🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain · 16h ago
Sr. PHP Symfony Engineer (Remote, Full-Time) [AR024]
Smart Working
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About Smart WorkingAt Smart Working, we believe your job should not only look right on paper but also feel right every day. This isn’t just another remote opportunity — it’s about finding where you truly belong, no matter where you are. From day one, you’re welcomed into a genuine community that values your growth and well-being.Our mission is simple: to break down geographic barriers and connect skilled professionals with outstanding global teams and products for full-time, long-term roles. We help you discover meaningful work with teams that invest in your success, where you’re empowered to grow personally and professionally.Join one of the highest-rated workplaces on Glassdoor and experience what it means to thrive in a truly remote-first world.Applicants must have the right to work in the country they are applying from and be able to work without employer sponsorship. About the RoleAs a Senior PHP/Symfony Engineer, you will take hands-on ownership of backend development within a mature Symfony platform that manages marketing and revenue data for enterprise customers. The core application currently runs on Symfony 6.1, with an upgrade to Symfony 7 planned, alongside an Angular front end and TypeScript and Python AI agent microservices. This is a strongly backend-weighted, senior hands-on engineering role requiring an architect mindset, strong independence and the ability to understand how technical decisions affect the wider system. You will work within a remote, cross-functional product squad alongside engineering, product, QA and DevOps colleagues.ResponsibilitiesTake ownership of backend development within the core Symfony application, becoming fully independent in delivering work within 2–3 months of joiningReview and critically assess code written by the team and AI tools, challenging proposed approaches and making sure key considerations have been properly addressedSupport the migration from Symfony 6.1 to Symfony 7 by resolving versioning, compatibility and legacy issues currently preventing the upgradeImprove the application’s performance, scalability and maintainability, making it easier and safer to introduce new functionalityWork across the Angular front end, TypeScript and Python-based AI agent services, collaborating with DevOps where backend changes impact other areas of the systemBe comfortable reading and understanding the Angular/TypeScript codebase, even though the role is primarily backend focused. Strong front-end development experience is not requiredUnderstand the wider impact of technical decisions across Symfony, Angular and AI services, while spotting gaps or issues in both human-written and AI-generated codeQuestion existing approaches, identify root causes and look for better ways of building things rather than simply completing assigned ticketsDeliver thoughtful, maintainable solutions within a legacy codebase while maintaining a consistent pace of deliveryWork with a high level of autonomy and ownership while collaborating effectively with a remote, cross-functional teamFollow SOC 2, PII and security requirements consistently and without exceptionRequirements8+ years of commercial software engineering experience, including at least 5 years working with PHP7+ years of Expert-level PHP development experience3+ years of recent commercial experience with Symfony 6.x/7 at Advanced level. Strong senior-level Laravel experience may be considered where the experience is clearly transferable and the candidate has a good understanding of the differences between Laravel and Symfony4+ years of Advanced experience in backend architecture, system design and scalability2+ years of Advanced experience using AI development tools critically, including reviewing, validating and challenging AI-generated code rather than accepting it without question5+ years of Advanced MySQL experience, including database schema design and query optimisation. Equivalent depth of experience with PostgreSQL or another relational database may also be consideredAt least 1 year of experience working with or understanding Angular/TypeScript. Experience with React or Vue using TypeScript may also be considered, but some front-end exposure is essential3+ years of Advanced experience with automated testing using PHPUnit. Experience with Pest or another equivalent PHP testing framework may also be consideredAt least 1 year of Intermediate experience working on framework upgrades and modernising legacy codebases. Experience with major-version upgrades or significant refactoring in other large PHP applications may be considered2+ years of Intermediate AWS experience. Equivalent experience with Azure or GCP may also be consideredFluent written and spoken EnglishStrong written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to work effectively in a remote environmentAbility to work UK hoursAbility to successfully complete strict background checks and adhere to PII and data protection requirementsStrong self-sufficiency, with the ability to operate independently and without handholding after 2–3 months, while continuing to collaborate effectively with the wider teamA hands-on engineering approach combined with an architectural mindset, with the ability to understand how and why the wider system works rather than focusing only on writing codeNice to Have2+ years of Intermediate CI/CD experience with GitHub Actions; GitLab CI, Jenkins or Azure DevOps are suitable alternativesBasic experience with Amazon Redshift or data warehousing; Snowflake or BigQuery may be considered. Azure exposure alongside AWSPrevious project leadership experiencePrevious mentoring and technical leadership experience with other engineersWe may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.Sourced from LinkedIn. Relocantly aggregates public job postings; apply on the original site.