Backend Engineer, PHP (Remote)

About the Role A partner company is seeking an experienced Backend Engineer specializing in PHP to help build and scale backend systems for a global digital gaming marketplace and its expanding portfolio of products. You’ll work in a large-scale engineering environment with a microservices ecosystem spanning more than 100 services. Collaborating with backend, frontend, mobile, design, data, and platform specialists, you’ll help solve complex challenges involving distributed systems, performance, reliability, trust, and safety. Beyond developing new features, you’ll contribute to architectural decisions, improve engineering practices, and take ownership of technical challenges that directly affect products used by millions of customers. Key Responsibilities •Design, develop, scale, and maintain reliable backend services using PHP and Symfony within a large microservices architecture. •Build and deliver product features while considering scalability, performance, reliability, and the end-user experience. •Participate in architectural discussions and help develop technical solutions for complex distributed-system challenges. •Work with technologies and patterns including GraphQL, Golang, Temporal, Saga orchestration, and established service design practices. •Collaborate with frontend, mobile, design, data, and platform engineering teams to deliver high-quality products. •Improve code quality, observability, engineering practices, and system resilience across the technology ecosystem. •Investigate technical problems, implement solutions, and take ownership through resolution. •Identify opportunities to improve development workflows, system performance, and team effectiveness. Required Qualifications & Technical Skills •8+ years of professional backend engineering experience, including hands-on experience building and scaling distributed systems. •Strong proficiency in PHP and Symfony, including experience with modern versions of the framework. •Solid understanding of microservices architecture and distributed-system patterns, including CQRS, circuit breaking, and service orchestration. •Experience working with databases and data stores such as MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, Prometheus, InfluxDB, or Elasticsearch. •Familiarity with cloud and infrastructure technologies such as Kubernetes, Helm, AWS, and Terraform. •Ability to contribute to architectural discussions and make sound technical decisions. •Strong problem-solving skills and a high level of ownership. •A product-minded approach that considers the impact of technical decisions on end users. •Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional engineering environment. •A collaborative mindset, openness to feedback, and an interest in experimentation and continuous improvement. Compensation & Benefits The annual compensation range is €55,000–€72,000, with additional opportunities that include: •Bonus opportunities and performance-based incentives. •Participation in an employee stock options program. •Referral bonuses and additional paid-leave programs. •A personal learning budget for professional development. •Paid volunteering opportunities. •Structured feedback and promotion processes to support career growth. Work Arrangement & Career Development The role offers flexibility in choosing where to work, including remotely, from an office, or while traveling. The position provides opportunities to influence technical direction, contribute to a large-scale technology platform, and grow professionally within an established engineering environment. Application Process This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages applications and the subsequent recruitment process.