At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a team to develop and enhance a large-scale online marketplace using PHP and Laravel.
- Company: Hedgehog Lab, a certified B Corp with 20 years of experience in digital consultancy.
- Benefits: Flexible remote work, competitive pay, and the chance to work on innovative projects.
- Other info: Opportunity for growth in a dynamic, high-volume platform.
- Why this job: Be part of a transformative tech journey and make a real impact in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Senior full-stack experience with strong PHP and Laravel skills required.
The predicted salary is between 49500 - 60500 £ per year.
Contract, Manchester based. Outside IR35, starting early October.
What We're Recruiting For
We're hiring a Senior Full Stack PHP engineer to join a long-term team on a genuinely large-scale online marketplace. Very few platforms handle a product catalogue or transaction volume at this level. The roadmap includes agentic AI workflows built into the platform, retail media integrated directly into the marketplace, and infrastructure work targeting cost and performance at high volume. A lot of this is being attempted at volumes that have rarely been tested in a marketplace before, so the work leans research-led rather than routine. It's a fast-paced scale-up environment on a complex platform. You'll do well here if you're comfortable with ambiguity and shifting ground, and confident enough to advocate for the technical decisions you make.
What You'll Be Doing
You'll join the team part-way through a major, multi-year technology transformation. The current client-facing platform runs on PHP and Laravel, and that's where your day to day sits: fixing real issues and building new features within the existing stack. The longer-term direction is a move towards a service-based architecture, with a move to AWS under active evaluation. As that world takes shape, you'll have room to grow into it. This is genuinely end-to-end full-stack work: front-end, APIs, data, auth and the platform that ties it together. This is a long-term role, part of the fabric of the team rather than a short engagement. No juniors. It's a demanding environment, and you'll need to be productive quickly without a long ramp.
Who You'll Be Working With
You'll be engaged by hedgehog lab, a UK digital product consultancy and certified B Corp with 20 years behind us and offices in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and London. We place engineers into long-term client teams on complex, high-stakes platforms. This is one of those engagements.
Location and remote working
Contract, engaged outside IR35 via your own limited company. Starting early October. Flexible working, largely remote. We just ask that you're based within 50 miles of Manchester, as occasional visits to the office will be needed. Applications from outside this area won't be considered.
What We Need
- The essentials:
- Senior to principal full-stack experience, genuinely end-to-end across front-end, APIs and data
- Strong hands-on PHP and Laravel, working in a large, established codebase
- You can pick up and build within an existing platform quickly, rather than only working greenfield
- You can advocate for technical decisions and communicate them clearly
- Comfortable delivering at pace in a complex, high-volume environment
- Comfortable working in English, written and spoken
- Nice to have:
- Hands-on AWS, ideally with infrastructure as code (Terraform or CDK)
- Retail or e-commerce background
- GenAI or agentic workflows in your engineering practice
Senior Full Stack Engineer (PHP / Laravel) | Contract, Outside IR35 in Leeds employer: hedgehog lab
Hedgehog Lab is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and innovative work culture, perfect for those looking to make a significant impact in the tech industry. With a focus on employee growth and development, you will have access to cutting-edge technologies and the opportunity to shape data strategies in a fast-paced scale-up environment. Located in a vibrant area, we offer a collaborative atmosphere where your contributions are valued and rewarded.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Full Stack Engineer (PHP / Laravel) | Contract, Outside IR35 in Leeds
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at hedgehog lab or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to hedgehog lab.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like hedgehog lab.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like hedgehog lab that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Full Stack Engineer (PHP / Laravel) | Contract, Outside IR35 in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at hedgehog lab.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at hedgehog lab and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at hedgehog lab
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If hedgehog lab uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
