Junior PHP Backend Developer

About Shiftbase

At Shiftbase, we build workforce software that helps people get work done. Thousands of teams across Europe rely on our platform every day to plan work, track time, and manage leave. We reduce admin so businesses can focus on what really matters.

Our engineering team is 18 people, a mix of cultures and backgrounds, working in an open team culture where ideas travel freely regardless of title.

About the role

You'd join a backend group of 7 engineers, most of them senior, working on a platform that serves hundreds of thousands of users daily.

This is not a greenfield project. Our codebase has real history and real complexity. We're actively modernizing it: migrating to Symfony, implementing hexagonal architecture, using DDD principles, running on GCP with Kubernetes and Flux, and generating API contracts with OpenAPI. You'll learn how to work inside a large system and make it better piece by piece.

The domain is complex. Workforce management touches scheduling, time tracking, leave policies, and labor law across multiple countries. Even our senior engineers take time to fully understand it. If that kind of depth excites you rather than intimidates you, keep reading.

What makes this role different

You'll learn engineering principles, not just a language. Yes, we use PHP (latest version) with Symfony. But the real education here is in OOP, SOLID, Hexagonal Architecture, and Domain-Driven Design. These are transferable skills that make you a strong engineer in any language or stack.

You'll be surrounded by senior engineers who actively mentor. This isn't a team of juniors figuring it out together. You'll pair with experienced engineers, get real code reviews, and have a dedicated buddy from day one.

You'll work with AI tooling that most companies won't adopt for years. We're heavily invested in AI-assisted development. Everyone has access to the latest models. We use Claude Code as our primary tool, we're building spec-driven development workflows, and we're targeting 80% AI-generated code. You'd learn to develop software in a way that will define how engineering works going forward.

Your first 90 days

We have a structured 30/60/90 onboarding plan. You'll get a buddy, guided first work items, and active mentorship. You won't be dropped into a sprint board on day one and told to figure it out.

What you'll do

• Contribute to backend features that directly impact users

• Work on improving performance, reliability, and scalability of existing systems

• Learn to break down problems into manageable, testable pieces

• Support modernization efforts: refactoring legacy code safely and pragmatically

• Get hands-on with relational databases and learn to write efficient queries

• Participate in code reviews and team discussions

• Use AI development tools as part of your daily workflow

Career growth

We use a skill matrix to plot a clear development path, including personal goals you set yourself. You'll have regular growth conversations and a concrete picture of what you're working toward, not just a vague promise of "becoming senior someday."

Who are we looking for

People who are genuinely curious. Who constantly come with ideas to improve things. Who want to try new approaches and aren't afraid to ask questions. Who find satisfaction in making a complex system better over time.

You might be a great fit if:

• You have some experience with backend development (through study, internships or your first job)

• You’re familiar with PHP or another backend language and eager to learn PHP in depth

• You understand basic concepts of databases and APIs

• You enjoy solving problems and figuring things out step by step

• You’re curious about how systems work under the hood

It helps if you've experimented with AI development tools, worked on side projects, or explored architecture patterns on your own.