Senior Backend Developer - PHP/Symfony

Ready to help free restaurants from expensive platform dependencies? Join Synmatch AI's client as a Senior Backend Developer (PHP/Symfony) with an innovative company on a mission: FREE THE RESTAURANTS. Their webshop, platform, and intelligent automations put restaurants back at the center, helping them strengthen customer relationships, work more independently, and become more profitable. Our client seeks an experienced backend developer to build BOSS, their retention engine that keeps guests ordering again through personalized messaging and offers at the right moment. This is backend and data-heavy work, you'll build the messaging service, transform analytics data into targeted audiences, and optimize offers that drive real reorders rather than discount giveaways. This role requires genuine independence. You and one fellow developer are the BOSS team, there's no resident senior engineer to carry you. You'll ship features end-to-end in PHP with Symfony and Doctrine, shape features technically with the Product Manager, and complete a structured 60-day onboarding before taking full ownership. Key responsibilities Own BOSS Implementation: Build the messaging service with send and send-timing logic, data pipelines transforming analytics into audiences, and offer optimization in restaurant-facing admin toolsShip End-to-End: Build features independently in PHP with Symfony and Doctrine, on Docker with Git, no senior engineer to carry youDefine Team Interfaces: Establish interfaces between the core platform team and BOSS team together with your fellow developer, aligned with a senior architecture anchorShape Features Technically: Work with the Product Manager early on feasibility, architecture options, and effort estimates, not just working ticketsComplete Structured Onboarding: Finish 60-day onboarding into existing architecture, supported by ~6 hours weekly knowledge transfer from a senior core team engineerImprove Process & Quality: Introduce concrete measures that durably improve process or code quality, not just feature outputCode Daily: Work hands-on in the code every single day, this is not an architecture-only role Candidate requirements Senior Backend Experience: Several years at senior level in a data-driven product, ideally e-commerce, marketplace, or food deliveryPHP Mastery: PHP as core craft with real Symfony and Doctrine depth not just familiarityTooling Proficiency: Solid Docker experience and confident daily Git workIndependent Delivery: Proven track record shipping features independently end-to-end without hand-holdingHypothesis-Driven Approach: Diagnose before building, with ability to show where this changed outcomesProduct Collaboration: Ability to shape features technically with a PM through feasibility, options, and effort estimatesData-Heavy Comfort: Comfortable with data-intensive backend workLanguage Skills: Fluent English (German is a plus, not required)Timezone Overlap: A few hours of daily overlap with the Bremen team around Central European Time What makes you a strong fit You ship features end-to-end independently and don't wait to be told the next stepYou measure your work in outcomes for restaurants and guests, not tickets closedYou start from hypothesis and diagnosis before reaching for solutionsYou're comfortable building foundations in a new, unfinished productYou genuinely want this specific role, not just a career stamp Desirable (but not required) Experience with ClickHouse, dbt, or comparable analytical data toolingExperience with recommendation and personalization systems How this role works with the Product Manager Building the system is separated from steering the product. You bring feasibility, architecture options, and technical risk assessment; the Product Manager makes product decisions and prioritizes what ships. You and your fellow developer share the BOSS architecture together, aligned with a senior core team engineer as architecture anchor. Benefits and perks Compensation: EUR 35,000-55,000 gross per yearMeaningful Mission: Build technology that gives restaurant owners genuine independenceProven Product: Work on a solution that already helps restaurants today with regular positive feedbackHigh Visibility: Environment where clarity, quality, and impact count—your work is directly visibleDirect Leadership Access: Collaborate directly with leadership with mandate to build BOSS from the foundations upModern Equipment: Modern hardware for friction-free workReal Responsibility: Short paths, clear decisions, and genuine responsibility from day oneQuarterly Team Trips: Fly to Germany once per quarter, fully funded, to work with the team in personOpen Culture: Team that communicates openly, collaborates willingly, and grows together