Senior PHP Developer

Company Description

App Inlet is a dynamic mobile and internet technology company specialising in professional app and web development. Our highly qualified team of business analysts, architects, programmers, developers, and designers work together to deliver top-quality services efficiently and cost-effectively. We offer tailor-made solutions, including websites, apps, web maintenance, and site upgrades, with expertise in various technologies such as PHP, Flutter, Laravel, and more. Our focus is on building long-lasting relationships with clients through reliable support and tailored solutions that evolve with their business needs.
We are looking for a seasoned leader
to drive technical excellence and mentor our development team as we scale our operations.

Role Description

This is a full-time hybrid role for a
Senior PHP Developer / Team Lead
based in the City of Cape Town, with work-from-home flexibility. This role is a critical position that combines
hands-on technical mastery
with
team leadership and architectural oversight
.

The Senior Developer / Team Lead will be responsible for:

• Architectural Design & Strategy:
  Leading the technical design, planning, and implementation of highly scalable, efficient, and secure applications. This includes defining best practices, code standards, and the overall software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Team Leadership & Mentorship:
  Mentoring developers, conducting code reviews, and fostering a collaborative, high-performance team environment. Act as a technical subject matter expert for the team.
• Hands-On Development:
  Taking ownership of complex features, performing advanced back-end web development, expert-level object-oriented programming (OOP), and ensuring system performance and reliability.
• Project Ownership:
  Collaborating closely with Business Analysts and Product Owners to estimate tasks, define requirements, and ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standard.
• Technical Roadmapping:
  Researching and recommending new technologies, tools, and processes to improve development efficiency and product quality.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  Working directly with clients, designers, and cross-functional teams to translate complex business requirements into robust technical solutions.

Qualifications

To excel in this Senior/Lead role, candidates should demonstrate deep technical expertise and proven leadership ability:

Technical Mastery (Required)

• Extensive Proficiency
  in
  Back-End Web Development
  and
  Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
  , with a deep understanding of design patterns (e.g., MVC, Repository, Factory).
• 5+ years
  of professional experience in software development, with a significant focus on PHP.
• Expert-level knowledge and practical experience with
  Laravel
  .
• Proven ability to design and implement
  RESTful APIs
  and microservices architecture.
• Experience with relational and NoSQL databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis), including advanced query optimisation and database scaling.
• Strong understanding of security principles (e.g., OWASP Top 10) and performance tuning.
• Proficiency in modern
  Front-End Development
  concepts (e.g., state management, build tools) and frameworks (e.g., React, Vue, or a deep understanding of Flutter integration).

Leadership & Soft Skills (Essential)

• Demonstrated experience in leading a development team
  or taking a technical leadership role on significant projects.
• Exceptional
  problem-solving and analytical abilities
  with a proactive approach to anticipating technical challenges.
• Excellent written and verbal
  communication skills
  for technical discussions, documentation, and client interactions.
• Proven ability to mentor, coach, and elevate the technical skills of team members.
• Experience with
  CI/CD pipelines, Git flow, and modern DevOps practices
  is highly desirable.

Highly Desirable Experience

• Experience with
  Flutter
  for cross-platform mobile development.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS.
• Experience with
  TDD (Test-Driven Development)
  and building comprehensive unit and integration tests.