At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop backend features for a large-scale web platform using PHP.
- Company: Established software company with a collaborative and AI-first engineering culture.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Embrace modern AI tools and enjoy a high degree of autonomy in your role.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and make a real impact on innovative web applications.
- Qualifications: Strong PHP development experience and ability to work independently.
We're working with an established software company looking to add a Senior PHP Developer to their engineering team. You'll join a collaborative team of experienced developers, taking ownership of backend feature development, technical improvements and complex problem solving across a large-scale web platform.
The role would suit someone who enjoys working with vanilla PHP, thrives in a hands-on environment and can quickly get to grips with an established codebase whilst contributing new ideas and technical improvements.
The Role
You'll be responsible for designing, developing and maintaining business critical web applications, delivering new features from concept through to deployment. Working closely with developers, testers and support teams, you'll help shape technical solutions, reduce technical debt and ensure the platform continues to scale effectively. This is a predominantly backend role, around 70/80% on the backend and 20/30% frontend.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing new platform features and enhancements
- Writing clean, scalable and maintainable PHP code
- Owning technical solutions from design through to production
- Refactoring and improving existing functionality
- Designing and consuming APIs
- Performance tuning and database optimisation
- Contributing to code reviews and engineering best practices
- Supporting complex third line technical issues when required
- Collaborating with testers, developers and business stakeholders
- Identifying opportunities to improve tooling, processes and platform performance
About the Environment
This organisation has embraced an AI-first engineering culture, actively encouraging developers to use AI assisted tools to improve productivity, troubleshooting, documentation and delivery. You'll have access to modern AI tooling and will be encouraged to contribute ideas around how AI can be used effectively across engineering teams, whilst maintaining high standards of code quality, security and ownership. The development team operates with a high degree of autonomy, so this role is best suited to someone who is comfortable managing their own workload and working independently.
What We're Looking For
- Strong commercial PHP development experience - full-stack with a backend focus
- Experience working with vanilla PHP (7 & 8) rather than solely framework-based development
- Strong backend development background
- Solid experience with MySQL or MariaDB
- Experience designing and consuming APIs
- Strong understanding of web application performance, scalability and security
- Experience working with JavaScript, HTML and CSS
- Experience working with version control systems
- Ability to work independently and quickly become productive within an established environment
- Strong communication and problem solving skills
- Experience using AI assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude or similar
Nice to Have
- Experience with Redis, Memcached or similar caching technologies
- Exposure to infrastructure, server management or DevOps practices
- Experience working with large, complex codebases
Please be aware this advert will remain open until the vacancy has been filled. Interviews will take place throughout this period, therefore we encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment.
Tate is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. Tate is committed to promoting equal opportunities. To ensure that every candidate has the best experience with us, we encourage you to let us know if there are any adjustments we can make during the application or interview process. Your comfort and accessibility are our priority, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Additionally, we value and respect your individuality, and we invite you to share your preferred pronouns in your application.
Senior PHP Developer employer: Tate
Tate Eats offers a dynamic and inclusive work environment at the heart of London, where creativity meets corporate engagement. As a member of our Events team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with diverse brands and sponsors, enhancing your professional growth while contributing to Tate's mission of making art accessible to all. With a focus on employee development and a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences, Tate Eats is an excellent employer for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in the arts sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior PHP Developer
✨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 Tate 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 Tate.
✨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 Tate.
✨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 Tate 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 PHP Developer
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 Tate.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Tate 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 Tate
✨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 Tate 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.
