PHP / Laravel Developer

IT – Software Development
Cape Town – Western Cape

ENVIRONMENT:
Our client is a full-service, integrated ad agency with offices in both Cape Town and Johannesburg, and they’re one of the largest independently owned agencies in South Africa. They’re looking for a PHP Developer with experience in PHP, Laravel, and Node.js to join their team. As a Back End Developer, you’ll play a key role in building and refining their tech infrastructure, ensuring their back-end systems are scalable, reliable, efficient, and secure. The ideal candidate will bring a solid mix of technical skills, a curious mind, and strong analytical abilities. You’ll be responsible for maintaining systems while collaborating with IT, operations, and innovation teams to keep everything future-proof.
 
DUTIES:
General Responsibilities:
  • Develop server-side logic and databases for websites, microsites and apps, ensuring high performance and responsiveness.
  • Collaborate with frontend developers to integrate user-facing elements with server-side logic and API build and integration requirements.
  • Design and develop scalable, efficient, and maintainable back-end systems, APIs, and database schemas.
  • Database management particularly with MySQL or similar database experience.
  • Optimize application performance, scalability, and reliability through code optimization, caching mechanisms, and other best practices.
  • Troubleshoot and debug issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement timely solutions.
  • Implement and maintain security measures and best practices to protect sensitive data and maintain data integrity in order to protect against unauthorized access, data breaches and other security threats.
  • Conduct code reviews, identify areas for improvement, and provide constructive feedback to team members.
  • Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code, following best practices and coding standards.
  • Experience with version control systems (e.g.: Git) and collaboration tools.
  • Stay up to date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices.
 
REQUIREMENTS:
  • Maintain and enhance existing internal systems to meet evolving business needs.
  • Working with the company’s IT to set up, secure and maintain internal server instances / stacks such as Ubuntu
  • Full stack deployment on Ubuntu
  • Ensuring all assets are secure with latest patches and security upgrades applied
  • Ensuring that data protection and POPI requirements are met
  • Determine end of life strategy for data retention per project
  • Database security, encryption and firewalls
  • Running monthly penetration tests
  • Maintaining AWS Infrastructure
  • Live Frontend S3 bucket and Cloudfront
  • Staging S3 bucket and Cloudfront
  • Master database
  • Master API
  • Staging database
  • Staging API
  • CMS instance
  • CMS database
  • CMS assets in the S3 bucket
  • Maintaining email servers and templates (PostMark)
  • Managing Auth0 account
  • Maintaining Algolia Search System and syncing entries through multiple databases
  • Experience with open AI technology
  • Maintaining and developing the backend components to the company’s Internal Systems
  • API technical documentations and integrations
  • Continuous integration and automated testing
  • Maintenance and set up of Jenkins pipelines for internal projects
 
Internal Systems and Platforms used for integrations:
  • Workbook
  • Sage
  • Microsoft
  •   
Client Offering Requirements:
  • Setting up tech stacks, servers, and instances for client campaign websites
  • Collaborate with IT department with DNS settings, SSL Certificate set up and renewals and Domain registration
  • Set up of staging and master environments
  • Managing any data call set ups or requirements based on the project scope  
  • Q&A testing
  • Management of deployment process
  • Monitoring and maintaining client security requirements
 
Qualifications & Requirements:
 
Education & Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
  • Proven experience 3-5 years as a Backend Developer with a portfolio of strong projects.
  • Solid understanding of PHP and Laravel frameworks, including dependency injection, routing, migrations, and ORM.
  • Researching new and emerging backend technologies, with a focus on the increasing use of AI.
 
Technology Stack Experience:
  • Frameworks: A proven track record working with the PHP, Laravel and Node.JS.
  • Servers: Proficiency in network, server instance management and associated security is required. Experience with web servers like Apache.
  • Cloud Platforms: An excellent working knowledge of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure and associated technologies.
  • Knowledge of version control systems and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Databases: Experience with relational and non-relational databases e.g. MySQL. Strong understanding of Big Data structures and schemas.
  • Proficiency in RESTful API development and integration. Skilled at creating and securing API endpoints to be used by the frontend dev team.
  • Experience in Power Apps (Proficiency in Microsoft Power Suite and Active Directory)
 
Bonus Experience, Qualities or Skills:
  • Experience in the advertising or creative industry.
  • Knowledge of other backend languages or frameworks (e.g. Python, C#, Django or Ruby on Rails etc.).
  • Understanding of broader frameworks used by the team (e.g. JavaScript, VueJS, SAAS/Bootstrap, Quasar or Vuetify etc.)
  • Experience with containerization technologies (e.g. Docker or Kubernetes etc.).
  • Previous experience working in an Agile/Scrum development environment.
  • Umbraco.net CMS and framework experience
  • Adobe AEM experience
 
ATTRIBUTES:
  • Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills.
  • Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
  • Attention to detail with a commitment to producing high-quality code. 
  • Deadline-driven with good time management skills. 

+ 27 (0) 21 741 0400