Senior Backend Developer (Laravel / PHP)--

Backend Developer (Laravel / PHP)

Remote / Europe

Long-term engagement

Project Overview

We are building a greenfield platform with real business context. An existing and successful system is currently in production - we use it as a reference for business processes and domain knowledge while designing a new system with modern architecture and clear technical direction.

This is not a legacy rewrite or maintenance project. We are building a new system from the ground up, focused on architecture, scalability, and long-term evolution.

We follow a pragmatic engineering approach: we avoid unnecessary abstraction and focus on solutions that deliver real business value.

We optimize for long-term maintainability rather than unnecessary complexity.

What You'll Do

• Design and implement self-contained backend modules within a modular monolith
• Work with clearly defined domain boundaries using DDD principles
• Implement REST APIs and service interactions
• Translate business processes into scalable system design
• Apply Hexagonal Architecture patterns in practice
• Structure domain logic, workflows, and database schemas
• Contribute to architectural decisions and improvements
• Write multi-layer tests (unit, feature, integration)
• Ensure clean, maintainable, and scalable code
• Deliver production-ready systems

You will work closely with the Tech Lead and collaborate with a cross-functional team including Product Owner, UX, and Architects. This is not a task-based coding role - we expect engineering thinking, ownership, and collaboration.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional PHP and Laravel experience
• Experience with or strong interest in Domain-Driven Design
• Experience with or strong interest in Hexagonal or similar clean architecture patterns
• Solid knowledge of OOP, SOLID principles, and design patterns
• Experience designing and building REST APIs
• Solid SQL knowledge and database optimization (MySQL)
• Experience with Docker or similar containerized environments
• Experience writing tests across multiple layers (unit, feature, integration)
• Ability to work independently and deliver results with ownership

AI-Assisted Development (Required)

AI is a standard part of our engineering workflow. We expect every developer to be comfortable using modern AI coding assistants (such as Claude, ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar) as part of their daily development workflow.

AI is not a replacement for engineering judgment. Developers remain fully responsible for the architecture, correctness, security, maintainability, and testing of the code they deliver.

Candidates who are unwilling to embrace AI-assisted development or do not see it as an essential part of their daily workflow are unlikely to be a good fit for this role.

Nice to Have

• Experience with system decomposition and migration strategies
• Experience with CRM / ERP systems or complex business domains
• Experience with AWS or similar cloud platforms
• Familiarity with event-driven architecture

What We Expect

• Strong focus on code quality and maintainability
• Ability to understand and model real business processes
• Structured and pragmatic approach to system design
• Ability to work within a defined architecture while improving it
• Balance between speed and quality - we ship but we ship well
• Reliable execution in a team environment
• Clear communication and ownership

What We Offer

• Work on a greenfield platform with real business context and clear purpose
• Well-architected codebase built on clean code principles (SOLID, meaningful naming, testability) - static analysis, automated style checks, comprehensive tests are non-negotiable
• Collaboration with a Tech Lead and cross-functional team
• Remote work
• Pragmatic culture focused on delivery and outcomes

Tech Stack

The platform is built with:

• PHP 8.4, Laravel 13
• Modular Monolith architecture with Hexagonal Architecture principles
• Domain-Driven Design (DDD) - Aggregate Roots, Value Objects, Repository interfaces
• CQRS pattern for separating read and write operations
• MySQL 8 as primary data store
• PHPUnit - unit, feature, and integration tests
• Spatie Laravel Data for typed DTOs
• PHPStan / Larastan for static analysis
• OpenAPI / Swagger documentation
• Docker
• Redis
• AWS infrastructure
• CI/CD pipeline for automated checks and deployments

Languages

• English: Required (B2 - Upper Intermediate minimum)
• Ukrainian: Strongly preferred - the development team is being built primarily with Ukrainian speakers, so it's the main language for daily team communication. However, strong candidates without Ukrainian will still be considered.