Senior PHP Software Architect

Join to apply for the Senior PHP Software Architect role at Blackwall Engineered by engineers for engineers, Blackwall is a security infrastructure company focused on protecting web ecosystems from automated threats while optimizing performance, operational costs, and revenue for hosting environments. We build security software and integrations for hosting providers, empowering them to offer seamless protection to their customers. Our tech stack spans C++, GoLang, and PHP – with deep integration into hosting control panels like Plesk and cPanel. We’re looking for a Senior PHP Software Architect who is not only an exceptional coder in pure PHP (no frameworks such as Laravel or Symfony), but also a strong technical leader, mentor, and moderator across our PHP development team. This is not just a coding role. We need someone who can set high standards, review and challenge code quality, and bring discipline and energy to how we build and maintain PHP‑based control panel integrations. You’re someone who combines technical authority with emotional intelligence. You know PHP inside out, but more importantly, you bring structure, discipline, and energy to a team. You don’t just write code – you uplift developers, moderate heated debates, and help good coders become great. If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Key Responsibilities Architect and develop pure PHP‑based integrations with hosting panels, especially Plesk and cPanel Own and enforce PHP code quality, especially for Plesk plugins (which have strict quality procedures and reviews) Act as a code reviewer, mentor, and technical leader within the PHP team Drive team alignment on best practices, naming conventions, and scalable patterns Initiate and moderate discussions on hot technical topics, resolving blockers and encouraging team‑wide improvement Engage directly with external partners (e.g., Plesk engineers) to clarify expectations, align implementation, and ensure approval Translate business needs into robust technical design, balancing pragmatism and maintainability Ensure performance, security, and maintainability are front and center in all PHP implementations Collaborate across teams (Go, C++, UI, DevOps, QA) to drive shared objectives Required Skills & Experience 10+ years of hands‑on PHP development, especially with vanilla PHP, not frameworks Experience developing or maintaining integrations with Plesk, cPanel, or similar platforms Deep understanding of modular code architecture, code review, and software design principles Clear experience leading or mentoring PHP teams, especially in distributed or international settings Strong grasp of MySQL, REST APIs, Git, and related tooling Experience navigating code quality requirements from third parties (e.g., Plesk) Excellent communication skills, with a focus on influence, constructive feedback, and team motivation Fluent English (spoken and written) Nice to Have Understanding of Docker, AWS, Linux environments Experience writing unit and integration tests for PHP applications Familiarity with Go, Python, or cross‑language integrations Prior experience working in e‑commerce or security‑focused software Previous collaboration with hosting companies, plugin ecosystems, or open‑source projects We are striving to create a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage all applicants to apply for our roles. We value and actively seek diverse talent Get to know us a bit better: level: Mid‑Senior level Employment type: Full‑time Industries: IT Services, IT Consulting, Computer and Network Security #J-18808-Ljbffr