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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of impactful features and enhance product quality.
- Company: Join Arbor, a mission-driven tech company transforming education.
- Benefits: Enjoy 32 days holiday, wellness support, and flexible working options.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in schools while working with passionate people.
- Qualifications: Extensive PHP experience and strong problem-solving skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture with opportunities for professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: Remote
Salary: £70,000 - £80,000
About us
At Arbor, we’re on a mission to transform the way schools work for the better. We believe in a future of work in schools where being challenged doesn’t mean being burnt out and overworked. Our MIS and school management tools are already making a difference in over 7,000 schools and trusts, giving time and power back to staff, turning data into clear, actionable insights, and supporting happier working days.
About the role
We are looking for an experienced and driven Senior PHP Engineer to join our Engineering team and help lead and drive the successful completion of high-impact features, specifically contributing to the advancement of Arbor products. The remit and focus of the role is to contribute towards the development of the company's core systems and processes, as well as implement strategies to enhance and optimise product quality and lead time across the entire team.
Core responsibilities
- Work closely with the Engineering Manager, Tech Lead, QA Engineer, and Product Manager to help solutionise feature requests.
- Lead the creation of detailed documentation for new feature developments, incorporating diagrams for comprehensive project understanding.
- Drive the development and implementation of advanced tests around new features, ensuring the highest standards of test coverage and reliability.
- Demonstrate expertise in producing well-architected, efficient, and scalable code using industry-leading design patterns and methodologies.
- Take a leadership role in code reviews and pair programming sessions, guiding and mentoring colleagues towards excellence.
- Lead and actively participate in tech-talks, workshops, and team-based learning initiatives, ensuring knowledge is disseminated effectively across the team.
About you
- Extensive and demonstrated experience with Object-Oriented languages and software development.
- Considerable experience in software development, specifically with PHP.
- Advanced understanding and application of best practices and software engineering principles, including SOLID, DRY, etc.
- Expertise in relational database technologies.
- Proactive problem-solving approach with a strategic mindset.
- Proven experience in designing and writing APIs and services within a service-oriented environment.
- Leadership qualities demonstrated through collaboration and mentorship.
- A team player, willing to muck in and help others when needed, driven personality who asks questions and actively participates in discussions.
- Good written and spoken English.
Bonus skills
- Past experience with enterprise solutions and large-scale systems.
- Familiarity with Scrum methodology or other agile development processes.
- Experience with cloud computing.
- Experience with Docker and containerisation.
- Familiarity with software best practices such as Refactoring, Clean Code, Domain-Driven Design, Test-Driven Development, etc.
What we offer
- The chance to work alongside a team of hard-working, passionate people in a role where you’ll see the impact of your work every day.
- A dedicated wellbeing team who champion initiatives such as mindfulness, lunch n learns, manager training, mental health first aid training and much more!
- 32 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays).
- Life Assurance paid out at 3x annual salary.
- Comprehensive wellness benefit provided by AIG Smart Health.
- Private Dental Insurance with Bupa.
- Salary sacrifice Pension provided by Scottish Widows.
- Enhanced maternity and adoption leave (20 weeks full pay) and paternity (6 weeks full pay) pay.
- Access to services such as Calm and Bippit (financial wellbeing coaching).
- All of our roles champion flexible working.
- Social committees that plan team, office and company-wide events.
- Dedicated professional development training budget.
- Volunteer with a charity of your choice for a day each year.
- Dog friendly offices!
Interview process
- Phone screen
- 1st stage
- 2nd stage
We are committed to a fair and comfortable recruitment process, so if you require any reasonable adjustments during your application or interview process, please reach out to a member of the team at careers@arbor-education.com.
Arbor Education is an equal opportunities organisation. Our goal is for Arbor to be a workplace which represents, celebrates and supports people from all backgrounds.
Refer a friend
Know someone else who would be good for this role? You can refer a friend, family member or colleague. If they are offered a role with Arbor, we will say thank you with a voucher valued up to £200!
Senior PHP Engineer employer: Arbor Education
Contact Detail:
Arbor Education Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior PHP Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the tech world, especially those who work at Arbor or similar companies. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your PHP skills and understanding Arbor's mission. Show them you’re not just a coder but someone who genuinely cares about making schools better places to work.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your problem-solving skills! During interviews, you might face coding challenges. Use platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your abilities and get comfortable with common interview questions.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the Arbor team!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior PHP Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with PHP and software development. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Arbor, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant projects!
Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, give us examples of how you've tackled challenges in your previous roles. We love a proactive problem-solver, so share those strategic approaches that made a difference in your projects!
Highlight Team Collaboration: Since we value teamwork, mention any experiences where you’ve collaborated with others, especially in tech-talks or mentoring situations. We’re looking for someone who can lead and inspire, so let us know how you’ve done that before!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Arbor Education
✨Know Your PHP Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your PHP skills before the interview. Be ready to discuss your experience with Object-Oriented programming and any advanced features you've implemented. They’ll likely want to hear about specific projects where you’ve used PHP effectively.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share examples of how you've tackled complex problems in past roles. Think about times when you had to implement best practices like SOLID or DRY principles. This will demonstrate your proactive approach and strategic mindset, which are key for this role.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Team Collaboration
Since this position involves working closely with various team members, be prepared to talk about your experiences in collaborative environments. Highlight any leadership roles you've taken in code reviews or mentoring sessions, as they value a team player who can guide others.
✨Understand Their Mission and Values
Familiarise yourself with Arbor's mission to transform schools and create happier working lives. During the interview, express how your values align with theirs and how you can contribute to their goal of making education a more joyful experience.