Senior PHP Developer (Laravel)

*This position is fully remote only for employment in Bulgaria. However, people can also work in one of our offices in Sofia or Varna if they prefer to. 

About DataArt

DataArt is a global software engineering firm and a trusted technology partner for market leaders and visionaries. Our world-class team designs and engineers data-driven, cloud-native solutions to deliver immediate and enduring business value.

We promote a culture of radical respect, prioritizing your personal well-being as much as your expertise. We stand firmly against prejudice and inequality, valuing each of our employees equally.

We respect the autonomy of others before all else, offering remote, onsite, and hybrid work options. Our Learning and development centers, R&D labs, and mentorship programs encourage professional growth.

Our long-term approach to collaboration with clients and colleagues alike focuses on building partnerships that extend beyond one-off projects. We provide the ability to switch between projects and technology stacks, creating opportunities for exploration through our learning and networking systems to advance your career.

Position Overview

Our client is a dynamic fintech company specializing in retail finance solutions, helping consumers split payments over time with ease. As part of one of the UK’s leading digital banks, they are driving innovation to create flexible, accessible, and seamless payment experiences for shoppers.

We’re looking for a Senior PHP Developer with Laravel experience to join our engineering team. This role involves working on an existing platform, ensuring both maintenance and new feature development as part of an ambitious product roadmap.

The ideal candidate will be proactive, technically strong, and capable of taking ownership of their work. They will work closely with the team to modernize the codebase, improve testing strategies, and ensure high engineering standards.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of PHP (Laravel) backend development, ensuring high-quality, maintainable, and scalable code
• Work on both ongoing platform maintenance and new feature development to enhance the product’s capabilities
• Implement automated testing (unit, integration, and E2E tests) to replace the current manual-heavy testing process
• Participate in code reviews, providing constructive feedback and helping to raise the technical bar within the team
• Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and stakeholders to refine requirements and deliver solutions efficiently
• Support database optimization efforts as the team transitions to Amazon Aurora (currently using MySQL)
• Contribute to improving CI/CD practices, monitoring, and observability (AWS/Kubernetes)

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in backend development with PHP
• Strong expertise in Laravel (or Symfony, with a willingness to work in Laravel)
• Solid experience with relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Amazon Aurora)
• Deep understanding of modern software engineering practices, including CI/CD, automated testing, and cloud-based architectures
• Hands-on experience with unit testing and a test-driven development (TDD) approach
• Familiarity with microservices architecture
• Strong Agile experience (Scrum/Kanban) and ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment
• Strong communication skills in English and ability to work in a distributed team

Nice to Have

• Experience working with AWS services and Kubernetes
• Experience with frontend technologies (Vue.js or Angular) is beneficial
• Exposure to Kotlin (useful for certain parts of the project but not essential)
• Previous experience in fintech or working with payment gateway integrations
• Knowledge of monitoring and observability tools (Grafana, Prometheus, Datadog, etc.)

What we Offer

• Unique corporate culture – no micromanagement, friendly atmosphere, freedom, and mutual respect
• Flexible schedule – ability to change projects, to work from home, and to try yourself in different roles
• Professional Development Map – a comprehensive map of your professional development within DataArt
• We hire people not for a project, but for the company. If the project (or your work in it) is over, you go to another project or to a paid “Idle”.
• Social benefits – additional health insurance, life insurance, sports card, etc.
• Opportunity to work from another DataArt office in a different city or country (temporary or permanently)
• Free English courses
• Cozy office with a great atmosphere
• Snacks, drinks, and fruits are always available

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