Senior PHP Engineer

Job Description

Are you ready to drive the technical future of our platform and mentor the next generation of developers?

As a Senior Engineer, you will take on a pivotal role in designing, building, and scaling our core platform. You will be responsible for the technical foundation of our most impactful features, including job distribution systems, direct apply integrations, and programmatic advertising tools. You look ahead, anticipate technical challenges, and ensure our architecture is ready for future growth.

This role is for an initial period of 7 months. The position will be reviewed in the sixth month for possible contract renewal. In this role, you will take full ownership of major projects from architectural design to deployment. Next to your technical contributions, you play a key role in the team by guiding and coaching junior and medior developers, helping them level up their skills. You will collaborate closely with product stakeholders and manage technical alignment with external partners.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Taking full architectural and technical ownership of platform features and product improvements.
• Driving the development of job distribution, direct apply, and programmatic advertising systems.
• Mentoring, coaching, and doing code reviews for junior and medior engineers within the team.
• Making independent, strategic technical decisions that impact the scalability and reliability of our platform.
• Championing clean code, modern development practices, and domain-driven design.

Requirements

• Experience & Tech Stack: You have extensive professional experience with PHP and MySQL in complex environments. Deep knowledge of the Symfony framework is a hard requirement for this position.
• Front end Knowledge: Experience with Svelte is highly preferred. We prefer a full-stack engineer who can confidently navigate both ends, but a rock-solid, expert-level back-end focus is an absolute must.
• Platform & Core Skills: Proven experience with building and scaling complex platforms, specifically dealing with high-volume data, job distribution, or programmatic advertising. You are highly skilled in advanced API design (REST, SOAP, GraphQL) and complex authentication mechanisms.
• Leadership & Coaching: Strong soft skills with a natural ability to mentor and guide less experienced developers. You know how to give constructive feedback and enjoy helping others grow.
• Forward Thinking Mindset: You possess a strategic and analytical mindset. You do not just build for today, you think ahead about scalability, maintenance, and future product goals.
• Team Player: Despite your seniority and independence, you are a team player first. You value collaboration, open communication, and achieving success together with the team.
• Language: Fluent and comfortable communicating in both Dutch and English, especially when aligning on high-level integration specs with external partners.

Note: Applicants who want to work fully remote or do not meet the language requirements will not qualify for the role.

Why Join Us?
As a recognized Strategic Leader in the HR Tech space by Fosway Group for five consecutive years, VONQ is not a company that talks about innovation and then delivers mediocrity. We build and ship. Our customers include Danone, PwC, DHL Group, Deloitte, and Decathlon. Our partner network spans over eighty-five ATS platforms globally. And we are now deploying AI screening capabilities live inside those ecosystems, with real customers and real results.

We offer autonomy, cross-functional collaboration, and the chance to make a real commercial impact at a company that is building something that matters.

What's in it for You?

• A paycheck that fairly reflects the market and your experience, and of course, monthly pension contributions
• Well-equipped laptop for both business and private use!
• A fixed monthly phone expense allowance
• A premium HeadSpace subscription to recharge your batteries after work.
• Flexible vacation days - that's right, we will not define a specific number, though a fair-usage approach applies to keep all team members happy! ✈️
• A modern office in prime locations such as Rotterdam/Groningen/Dusseldorf/London — enjoy your lunch in the city! ️ Not to mention that commuting could not be easier, even by public transport. ️
• 100% reimbursement of your public transport expenses, so you can come to this lovely office worry-free.
• Still prefer to use your own vehicle? We offer a KM reimbursement, and parking is on us!
• A hybrid work model - work in the office and from home. ⏰
• Snacks, sodas, coffee (with oat milk for the fans ), and everything you need for a “pick me up” break .
• Opportunities to grow your skills and take on exciting challenges in an entrepreneurial environment. No silos, no corporate red tape - share your ideas freely, even directly with the CEO
• A great, fun and young team in a dynamic, fast-growing international tech company — together we are stronger!

Buckle up and get hired! Here’s our interview process:

1. Recruiter Call – A quick, friendly chat to see if we're a mutual match.
2. Meet Your Manager – Dive into what the role actually looks like IRL.
3. Case Assignment – Walk us through your strategy and how you like to work.
4. Final Step: Reference Checks – A quick chat with 2 former managers/ clients/ colleagues to hear what it’s like to work with you.

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