Overview
Seeking a Senior PHP Developer to help modernise and scale our Learning Management System (LMS) used by over 100,000 students each year across Australia.
This role combines high-quality feature delivery with active system improvement. You will own complex features end-to-end while steadily reducing legacy complexity, improving reliability, and strengthening architectural foundations as we transition from a legacy PHP codebase to Laravel.
Working closely with the Technical Director and broader development team, you'll operate with significant autonomy and technical influence. This role is suited to a developer who is comfortable in complex systems, makes sound trade-offs, and proactively improves the codebase rather than simply shipping tickets.
Key Responsibilities
* Deliver complex backend and frontend features aligned with the LMS modernisation roadmap
* Shape architectural decisions and lead pragmatic system improvements
* Play a key role in the staged migration of legacy components into modern Laravel architecture
* Refactor and simplify legacy PHP components to reduce technical debt
* Participate in root cause analysis and long-term remediation of production issues
* Identify and reduce hidden coupling, operational risk, and reliability bottlenecks
* Design and maintain REST APIs supporting internal and external integrations
* Optimise database queries and application performance
* Maintain high standards in code quality, testing, and peer review
* Contribute to CI/CD and deployment improvements
* Provide thoughtful, constructive technical feedback to other developers
What Success Looks Like
* Complex features delivered with minimal rework and clear architectural alignment
* Measurable reduction in legacy system complexity and technical debt
* Clear improvement in development velocity without increased operational risk
* Fewer production incidents and faster root cause resolution
* Cleaner pull request cycles with stronger engineering standards
* Clear, maintainable documentation and consistent coding practices
* Proactive identification of structural risks before they become production issues
Selection Criteria
* 5+ years commercial development experience, including substantial PHP backend work
* Strong hands‑on Laravel experience in production environments
* Demonstrated experience working in and improving complex or legacy production systems
* Strong understanding of application architecture, maintainability, and operational risk
* Advanced SQL optimisation experience (MySQL/MariaDB)
* Expertise in designing and developing REST APIs
* Experience owning features end‑to‑end in live environments
* Comfortable constructively challenging technical decisions
* Able to operate independently and prioritise effectively
* Australian work rights required
Nice to have
* LMS or EdTech experience
* CI/CD and DevOps experience
* Experience using AI‑assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex) to support coding, refactoring, and documentation
* Experience working in small, high‑ownership teams where individuals take responsibility for outcomes
Why Join Us
* High‑trust role with meaningful technical ownership
* Direct collaboration with the Technical Director on platform modernisation
* Established, profitable Australian business with over 1 million learners served
* Clear long‑term modernisation roadmap already underway
* Hybrid work arrangement (2 days WFH per week)
* Stable Brisbane‑based team with structured business hours
This role requires a minimum of three days in the office and can provide two days WFH. Please only apply if you can meet this requirement.
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Your application will include the following questions:
* Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
* How many years' experience do you have as a PHP developer?
* What's your expected annual base salary?
* How much notice are you required to give your current employer?
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