Senior PHP Developer

Scrums.com; Johannesburg; Remote; ZAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading African tech company is seeking an experienced Senior PHP Developer to develop and maintain backend processes. Responsibilities include managing APIs, collaborating with frontend developers, and writing clean code. This role offers a flexible work environment and the chance to be part of a vibrant, diverse team driving innovation in the tech landscape.

Benefits

Discovery Medical Aid

Half-Day Birthday Leave

Family Responsibility & Parental Benefits

Qualifications

• 5+ years proven experience as a Senior PHP Developer or similar role.
• Strong proficiency in PHP and frameworks (e.g., Zend, Symfony).
• Extensive experience with backend process development.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain backend processes using PHP.
• Design, implement, and manage APIs for integration.
• Collaborate with frontend developers.

Skills

PHP

Backend process development

Node.js

API design and integration

Composer for PHP

Database management

Git and version control

Problem-solving

Communication

Teamwork

Tools

MySQL

PostgreSQL

Docker

Jenkins

Job description

Overview

Our Scrums.com (formerly SovTech) believes the future of software lies in the talent, innovation, and creativity found on the African continent. For over a decade, we have been pioneering world-class software development for a global audience. Scrums.com has grown to more than 350 AI-powered software engineering experts, building world-class platforms for growing businesses across four cities on three continents.

We are committed to growing Africa's tech ecosystems. Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, with over 50% of Africans under 25. There are over 700,000 professional software developers across Africa today, with projections to double by 2025. We believe in the future of African tech talent and its impact on scaling global companies.

Accelerating business growth with expert tech talent

Trusted by 400+ companies, Scrums.com helps businesses scale with our cloud-based engineering subscription platform, offering consistent, cost-effective AI-powered experts, teams, and reliable developer analytics.

Our Culture

Our culture is underpinned by 8 core values.

Africa’s leading software company from Africa—that’s where we’re going.

Why Join Us?

Be part of a dynamic, people-first team that’s showcasing and advancing Africa’s tech landscape on the global scale. At Scrums.com, we celebrate individuality, empower decision-making, and create meaningful experiences. Together, we’re driving innovation and building exceptional teams. Embrace our African Talent Footprint, Flexibility, and Autonomy.

• At Scrums.com, we champion an empowered workplace where you shape the culture, influence decisions on tech stacks, and take charge of user testing—while working from wherever you thrive best across our interconnected Guilds.
• Our distributed teams span South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and other parts of the continent, showcasing the diversity and brilliance of African talent.

Scrums.com Vibes

• Annual Foos-Fest: Showcase your skills at our Foosball Festival and take home awards.
• AI-Powered Hackathons: Collaborate with your team to create innovative, market-ready products in 24 hours—with live music and family-friendly fun.
• Year-End Celebrations: Reflect and connect at our year-end events.
• Popcorn Fridays, Dev Chats, and Braais: Bond with colleagues over discussions and vibes.
• Fluid Clubs: Join activities like hiking and running to foster shared interests.
• Weekly All-Hands: Stay inspired and in the loop with weekly All-Hands sessions.
• Explore Week: Work from anywhere around the globe for one week.

Rewards & Recognition

• Stacos: Our company currency to reward peers and exchange for vouchers.
• Commission Incentives: Rewards for successful business development leads and referrals.

Career Growth & Support

• Internal AI Platforms: Access to closed and open-source LLMs to aid growth. We cover licenses and provide internal AI platforms.
• High-Performance Culture: OKRs and structured annual reviews.
• Personalized Mentorship: One-on-one sessions and quarterly check-ins with leadership and the Talent Success Team.

Our teams are powered by AI—transforming how we work. We use OpenAI, Anthropic, and Llama; you can choose what suits you best. We cover licenses and provide secure internal AI platforms.

Benefits

• Discovery Medical Aid: Prioritizing health with quality care.
• Half-Day Birthday Leave: An afternoon off to celebrate your day.
• Family Responsibility & Parental Benefits: Support for work-life balance.

*Benefits may vary depending on employment type

Experience

• 5+ years proven experience as a Senior PHP Developer or similar role.
• Strong proficiency in PHP and frameworks (e.g., Zend, Symfony).
• Extensive experience with backend process development.
• Experience in Node.js.
• API design and integration expertise.
• Strong understanding of Composer for PHP.
• Database management (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• Familiarity with Git and version control.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain backend processes using PHP.
• Design, implement, and manage APIs for integration with various systems.
• Collaborate with frontend developers to connect user-facing elements with server-side logic.
• Optimize performance and scalability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues.
• Write clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Participate in code reviews and provide feedback.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices.

Additional Requirements

• Experience with frontend technologies including jQuery, CSS, and HTML.
• Knowledge of modern frontend frameworks (e.g., Vue.js) is a plus.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools (e.g., Docker, Jenkins).
• Understanding of Agile methodologies.