Back End PHP Developer

About The Company Van Dijnsen is a dynamic and innovative organization committed to delivering exceptional solutions in its industry. Known for its dedication to quality, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement, Van Dijnsen has established a strong reputation for excellence. The company values its employees and fosters a collaborative environment that encourages growth, creativity, and professional development. With a focus on leveraging cutting-edge technology and industry best practices, Van Dijnsen aims to remain at the forefront of its sector, providing innovative services and products that meet the evolving needs of its clients and stakeholders. About The Role We are seeking a motivated and thoughtful Software Engineer to join Van Dijnsen’s talented development team. In this role, you will be instrumental in maintaining and enhancing our web applications, primarily focusing on PHP and Node.js back-end systems. You will work on the busiest event ticketing website in the UK, which attracts over 10 million page impressions per month, experiencing continuous growth. The position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a high-traffic platform, driving projects from initial concept through to deployment and maintenance. Our agile development environment encourages iterative development, innovation, and collaboration, making this an ideal role for someone eager to broaden their technical expertise and contribute meaningful solutions. Qualifications The ideal candidate will possess a minimum of 2-3 years of commercial PHP experience, with hands-on experience working with modern frameworks such as Laravel or Symfony. A relevant computing degree or equivalent professional experience is highly desirable. You should have a solid understanding of object-oriented design principles, and experience working on production systems where reliability, security, and user impact are critical. Familiarity with Node.js back-end services, RESTful API development, and integration with third-party services is essential. Additionally, experience with MySQL, ElasticSearch, and AWS cloud services will be advantageous. The candidate must demonstrate strong troubleshooting and debugging skills, excellent communication abilities to explain technical solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and a proactive approach to ownership and project delivery. Experience with automated testing, code reviews, legacy code management, and industry best practices is also important. Responsibilities As a Software Engineer at Van Dijnsen, your responsibilities will include: Developing, maintaining, and enhancing PHP and Node.js back-end systems, ensuring optimal performance and security.Participating in the full software development lifecycle, from ticket refinement through to deployment and post-release support.Writing clean, maintainable, and testable code, with a focus on object-oriented design principles.Building and consuming RESTful APIs and integrating third-party services to extend platform capabilities.Collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify requirements, propose solutions, and implement improvements.Engaging in code reviews, raising pull requests, and providing constructive feedback to team members.Troubleshooting and debugging issues in production environments, ensuring minimal user impact.Incrementally improving legacy codebases, making pragmatic trade-offs to balance stability and innovation.Staying informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices, and sharing insights with the team.Participating in continuous learning initiatives, including AI-powered development tools and other innovative approaches. Benefits Van Dijnsen offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support our employees' well-being and professional growth. These include a friendly and informal working environment with casual dress code, health insurance provided by Vitality after one year of service, and a generous holiday allowance starting at 25 days, increasing to 30 days plus bank holidays. Employees can benefit from performance-based compensation, a cycle-to-work scheme, tech scheme, and electric car scheme—all available after one year of service. The company also provides a pension scheme, sick pay, and opportunities for future career progression. Work hours are 37.5 per week, Monday to Friday, with flexible remote working options and the possibility to work from our offices in Preston, Liverpool, Manchester, or London. Van Dijnsen values its staff and regularly organizes team outings, Christmas parties, and charitable activities to foster a lively and inclusive culture. Equal Opportunity Van Dijnsen is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe that a diverse team enhances our ability to innovate and serve our clients effectively. All employment decisions are made based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, ensuring a fair and equitable recruitment process.