Senior PHP Backend Engineer

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We seek a highly experienced Senior PHP Backend Engineer to drive the technical execution of our mission-critical product modernization initiative. You will serve as a backend specialist, hands-on coder, and key contributor, leading the transition of a legacy software ecosystem to a modern, high-growth SaaS future built on a PHP stack. Your experience will be crucial in dissecting complex existing systems and architecting scalable, API-first backend solutions. A key part of this role involves translating specialized business logic into robust and scalable PHP services and APIs.

• API and UI Development: Develop, test, and maintain features for a robust, scalable, and secure PHP-based RESTful API based on architectural designs. Design and implement a modern UI layer that interacts with these APIs.
• Hands-On Coding: Write clean, high-quality, and maintainable PHP code, participating in code reviews to learn from and contribute to the team's best practices.
• Problem Solving: Assist in analyzing the functionality of the legacy application to help translate its core business logic into modern code.
• Collaboration: Work closely with your lead, other engineers, and QA to build and ship features in an agile environment.
• Client Interaction: Participate in client discussions to help understand requirements and demonstrate progress on your work.

• 5+ years of professional software development experience, with a proven track record of backend-focused technical projects and hands-on contribution.
• Deep expertise in modern backend PHP development, with specific, hands-on experience using frameworks like Laravel.
• Demonstrable experience working with or integrating into Moodle environments or similar LMS platforms (or willingness to learn).
• Extensive, hands-on experience designing, building, and deploying RESTful APIs. Strong understanding of API design principles and standards (e.g., OpenAPI/Swagger).
• Solid experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) and familiarity with basic database administration tasks.
• A strong ability to perform System Deconstruction; digging into existing complex systems, understanding their inner workings, and reverse-engineering business logic.

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and designing cloud-native backend applications.
• Knowledge of containerization and orchestration technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Previous experience on a legacy system modernization project.
• Familiarity with building and deploying applications in a SaaS environment.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated backend testing frameworks.

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About Monks

Monks is the global, purely digital, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc. With a legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks combines an extraordinary range of global marketing and technology services to accelerate business possibilities and redefine how brands and businesses interact with the world. Its integration of systems and workflows delivers unfettered content production, scaled experiences, enterprise-grade technology and data science fueled by AI—managed by the industry's best and most diverse digital talent—to help the world's trailblazing companies outmaneuver and outpace their competition.

Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave: Global Marketing Services. It has remained a constant presence on Adweek's Fastest Growing lists , ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies and is the only partner to have been placed in AdExchanger's Programmatic Power Players list every year In addition to being named Adweek's first AI Agency of the Year (2023), Monks has been recognized by Business Intelligence in its 2024 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Awards program in three categories: the Individual category, Organizational Winner in AI Strategic Planning and AI Product for its service Monks.Flow. Monks has also garnered the title of Webby Production Company of the Year , won a record number of FWAs and has earned a spot on Newsweek's Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces 2023.

We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents—and resonates with—the world around us.