Senior PHP Engineer

Scrums.com; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 500 000 - 700 000; Part time

Job summary

A leading software development company in Cape Town is seeking a software developer with over 5 years of experience to join their dynamic team. The role requires proficiency in PHP, JavaScript, and AWS, along with strong skills in database management and web services integration. As part of a hybrid work model, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to build high-quality software solutions. You will enjoy a variety of benefits such as flexible working conditions and a supportive company culture.

Benefits

Annual Foos-Fest

AI-Powered Hackathons

Year-End Celebrations

Popcorn Fridays

Fluid Clubs

Weekly All-Hands

Explore Week

Commission Incentives

Half-Day Birthday Leave

Discovery Medical Aid

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in software development.
• Experience in PHP (Laravel experience a bonus) essential.
• Experience with MySQL essential.
• Knowledge of Java, Golang beneficial; experience in microservices and Web API integration.
• JavaScript, jQuery; CSS, HTML.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand requirements and deliver high-quality software solutions.
• Write efficient, clean, and reusable code in PHP and JavaScript.
• Integrate web applications with various third-party APIs.
• Optimize application performance and scalability.
• Design and implement database schemas in MySQL.
• Utilize AWS to deploy and manage web applications.
• Troubleshoot and debug complex issues.

Skills

PHP

AWS

JavaScript

Laravel

Vue.js

Node.js

PCI - Data Security Standard

Docker

MySQL

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field

Job description

Overview

Our Scrums.com Story (formerly SovTech) describes a belief that 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. We are the leading custom software development company from Africa that, like any great tech company, was founded in a garage. 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.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to growing Africa\'s tech ecosystems. Africa is home to the world\'s youngest population, with over 50% of Africans under the age of 25. Recent estimates indicate there are over 700,000 professional software developers across Africa today. That number is projected to double by 2025. We believe in the future of African tech talent and the impact it will have on scaling global companies.

Culture & Values

Accelerating business growth with expert tech talent. Scrums.com is trusted by 400+ companies, helping businesses scale with a cloud-based engineering subscription platform, offering consistent, cost-effective AI-powered experts, teams, and reliable developer analytics.

Our culture is underpinned by 8 core values. We aim to be Earth’s leading software company from Africa.

Why Join Us

Be part of a dynamic, people-first team that’s showcasing and advancing Africa’s tech landscape on the global scale. We celebrate individuality, empower decision-making, and create meaningful experiences. 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—working from wherever you thrive 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.

Rewards, Benefits & Perks

• Annual Foos-Fest ⚽️: Showcase your skills at our Foosball Festival with awards.
• AI-Powered Hackathons 💻: Collaborate to create innovative, market-ready products in 24 hours with live music and family-friendly fun.
• Year-End Celebrations 🏞️: Our decade-old tradition of 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 a week.

• Stacos (company currency): Reward peers with Stacos and exchange for vouchers.
• Commission Incentives: Rewards for successful business leads and referrals.

Career Growth & Support

• Internal AI Platforms: Access to closed and open-source LLMs to boost growth; AI is valued.
• High-Performance Culture: OKRs and annual reviews.
• Mentorship: Guidance from leadership and the Talent Success Team through one-on-one sessions and quarterly check-ins.

AI-Driven Work Environment

• Our teams use AI platforms, agents and tools to create smarter workflows and accelerate career development.
• OpenAI, Anthropic, Llama; you can choose what suits you best; we cover licenses and provide secure internal platforms.

Benefits

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

*Please note: Benefits may vary depending on employment type

Role Details

Join us and be part of a dynamic, supportive team making waves across Africa.

Location: Cape Town

Contract Type: Independent Contractor Agreement

Engagement Length: 6 - 12 Months

Years of Experience: 5+ years

Qualifications: Bachelor\'s or Master\'s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Certifications: Advantageous

Work Model: Hybrid (4 days onsite, 1 day remote)

Key Skills

• PHP
• AWS
• JavaScript
• Laravel
• Vue.js
• Node.js
• PCI - Data Security Standard
• Docker
• MySQL

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product managers, designers, and other developers to understand requirements, prioritize tasks, and deliver high-quality software solutions.
• Write efficient, clean, and reusable code in PHP, JavaScript (React/Vue), and other related technologies to implement front-end and back-end solutions.
• Integrate web applications with various third-party APIs and web services, ensuring smooth data exchange and functionality.
• Optimize application performance and scalability, identifying and resolving bottlenecks in the system.
• Work closely with the database team to design and implement database schemas, queries, and optimizations in MySQL.
• Utilize AWS cloud services to deploy and manage web applications, ensuring high availability and reliability.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of our development methodologies, processes, and tools to increase productivity, quality, and efficiency.
• Troubleshoot and debug complex issues in the applications, providing timely resolutions.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, tools, and technologies related to web development, cloud computing, and software engineering.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5+ years’ experience in software development
• Experience in PHP (Laravel experience a bonus) essential
• Experience with MySQL essential
• Knowledge of Java, Golang and beneficial; Experience in microservices and Web API integration
• JavaScript, jQuery; CSS, HTML
• Vue.js and Node.js (or similar frameworks)
• PCI - Data Security Standard
• AWS cloud
• Queuing technologies (RabbitMQ / AWS SQS)
• Docker