Senior PHP Developer

Senior Backend Developer – PHP / Laravel

Location: Leeds (Hybrid – 3 days per week onsite)

Salary: £50,000–£65,000 DOE + discretionary bonus

The opportunity

We're looking for an experienced Senior Backend Developer with strong PHP and Laravel expertise to join an established, award-winning digital agency delivering complex websites and digital experiences for a diverse portfolio of clients.

This is a hands-on senior engineering position offering the opportunity to take technical ownership across a variety of projects, from content-rich marketing websites and bespoke CMS implementations to more complex digital platforms and integrations.

You'll play an important role in shaping backend architecture, defining technical solutions and maintaining high development standards, working closely with other developers, UX/UI designers, project managers and technical leadership.

The business is employee-owned, collaborative and ambitious, with a strong emphasis on technical quality, continuous improvement and delivering digital experiences that genuinely add value.

What you'll be doing

As a Senior Backend Developer, you'll take ownership of backend development across client projects, helping shape technical approaches from initial discovery and planning through to development, delivery and ongoing improvement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing, developing and maintaining robust backend applications using PHP and Laravel
• Taking technical ownership of CMS-driven websites, bespoke functionality and backend integrations
• Architecting scalable, intuitive CMS structures and content models that support complex website requirements
• Translating client briefs, UX/UI designs and business requirements into effective technical solutions
• Contributing to technical discovery, solution design, specifications and project scoping
• Providing accurate development estimates and helping ensure projects remain commercially viable
• Working closely with frontend developers, designers and project managers to deliver seamless digital experiences
• Supporting code quality through reviews, technical guidance and development best practices
• Troubleshooting complex technical challenges and improving website performance, security and maintainability
• Supporting and mentoring less experienced developers, sharing knowledge and helping strengthen the wider team
• Evaluating new technologies and identifying opportunities to improve development processes and technical delivery

What we're looking for

Essential experience:

• Extensive commercial experience developing backend applications and websites using PHP
• Strong expertise in Laravel, modern PHP development and backend architecture
• Proven experience delivering complex, CMS-driven websites or digital platforms
• Strong understanding of content architecture, CMS configuration, custom functionality and content modelling
• Experience designing and integrating APIs, third-party services and bespoke backend solutions
• Ability to take technical ownership of projects, from requirements gathering and solution design through to delivery
• Experience contributing to technical specifications, development estimates and project scoping
• Strong understanding of performance, security, scalability and maintainable code
• Confidence collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and communicating technical decisions clearly

Desirable experience:

• Commercial experience with Craft CMS, particularly custom modules, plugins and CMS architecture
• Experience working with other modern CMS platforms such as WordPress
• Background working within a digital, creative or web development agency
• Experience with the Yii framework
• Familiarity with Vue.js and Tailwind CSS
• Experience mentoring developers or contributing to technical standards across a team
• Exposure to complex content migrations, integrations and multi-site website environments

About you

You're an experienced backend developer who enjoys taking ownership, solving complex technical problems and producing high-quality work.

You combine strong technical expertise with a pragmatic, commercially aware approach, understanding how development decisions affect project scope, budgets, timelines and the wider client experience.

You're comfortable working across multiple projects, collaborating with designers and other developers, and contributing to technical conversations with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

You'll also enjoy sharing knowledge, supporting other developers and helping improve the way the team works.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful technical contribution without moving away from hands-on development.

If you're a Senior PHP/Laravel Developer who enjoys technical ownership, varied client projects and working within a collaborative agency environment, we'd love to hear from you.