Remote Senior Php/Symfony Backend Architect

At Smart Working, we believe your job should not only look right on paper but also feel right every day. This isn’t just another remote opportunity — it’s about finding where you truly belong, no matter where you are. From day one, you’re welcomed into a genuine community that values your growth and well-being.
Our mission is simple: to break down geographic barriers and connect skilled professionals with outstanding global teams and products for full-time, long-term roles. We help you discover meaningful work with teams that invest in your success, where you’re empowered to grow personally and professionally.
Join one of the highest-rated workplaces on Glassdoor and experience what it means to thrive in a truly remote-first world.
Applicants must have the right to work in the country they are applying from and be able to work without employer sponsorship.

About the Role
As a Senior PHP/Symfony Engineer, you will take hands-on ownership of backend development within a mature Symfony platform that manages marketing and revenue data for enterprise customers. The core application currently runs on Symfony 6.1, with an upgrade to Symfony 7 planned, alongside an Angular front end and TypeScript and Python AI agent microservices.
This is a strongly backend-weighted, senior hands-on engineering role requiring an architect mindset, strong independence and the ability to understand how technical decisions affect the wider system. You will work within a remote, cross-functional product squad alongside engineering, product, QA and DevOps colleagues.
About Smart WorkingAt Smart Working, we believe your job should not only look right on paper but also feel right every day. This isn’t just another remote opportunity — it’s about finding where you truly belong, no matter where you are. From day one, you’re welcomed into a genuine community that values your growth and well-being.
Our mission is simple: to break down geographic barriers and connect skilled professionals with outstanding global teams and products for full-time, long-term roles. We help you discover meaningful work with teams that invest in your success, where you’re empowered to grow personally and professionally.
Join one of the highest-rated workplaces on Glassdoor and experience what it means to thrive in a truly remote-first world.
Applicants must have the right to work in the country they are applying from and be able to work without employer sponsorship.

About the Role
As a Senior PHP/Symfony Engineer, you will take hands-on ownership of backend development within a mature Symfony platform that manages marketing and revenue data for enterprise customers. The core application currently runs on Symfony 6.1, with an upgrade to Symfony 7 planned, alongside an Angular front end and TypeScript and Python AI agent microservices.
This is a strongly backend-weighted, senior hands-on engineering role requiring an architect mindset, strong independence and the ability to understand how technical decisions affect the wider system. You will work within a remote, cross-functional product squad alongside engineering, product, QA and DevOps colleagues.
ResponsibilitiesTake ownership of backend development within the core Symfony application, becoming fully independent in delivering work within 2–3 months of joiningReview and critically assess code written by the team and AI tools, challenging proposed approaches and making sure key considerations have been properly addressedSupport the migration from Symfony 6.1 to Symfony 7 by resolving versioning, compatibility and legacy issues currently preventing the upgradeImprove the application’s performance, scalability and maintainability, making it easier and safer to introduce new functionalityWork across the Angular front end, TypeScript and Python-based AI agent services, collaborating with DevOps where backend changes impact other areas of the systemBe comfortable reading and understanding the Angular/TypeScript codebase, even though the role is primarily backend focused. Strong front-end development experience is not requiredUnderstand the wider impact of technical decisions across Symfony, Angular and AI services, while spotting gaps or issues in both human-written and AI-generated codeQuestion existing approaches, identify root causes and look for better ways of building things rather than simply completing assigned ticketsDeliver thoughtful, maintainable solutions within a legacy codebase while maintaining a consistent pace of deliveryWork with a high level of autonomy and ownership while collaborating effectively with a remote, cross-functional teamFollow SOC 2, PII and security requirements consistently and without exceptionRequirements8+ years of commercial software engineering experience, including at least 5 years working with PHP7+ years of Expert-level PHP development experience3+ years of recent commercial experience with Symfony 6.
X/7 at Advanced level. Strong senior-level Laravel experience may be considered where the e