Senior PHP Developer
4 days ago
Wakefield
Job Title: Senior PHP Developer Location: Wakefield Salary: £55,000 – £65,000 We’re looking for an experienced Senior PHP Developer who lives and breathes backend development and enjoys building robust, scalable web applications. This is a hands-on engineering role with a strong PHP focus, ideal for someone who wants to stay close to the code while helping shape technical direction through experience and example — not people management. You’ll work on exciting client projects, designing and delivering high-quality solutions, collaborating closely with other developers, and contributing to technical excellence across the team. Role Overview Development & Technical Leadership • Design, build, and maintain high-quality web applications with a strong emphasis on PHP., • Take ownership of backend architecture, performance, security, and maintainability., • Lead by example through clean, well-tested, and well-documented code., • Contribute to technical decisions and architectural direction across projects., • Develop backend systems primarily using modern PHP (e.g. Laravel, Symfony, or similar frameworks)., • Build and integrate APIs, services, and data layers., • Work alongside frontend developers using JavaScript and React where needed, while remaining backend-focused., • Debug complex issues and solve challenging technical problems across the stack., • Collaborate with clients to understand technical requirements and translate them into effective solutions., • Provide technical input that balances quality, performance, and commercial considerations., • Work closely with other developers, designers, and stakeholders in a collaborative environment., • Contribute to Agile and Waterfall projects, adapting to client needs. Essential • Strong commercial experience as a PHP Developer, with a clear backend focus., • Experience with modern PHP frameworks (Laravel, Symfony, or similar)., • Solid understanding of object-oriented design, SOLID principles, and design patterns., • Strong experience with Git and collaborative development workflows., • Experience working with RESTful APIs and databases (MySQL/PostgreSQL)., • Confident problem-solver with excellent debugging skills., • Experience with JavaScript and React (integration rather than focus)., • Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or similar)., • Consultancy or agency background., • Experience improving legacy PHP systems or modernising cod