

Skills

PHP (Symfony or Laravel)

JavaScript (Vue or React)

Object-oriented design

API-driven backend systems

Tools

PostgreSQL

Docker

AWS

Job description

Senior Software Developer (PHP & JavaScript)

Bristol, hybrid, typically 1 day a week in the office

£50,000 to £60,000 + 28 days holiday + bank holidays, PMI, pension, social events

If you like the idea of owning proper, business critical software rather than being one tiny cog in a huge engineering machine, this is one to look at. This role is all about building the internal systems that sit at the heart of a fast moving international trading business, where every feature you ship shows up directly in how the company runs and makes money.

You will be joining a small, profitable B2B luxury fashion distribution business that partners with global brands to turn problematic wholesale into a controlled, profitable channel. It is a low ego, close knit team across sales, operations and IT, with in‑house development treated as a strategic function, not a support service. They care a lot more about team fit, attitude and communication than ticking every single box on a tech checklist. It is a friendly place where everyone gets on, with a grown‑up, flexible approach to work. The IT team is typically in the Bristol office one day a week, with the rest of the time spent working remotely.

The role sits in a small development team working on their own internal platform rather than off the shelf tools. You will spend most of your time on the backend, building and evolving the core systems that power operations, reporting, analytics and their B2B customer portal, while also being comfortable in a modern JavaScript front end. You will work closely with the Head of Development on solution design and architectural decisions, and with end users across the business to make sure what you build actually solves real problems in a pragmatic way.

The ideal candidate will be a Full‑Stack Software Developer with strong PHP (Symfony or Laravel) and JavaScript skills (Vue or React).

The Role

• Design, build and maintain backend heavy features across internal systems that support operations, reporting, analytics and the B2B portal.
• Work closely with the Head of Development to shape solution design, architecture and technical direction.
• Write clean, testable, SOLID compliant PHP using Symfony, with strong unit and functional test coverage as part of everyday development.
• Contribute to and improve shared standards, code reviews, CI and deployment practices, including the growing use of AI tools in the workflow.
• Work with business users across sales and operations to understand requirements, refine ideas and turn them into pragmatic, maintainable solutions.
• Help evolve the platform and infrastructure, using technologies such as PostgreSQL, ClickHouse, Vue.js, AWS and Docker.

The Person

• Strong commercial experience with PHP in a modern framework such as Symfony or Laravel in an enterprise or business critical environment.
• Solid understanding of object‑oriented design, SOLID principles and how to structure systems for long term maintainability.
• Experience building and testing API‑driven backend systems, with unit and functional tests as a normal part of your work.
• Comfortable working with a modern JavaScript framework such as Vue or React as part of a full‑stack workflow.
• Happy working in a small, collaborative team where you take real ownership, communicate clearly and enjoy being close to the commercial side of the business.
• Nice to have experience with PostgreSQL or other relational databases, Dockerised applications, AWS‑hosted environments and using AI tools to improve productivity or code quality.

We are an equal opportunities company and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.