Lead PHP/Symfony Engineer (Remote, Full-Time) - [HR191]

About Smart Working

At Smart Working, we believe the right job should do more than strengthen your CV - it should challenge you, inspire you, and feel right every day. We connect experienced professionals with long-term, full-time remote roles where engineering excellence truly matters.

Our mission is to remove geographic barriers and match top talent with global teams building high-impact, mission-critical products. We partner with companies that value precision, ownership, and long-term growth, empowering our people to thrive both professionally and personally.

Join one of the highest-rated workplaces on Glassdoor and experience what it means to work in a truly remote-first environment.

About the Role

Important: Laravel-only experience is not qualifying - proven Symfony experience is mandatory!!!

We’re hiring a Lead PHP & Symfony Software Engineer to work on mission-critical backend systems where code quality, reliability, and accountability are non-negotiable. This role goes far beyond feature delivery - it’s about engineering craftsmanship, technical ownership, and building systems you can truly stand behind.

You’ll be part of a highly collaborative Agile team, working closely with product, QA, and other engineers across the full lifecycle - from ticket definition and design through testing, review, and production deployment. This role is ideal for someone who values clean architecture, Test-Driven Development, thoughtful technical decisions, and mentoring others while building robust, scalable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain high-quality backend systems using PHP and Symfony
• Own features end-to-end, from ticket creation and technical design to production release
• Write clean, strongly-typed, maintainable, and testable code that meets strict quality standards
• Apply design patterns thoughtfully and consistently
• Build and maintain comprehensive automated test coverage using PHPUnit and similar tools
• Follow and promote Test-Driven Development (TDD) practices
• Use static analysis, linters, and code quality tools to ensure reliability and consistency
• Participate actively in code reviews, providing and receiving constructive feedback
• Collaborate closely with product, design, and QA teams to deliver robust solutions
• Break down complex initiatives into well-defined, actionable tasks and guide implementation
• Monitor systems and participate in a rotating on-call schedule when required
• Promote secure coding practices and ensure code is free from known vulnerabilities
• Document architecture, decisions, and processes to support team-wide knowledge sharing
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and contribute to a strong engineering culture

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional experience with PHP (7.4 / 8+)
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with the Symfony framework
• Strong understanding and practical use of design patterns
• Solid experience with unit and integration testing (PHPUnit, Behat, or similar)
• Hands-on experience with Test-Driven Development (TDD)
• Familiarity with static analysis tools (PHPStan, Psalm, or similar)
• Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines, code coverage, and deployment workflows
• Excellent technical communication skills and ability to explain and defend technical decisions
• High ownership mindset and strong sense of accountability

Nice-to-Have

• Experience working with MongoDB
• Familiarity with JavaScript, React, Node.js, and/or TypeScript
• Experience with Docker and/or Kubernetes
• Experience working on high-availability or mission-critical systems

Benefits

• Fixed Shifts: 12:00 PM - 9:30 PM IST (Summer) | 1:00 PM - 10:30 PM IST (Winter)
• No Weekend Work: Real work-life balance, not just words
• Day 1 Benefits: Laptop and full medical insurance provided
• Support That Matters: Mentorship, community, and forums where ideas are shared
• True Belonging: A long-term career where your contributions are valued