Senior PHP Backend Developer

About the Company and Role

Hays is recruiting for a Senior PHP Backend Developer to join a global technology vendor specializing in hyper-secure content governance, data protection, enterprise file sync, and document workflow solutions. This vendor is establishing an engineering presence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of its regional expansion. The role offers a collaborative, global tech culture focused on supporting engineering talent.

Your New Role as Senior PHP Backend Developer

As a Senior PHP Backend Developer within the Growth & Expansion team, you will be responsible for developing robust server-side functionality and solving complex architectural challenges. This full-time position, based in the Riyadh office, involves building scalable cloud-based services and delivering high-quality software while collaborating with a global engineering team. The role requires 2-5 years of experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Designing, developing, and extending hyper-secure enterprise web applications and cloud services.
• Building and optimizing backend systems using modern PHP ecosystems (PHP *, Composer, PHPUnit), MongoDB, NodeJS, and AWS/Azure.
• Integrating databases, file systems, caching layers (Memcached/Redis), and search technologies (Solr).
• Resolving complex architectural hurdles, troubleshooting customer-reported issues, and delivering timely software patches.
• Leveraging AI coding assistants (*, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) within daily development workflows to accelerate code generation, review, and documentation.

Compensation and Benefits

• Compensation: A competitive salary accompanied by an annual bonus scheme.
• Time Off: 20 days of paid time off (increasing with tenure up to 25 days), 10 public holidays, a paid day off for your birthday, and a paid volunteering day.
• Stipends & Support: Full coverage/reimbursement for all role-associated hardware costs, alongside monthly internet, lunch, and wellbeing stipends.

Work Environment and Growth

This is an onsite position in Riyadh with flexible working hours designed to overlap with global development teams. The company provides structured mentorship models with dedicated time reserved for training, continuous education, and career advancement.