Senior Backend Developer - Platform & Core Systems

Position Title: Senior Back-End Developer – Platform & Core Systems Job Summary Our partner is seeking a Senior Back-End Developer to design, build, and maintain high-throughput server-side architecture powering a high-traffic media and streaming platform serving millions of active users. This senior individual contributor role is tailored for an engineer capable of owning backend services end-to-end, optimizing production environments, and driving technical decisions as system scale, data volume, and operational complexity expand. The technical environment centers on distributed backend services, data-intensive application logic, and mission-critical production systems built for maximum uptime and minimal latency. The ideal candidate brings comprehensive experience across PHP ecosystem architectures, relational databases (MySQL), caching tiers, custom APIs, and Linux server environments, alongside the collaborative mindset required to seamlessly integrate client-facing interfaces with robust server logic. In this role, you will collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to transform technical requirements into resilient system designs, applying software engineering fundamentals to complex backend challenges across data, application, and infrastructure tiers. Key Responsibilities Architect, optimize, and maintain scalable server-side systems for a high-volume media platform, prioritizing execution speed, maintainability, and operational stability.Engineer robust APIs, design and optimize MySQL database schemas, and fine-tune complex queries for peak efficiency.Implement multi-tier caching patterns utilizing Redis and Memcached to accelerate data delivery and minimize database load.Build and support asynchronous background job processing workflows, queue managers, and large-scale data pipeline workloads.Maintain, refactor, and modernize legacy codebases while continuously improving overall system architecture and developer tooling.Partner with front-end engineers to seamlessly integrate server-side logic with user interfaces across web and mobile surfaces.Champion code quality and architectural standards through thorough code reviews, reusable component design, and technical mentorship. Required Qualifications 8+ years of professional backend software engineering experience, with a proven track record of supporting high-traffic production environments at scale.10+ years of OOP software development experience, including 5+ years of dedicated expertise in modern PHP environments (PHP 8+).Advanced proficiency with MySQL database design, schema optimization, indexing strategies, and query performance tuning.Practical, hands-on experience implementing enterprise caching solutions using Redis and Memcached.Deep understanding of web application architecture, HTTP/HTTPS protocols, network fundamentals, and Linux system administration (including log inspection and live troubleshooting).Working knowledge of client-side web technologies (JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS) with a flexible, hands-on engineering mindset. Preferred Qualifications Domain experience with video processing pipelines, streaming protocols, media container formats, or live-streaming technology stacks.Familiarity with NGINX web server configuration, WebSocket-based real-time communication, BASH scripting, and static analysis tools like PHPStan.Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.Hands-on experience modernizing legacy PHP codebases, working with server-side rendering (SSR) frameworks, or building out automated testing/CI-CD workflows (PHPUnit). Target Compensation United States: $159,000 – $176,000 USD base salary + standard benefits + equity Note: The salary range provided serves as a good-faith estimate based on internal benchmarking, market data, and role scope. Final compensation depends on individual candidate skill level, experience, and assessment. Why Work With Our Partner Direct involvement in empowering an independent digital content creator community and building revenue-generating opportunities for creatorsA fast-paced, high-ownership engineering culture focused on competing against legacy tech giantsA proactive team environment that values rapid execution, technical experimentation, and decisive actionCompetitive base compensation, comprehensive healthcare coverage, and equity packages Equal Opportunity Employer Our partner is an equal opportunity employer. They provide equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected characteristic under relevant federal, state, or local laws. Our partner actively participates in the E-Verify program.