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A PHP Developer is a software professional who builds, maintains, and optimizes web applications and API-driven systems using PHP and related frameworks. In 2026, the role spans full-stack responsibilities, open source tooling, and complex backend architecture, demanding both technical depth and an understanding of modern engineering culture.
Location: [City, State] / [Remote/Hybrid/On-site]
Department: Engineering / Software Development / Web Development
Reports To: Engineering Manager / Lead Developer / CTO
Employment Type: [Full-Time/Part-Time/Contract]
A PHP Developer job description outlines the responsibilities, required skills, and qualifications an organization expects from candidates who build and maintain PHP-based applications. Because the specifics vary by company, a strong description opens with a brief overview of the organization — its mission, core products or services, and what distinguishes it as an engineering team — before detailing the tech stack, development culture, and commitment to clean, well-designed code. It should also describe the types of projects PHP Developers work on and convey why skilled professionals choose to grow their careers there.
We are looking for a PHP Developer who wants more than a ticket queue. This role sits at the center of our backend architecture: you will own meaningful slices of our API-driven systems, make real decisions about how those systems evolve, and see your work reach production regularly. You will collaborate across engineering, product, and design — not just execute specs handed down from above. If you care about how systems are built, not just whether they ship, this is the environment for it.
– Design, develop, and maintain PHP-based web applications and backend systems.
– Build and integrate RESTful APIs to support front-end and third-party services.
– Write clean, well-structured, and thoroughly documented code following team standards.
– Collaborate with front-end developers, designers, and product managers throughout the full development lifecycle.
– Take ownership of longer-term project deliverables in addition to day-to-day development tasks.
– Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize existing applications for performance and scalability.
– Participate in code reviews to maintain code quality and share knowledge across the team.
– Monitor developments in the PHP ecosystem and evaluate emerging tools or practices for potential adoption into the stack.
– Contribute to architectural decisions and help evaluate new technologies for the stack.
– Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
– 2–5 years of professional experience developing PHP applications.
– Proficiency with PHP frameworks such as Laravel or Symfony.
– Solid understanding of relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL) and query optimization.
– Experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs.
– Familiarity with version control systems, particularly Git.
– Strong problem-solving skills and attention to code quality.
– Ability to work independently and collaboratively within an engineering team.
– Experience with full-stack development, including front-end technologies such as JavaScript, Vue.js, or React.
– Familiarity with Agile or Scrum development methodologies.
– Exposure to containerization tools such as Docker or orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes.
– Prior experience contributing to or maintaining open source PHP projects, including a track record of engaging with community feedback, versioning, or documentation.
– Competitive compensation range with clear pay transparency.
– Flexible remote or hybrid work arrangements.
– Opportunities to work on complex, API-driven systems and full-stack projects.
– A collaborative engineering culture where developers have a real voice in technical direction.