Senior PHP Software Engineer

The Role

We are looking for a Senior PHP Software Engineer to join the Scrums.com talent network. You will build and maintain web applications using PHP and Laravel for international client projects. The work ranges from greenfield builds to extending and refactoring existing codebases that serve production traffic.

What You Will Work On

• Build and maintain web applications using PHP 8+ and the Laravel framework
• Design and implement RESTful APIs consumed by frontend and mobile clients
• Write database migrations, optimise queries, and manage MySQL or PostgreSQL schemas
• Implement authentication, authorisation, and security best practices
• Write automated tests (PHPUnit, Pest) and maintain CI/CD pipelines
• Review code, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to technical decision-making

What We Look For

• 5+ years of professional PHP development, with strong Laravel experience
• Solid understanding of OOP principles, design patterns, and SOLID
• Experience with relational databases (MySQL or PostgreSQL) including query optimisation
• Familiarity with queue systems (Redis, RabbitMQ), caching, and background job processing
• Git workflow proficiency and experience with CI/CD tools
• Experience working in distributed teams across timezones

Why Scrums.com

Scrums.com is not a job board. It is a talent network that connects African engineers with international client projects across the UK, US, and Europe. You join the platform, get vetted, and get matched to real engagements with companies that need your specific skills.

What that looks like in practice:

• Work with global clients from where you are. No relocation required.
• Long-term engagements, not one-off gigs. Some of our engineers have been embedded with the same client for over two years.
• A dedicated talent specialist who knows your skills, matches you to the right projects, and supports you through onboarding and beyond.
• Interview preparation and the ability to pursue multiple opportunities at once.
• No fees, no subscription. The platform is free for engineers.

You bring the engineering. We handle the sourcing, the vetting, the matching, and the client relationship. Apply once, get considered for every relevant project that comes through.

Engineering in Cape Town

Cape Town has established itself as South Africa's startup and product engineering hub. The city punches above its weight in software, with a concentrated ecosystem of product companies, agencies, and international remote teams clustered around the CBD, Woodstock, and the Southern Suburbs. The lifestyle and timezone overlap with Europe make it a natural base for engineers working with UK and EU clients.

The developer community in Cape Town is tight-knit and active, with regular meetups across Python, JavaScript, DevOps, and data engineering. Scrums.com's Cape Town operation supports engineers who want access to international project work without leaving a city that consistently ranks among the best places to live on the continent.

This role is open to engineers based in or willing to relocate to the Cape Town metro area. You will work remotely with international clients during UK or European business hours.