Software Engineer - PHP, SQL and AI

Stratospherec Limited; Mid Sussex; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Stratospherec Limited is seeking a Software Engineer to join the client’s development team, focusing on automation and AI utilization. The role covers software development, AI-powered automation and technical operations on a PHP/MySQL/AWS platform.

Ideal candidates are mid-level or recently senior with strong PHP and SQL skills and an interest in AI-assisted development. There is potential to grow into a Tech Lead role under the Head of Development, owning the platform’s technical development.

Qualifications

• Proficient in PHP with solid SQL and database design principles.
• Experience with MySQL and relational databases.
• Familiarity with AWS cloud services and deployments.
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and automation practices.
• Practical use of AI-assisted development tools in coding tasks.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve software using AI tools, delivering features and fixes from Jira tickets.
• Review and test both manual and AI-generated code to uphold quality standards.
• Improve the AI-powered RAG pipeline for better ticket handling and automated responses.
• Write and maintain SQL, manage schema changes and migrations for MySQL databases.
• Maintain and enhance CI/CD pipelines and automate routine tasks.
• Monitor AWS infrastructure and build alerting for availability and performance.
• Investigate complex technical problems and coordinate with infrastructure specialists when needed.

Skills

PHP

SQL

MySQL

AWS

CI/CD

AI-assisted dev

Deployment automation

Code testing

Problem solving

Job description

Software Engineer – Automation & AI

Build software, improve automation and put AI to practical use.

Stratospherec is recruiting a Software Engineer to join our client’s development team in a broad, hands‑on role combining software development, AI-powered automation and technical operations.

You will help develop and maintain an established platform built with PHP, MySQL and AWS, delivering improvements that support both customers and colleagues. Alongside using AI for coding, you will investigate technical issues, improve deployment processes and develop automation that makes customer support more effective.

This opportunity would suit a mid-level or recent senior software engineer with strong PHP and SQL skills, sound software engineering fundamentals and experience of using AI to solve practical problems. PHP experience is beneficial but not essential.

There is the career opportunity to work with the Head of Development to grow into the Tech Lead owning the technical development of the platform.

The role

Working closely with the leadership and a small development team, you will take ownership of development tasks from initial investigation through to testing and deployment. You will use existing AI-assisted development tools while applying your own judgement to ensure code is secure, maintainable and reliable.

You will also help improve an existing AI-powered retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipeline, bringing relevant information into helpdesk tickets and developing automated response drafting, resolution and escalation where appropriate.

What you will be doing

• Developing and improving software using AI tools: Deliver features, enhancements and bug fixes from Jira tickets, helping clarify requirements and scope technical solutions.

• Maintaining code quality: Review and test both manually written and AI-generated code, building your understanding of the existing platform and maintaining engineering standards.

• Developing support automation: Improve the existing RAG pipeline and introduce practical automation to help the support team investigate and resolve customer issues.

• Working with databases: Write and maintain SQL, manage schema changes and migrations, and support MySQL database integrity and performance.

• Improving deployments: Maintain and enhance CI/CD pipelines, automate repetitive tasks and support reliable software releases.

• Monitoring AWS infrastructure: Develop monitoring and alerting for availability, resource utilisation and performance, helping identify issues early.

• Solving operational challenges: Investigate complex technical problems, support customer implementations and coordinate with external infrastructure specialists when needed.

What we are looking for

• Commercial software engineering experience, ideally at mid-level or above.

• Strong PHP and SQL skills and experience working with relational databases.

• Sound software engineering fundamentals, including maintainable code, testing and debugging.

• Practical experience with deployment processes, CI/CD or development automation.

• Experience working with cloud environments, ideally AWS.

• Experience of using AI-assisted development and AI-powered automation, with the judgement to assess the accuracy and reliability of generated outputs.

• A practical approach to problem-solving and confidence working across development, databases and technical operations.

• The ability to take ownership of defined tasks, work independently and collaborate with technical and non-technical colleagues.

PHP and MySQL experience would be advantageous, but engineers with relevant experience in other languages and relational databases are encouraged to apply.

Why consider this opportunity?

This role offers the chance to make a visible contribution across an established software platform, from delivering product improvements to developing AI-powered support tools and improving day-to-day operations.

You will work closely with the people making technical decisions and have opportunities to improve how software is built, deployed and supported.