Backend Developer (PHP / Laravel)

Location: Chicago, IL (Onsite)

We are seeking a talented Backend Developer with strong PHP and Laravel experience to join our engineering team in Chicago. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys designing scalable backend systems, building robust APIs, and contributing to high-quality web applications in a collaborative onsite environment.

As a Backend Developer, you will work closely with front-end developers, product managers, and other engineers to develop and maintain reliable backend services and application infrastructure.

Responsibilities

1. Design, develop, and maintain backend applications using PHP and the Laravel framework
2. Build and maintain RESTful APIs and server-side functionality
3. Collaborate with front-end developers to integrate user-facing elements with backend logic
4. Write clean, maintainable, and efficient code following best practices
5. Optimize application performance, scalability, and security
6. Troubleshoot, debug, and resolve production issues
7. Design and manage database structures, queries, and migrations
8. Participate in code reviews and contribute to architectural decisions
9. Work within an agile development environment and contribute to sprint planning and delivery

Qualifications

1. 3+ years of backend development experience
2. Strong proficiency in PHP and Laravel
3. Experience building and consuming RESTful APIs
4. Solid understanding of relational databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL
5. Familiarity with MVC architecture and object-oriented programming principles
6. Experience with Git and version control workflows
7. Understanding of application security and performance optimization
8. Strong problem-solving and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure
2. Familiarity with Docker or containerized development environments
3. Experience with queue systems, caching technologies, and background job processing
4. Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment practices
5. Exposure to modern JavaScript frameworks is a plus

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