Senior PHP Backend Developer (AI-First)
Summary
Senior PHP backend developer builds and deploys scalable Laravel services on Google Cloud for a proptech real-estate investment platform, using AI coding tools to accelerate development.
About the Company
We’re an international proptech company building a real estate investment platform that enables investors to co-own income-generating properties and finance real estate projects. Our platform serves a growing community of 27,000+ investors, and we’re focused on building scalable, modern financial technology products.
We’re expanding our AI-first engineering team and are looking for a Senior PHP Backend Developer who enjoys owning the backend from development through deployment. You’ll work in a fast-moving environment where AI is an essential part of the engineering workflow, helping experienced developers deliver faster without compromising quality.
What You’ll Do
Build scalable backend services using Laravel.
Write Unit and Feature tests first (Pest/PHPUnit) following TDD principles.
Own deployments on Google Cloud Platform (Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, Cloud Build).
Use AI development tools such as Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, and similar to improve development speed and code quality.
Monitor performance, identify bottlenecks, and continuously improve the architecture.
Build secure, scalable, and maintainable backend systems
Requirements
5+ years of commercial experience with PHP and Laravel.
Strong experience with Test-Driven Development (TDD).
Hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform, including Docker, Artefact Registry, Cloud Run, and serverless services.
Proven daily experience using AI coding tools (Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini, or similar).
Strong understanding of AI-assisted and agentic development workflows.
Strong knowledge of Eloquent ORM, query optimisation, indexing, and performance tuning.
Experience building secure applications (OWASP, secure APIs, encryption).
Solid understanding of PostgreSQL/MySQL, REST APIs, and OOP.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
English level: B2+.
Must-Have Experience
Laravel - 5+ years
Google Cloud Platform - 5+ years
PostgreSQL - 5+ years
Gemini - 2+ years
Nice to Have
Laravel Horizon / Pulse
GitHub Actions
Google Antigravity
Open-source contributions (PHP or AI developer tooling)
Why Join
AI-first engineering culture.
Small, highly collaborative team with direct access to decision-makers.
Latest AI development tools and subscriptions provided.
Google Cloud credits.
High ownership and autonomy over technical decisions.
Opportunity to influence architecture and engineering practices in a growing product company.