Senior-Level Backend PHP Developer

ATS Client; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

ATS Client is seeking a Senior-Level Backend PHP Developer to join the engineering team in Johannesburg. You will design, implement and maintain scalable PHP back‑end services and RESTful APIs, while mentoring mid and junior developers and supporting CI/CD processes.

You should have 6+ years in PHP, strong OOP/MVC, Laravel experience, advanced MySQL skills, and familiarity with Git, Docker, and cloud platforms. A robust, secure architecture mindset is essential.

Qualifications

• 6+ years' professional experience in PHP development.
• Strong OOP and MVC understanding.
• Experience with Laravel or similar PHP frameworks.
• Advanced MySQL skills and query optimisation.
• Experience with Git and API development (JSON/XML).
• Experience mentoring and conducting code reviews.
• Familiarity with CI/CD and containerised environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development and maintenance of scalable back‑end services and RESTful APIs.
• Architect secure, high‑performance back‑end systems.
• Collaborate with front‑end teams for seamless integration.
• Write clean, well‑tested code and follow standards.
• Design, manage and optimise MySQL schemas and queries.
• Troubleshoot complex issues across environments.
• Integrate third‑party APIs and data services.
• Mentor mid‑level and junior developers through code reviews.
• Support CI/CD and work with DevOps for deployments.
• Identify bottlenecks and drive scalable improvements.

Skills

Advanced PHP development

SQL & DB optimisation

RESTful API development

Software design principles

Caching strategies

Cloud & container environments

DevOps practices

Unit testing

Mentoring & leadership

Debugging & performance tuning

Education

Tertiary CS/IT related degree

PHP/software development certifications

Tools

Git

Docker

Redis

RabbitMQ

AWS/Azure/GCP

Vue.js / React (basic)

Job description

Our client is looking for a Senior-Level Backend PHP Developer to join their engineering team. This role is suited to a highly experienced, detail-oriented, and technically strong Developer with extensive PHP expertise and a passion for designing scalable, high-quality back-end systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and maintenance of scalable back-end services and RESTful APIs using modern PHP frameworks (Laravel or similar)
• Architect robust, secure, and high-performance back-end systems aligned to best practices
• Collaborate with front-end developers to ensure seamless system integrations across the full stack
• Build clean, maintainable, and well-tested code aligned to coding standards
• Design, manage, and optimise MySQL databases, including schema design, migrations, and query performance tuning
• Troubleshoot, debug, and resolve complex application and system issues across environments
• Integrate third-party APIs and external data services
• Conduct code reviews and mentor mid-level and junior developers
• Support CI/CD processes and work closely with DevOps to ensure smooth deployments
• Identify performance bottlenecks and implement scalable, efficient solutions
• Contribute to architectural planning, technical strategy, and engineering best practices

Requirements

• 6+ years' professional experience in PHP development
• Strong understanding of object-oriented programming (OOP) and MVC architecture
• Extensive experience with Laravel or similar modern PHP frameworks
• Advanced MySQL skills, including query optimisation and database design
• Experience working with Git and collaborative version control workflows
• Extensive experience building and consuming RESTful APIs (JSON/XML)
• Strong understanding of unit and feature testing in PHP
• Proven experience mentoring developers and conducting code reviews
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently and within a team
• Experience working with caching and messaging tools, such as Redis or RabbitMQ
• Exposure to Docker or containerised environments
• Basic understanding of front-end technologies, such as Vue.js or React
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and automated deployments
• Experience working with secure data or financial integrations (advantageous)
• Experience with cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud (advantageous)

Technical & Professional Skills

• Advanced PHP development (Laravel or equivalent frameworks)
• Strong SQL and database optimisation skills
• Experience with RESTful API development and integration
• Knowledge of software design principles and clean architecture
• Understanding of caching strategies and asynchronous processing
• Exposure to cloud and container environments
• Familiarity with modern DevOps practices and deployment pipelines
• Strong debugging and performance optimisation capabilities
• Experience with software architecture and design patterns

Preferred Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
• Relevant PHP or software development certifications (advantageous)
• Experience working in a fast-paced, Agile development environment

Key Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• High attention to detail and commitment to code quality
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a dynamic environment
• Proactive, solution-driven mindset
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing approach
• Passion for continuous learning and technical improvement