ENVIRONMENT:

Our client is a full-service, integrated ad agency with offices in both Cape Town and Johannesburg, and they're one of the largest independently owned agencies in South Africa. They’re looking for a PHP Developer with experience in PHP, Laravel, and Node.js to join their team. As a Back End Developer, you'll play a key role in building and refining their tech infrastructure, ensuring their back-end systems are scalable, reliable, efficient, and secure. The ideal candidate will bring a solid mix of technical skills, a curious mind, and strong analytical abilities. You’ll be responsible for maintaining systems while collaborating with IT, operations, and innovation teams to keep everything future-proof.

DUTIES:

General Responsibilities:

• Develop server-side logic and databases for websites, microsites and apps, ensuring high performance and responsiveness.
• Collaborate with frontend developers to integrate user-facing elements with server-side logic and API build and integration requirements.
• Design and develop scalable, efficient, and maintainable back-end systems, APIs, and database schemas.
• Database management particularly with MySQL or similar database experience.
• Optimize application performance, scalability, and reliability through code optimization, caching mechanisms, and other best practices.
• Troubleshoot and debug issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement timely solutions.
• Implement and maintain security measures and best practices to protect sensitive data and maintain data integrity in order to protect against unauthorized access, data breaches and other security threats.
• Conduct code reviews, identify areas for improvement, and provide constructive feedback to team members.
• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code, following best practices and coding standards.
• Experience with version control systems (e.g.: Git) and collaboration tools.
• Stay up to date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Maintain and enhance existing internal systems to meet evolving business needs.
• Working with the company’s IT to set up, secure and maintain internal server instances / stacks such as Ubuntu
• Full stack deployment on Ubuntu
• Ensuring all assets are secure with latest patches and security upgrades applied
• Ensuring that data protection and POPI requirements are met
• Determine end of life strategy for data retention per project
• Database security, encryption and firewalls
• Running monthly penetration tests
• Maintaining AWS Infrastructure
• Live Frontend S3 bucket and Cloudfront
• Staging S3 bucket and Cloudfront
• Master database
• Master API
• Staging database
• Staging API
• CMS instance
• CMS database
• CMS assets in the S3 bucket
• Maintaining email servers and templates (PostMark)
• Managing Auth0 account
• Maintaining Algolia Search System and syncing entries through multiple databases
• Experience with open AI technology
• Maintaining and developing the backend components to the company’s Internal Systems
• API technical documentations and integrations
• Continuous integration and automated testing
• Maintenance and set up of Jenkins pipelines for internal projects

Internal Systems and Platforms used for integrations:

• Workbook
• Sage
• Microsoft
•  

Client Offering Requirements:

• Setting up tech stacks, servers, and instances for client campaign websites
• Collaborate with IT department with DNS settings, SSL Certificate set up and renewals and Domain registration
• Set up of staging and master environments
• Managing any data call set ups or requirements based on the project scope 
• Q&A testing
• Management of deployment process
• Monitoring and maintaining client security requirements

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience 3-5 years as a Backend Developer with a portfolio of strong projects.
• Solid understanding of PHP and Laravel frameworks, including dependency injection, routing, migrations, and ORM.
• Researching new and emerging backend technologies, with a focus on the increasing use of AI.

Technology Stack Experience:

• Frameworks: A proven track record working with the PHP, Laravel and Node.JS.
• Servers: Proficiency in network, server instance management and associated security is required. Experience with web servers like Apache.
• Cloud Platforms: An excellent working knowledge of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure and associated technologies.
• Knowledge of version control systems and CI/CD pipelines.
• Databases: Experience with relational and non-relational databases e.g. MySQL. Strong understanding of Big Data structures and schemas.
• Proficiency in RESTful API development and integration. Skilled at creating and securing API endpoints to be used by the frontend dev team.
• Experience in Power Apps (Proficiency in Microsoft Power Suite and Active Directory)

Bonus Experience, Qualities or Skills:

• Experience in the advertising or creative industry.
• Knowledge of other backend languages or frameworks (e.g. Python, C#, Django or Ruby on Rails etc.).
• Understanding of broader frameworks used by the team (e.g. JavaScript, VueJS, SAAS/Bootstrap, Quasar or Vuetify etc.)
• Experience with containerization technologies (e.g. Docker or Kubernetes etc.).
• Previous experience working in an Agile/Scrum development environment.
• Umbraco.net CMS and framework experience
• Adobe AEM experience

ATTRIBUTES:

• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Attention to detail with a commitment to producing high-quality code.
• Deadline-driven with good time management skills.

While we would really like to respond to every application, should you not be contacted for this position within 10 working days please consider your application unsuccessful.

COMMENTS:

When applying for jobs, ensure that you have the minimum job requirements. Only SA Citizens will be considered for this role. If you are not in the mentioned location of any of the jobs, please note your relocation plans in all applications for jobs and correspondence. Apply here https://www.datafin.com/job/php-laravel-developer/

OR e-mail a Word copy of your CV to wendy@datafin.com and mention the reference number of the job.