Senior Backend Developer

About the Company

This established digital agency based in London, Ontario specializes in delivering enterprise-quality digital solutions for mid-market and large organizations. The company blends strategic insight, technology, and creativity to develop high-performance web applications and marketing technology platforms. A culture of collaboration, continuous skill development, and adoption of emerging technologies, including AI-powered development tools, is central to the workplace.

Role Overview

The Senior Backend Developer will lead the design, development, and deployment of scalable web applications and integrations. Collaborating closely with designers, user experience specialists, product owners, and other developers, the developer will build robust PHP applications, architect API-centric systems, mentor team members, and help define development standards. The role incorporates leveraging AI and automation to enhance efficiency while ensuring code quality and technical excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, maintain, and optimize complex web applications using PHP and CMS platforms like WordPress.
• Develop and integrate APIs including REST, GraphQL, SOAP, and webhooks.
• Build headless CMS and API-first architectures.
• Write clean, reusable, and thoroughly tested code that complies with quality benchmarks.
• Incorporate AI and automation tools to streamline development workflows and improve delivery speed.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to create innovative digital products.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and architectural direction to the team.
• Resolve intricate technical issues and propose scalable solutions.
• Identify risks, communicate project status, and actively participate in Agile Scrum processes.
• Drive continuous improvement in development methodologies and best practice adoption.

Candidate Requirements

• Six or more years of professional PHP development experience.
• At least four years of experience designing API-driven and headless CMS architectures.
• Expertise in REST, GraphQL, SOAP, web services, and integrating diverse systems.
• Advanced skills in MySQL and database performance optimization.
• Experience designing scalable software architectures and integration patterns.
• Proficiency with PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, or equivalents.
• Familiarity with Git version control, unit testing, continuous integration, and Agile development practices.
• Strong understanding of AI-augmented development processes and automation tools.
• Solid knowledge of web security standards, WCAG accessibility guidelines, and contemporary software design principles.
• A university degree or college diploma in Software Development, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field is required.