Backend Developer | PHP | Mid-Senior Level | Riyadh, KSA | $45,000 - $65,000 + Discretionary bonus + benefits

Backend Developer | PHP | Mid-Senior Level | Riyadh, KSA | $45,000 - $65,000 + Discretionary bonus + benefitsWe’re looking for an experienced PHP Backend Developer to join a growing technology business in Riyadh. You will be responsible for developing server-side functionality and building scalable, cloud-based services, working on complex technical challenges across an established software product.This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who enjoys solving problems, writing high-quality code and contributing to architectural decisions.

Responsibilities

Design and develop reliable scalable backend software.Build new functionality and extend existing software products.Solve complex architectural challenges.Integrate with databases, file systems and cloud services.Troubleshoot customer issues and deliver software fixes and patches.Participate in code reviews and contribute to engineering best practice.Work with technologies including PHP, MongoDB, Node.js, AWS/Azure, Git, Memcache, PHPUnit and Solr.Use AI coding tools as part of your development workflow.Share knowledge and collaborate with other engineers across the team.Essential experience:4+ years of professional software engineering experience.At least 3 years’ experience developing web applications.Strong commercial PHP development experience.Good understanding of object-oriented programming and design patterns.Experience with automated testing.Strong understanding of client-server architecture.Knowledge of web technologies including HTTP, REST and XML.Experience integrating backend applications with databases, cloud services and other systems.Comfortable using AI coding assistants such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor or similar for coding, debugging, reviews and documentation.Strong spoken and written English.Desirable experience:Experience with modern PHP frameworks.Knowledge of enterprise architecture patterns, event-driven systems and queues.Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases, particularly MongoDB.Familiarity with CI/CD, Jenkins, Docker, Solr and Redis.Basic knowledge of JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3.Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related discipline.If you’re an experienced PHP developer based in Saudi Arabia or open to relocating to Riyadh I’d be keen to hear from you.