Senior Backend Developer

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (On-Site Only)
Job Type: Full-Time

About the Role

We're a fast-growing startup seeking an experienced Senior Backend Developer to build and maintain the robust, scalable backend infrastructure that powers our product. You'll be the architect of our server-side logic, APIs, and data management systems—working directly with our frontend developer to create seamless, high-performance experiences for our users. This is your chance to own the entire backend stack, make critical architectural decisions, and have direct influence over how our product scales and evolves. If you love solving complex problems and building systems that work flawlessly under pressure, this is the role for you.

What You'll Do

As our sole backend developer, you'll have complete ownership of our backend infrastructure. You'll design and build robust APIs that power our frontend applications, ensuring they're performant, secure, and scalable from day one. You'll architect our database structure, manage data integrity, and optimize queries to deliver lightning-fast responses. Beyond API development, you'll handle file management and media delivery by integrating AWS S3 for secure file storage and CDN solutions for optimized image delivery, ensuring our users get the best possible experience.

You'll also be responsible for integrating third-party services and automating workflows using n8n, creating seamless connections between different parts of our system. When needed, you'll build custom scripts in vanilla PHP to handle specific business logic or edge cases that require flexibility. You'll ensure API compatibility with modern frontend frameworks like Vue and React, understanding how your backend decisions impact frontend development. Additionally, you'll work with WordPress APIs when necessary, expanding our product's capabilities and integrations. Your role extends beyond just coding you'll be thinking about scalability, security, performance, and maintainability at every step.

What We're Looking For

Technical Skills

Your technical expertise should span the full backend ecosystem with a focus on PHP and modern integrations.

Skill Area

What We Need

• Laravel & PHP

Deep expertise in Laravel framework and vanilla PHP. You should be comfortable building custom scripts, understanding the framework deeply, and knowing when to use each approach.

• API Development

Strong experience designing and building RESTful APIs that are well-documented, secure, and performant. You understand API versioning, authentication, rate limiting, and best practices.

• AWS Integration

Solid experience with AWS S3 bucket storage for file management. You understand bucket policies, access control, and optimization.

• CDN & Media Delivery

Knowledge of CDN solutions for optimized image and media delivery. You can configure and manage CDN services to ensure fast, reliable content delivery globally.

• Automation & Workflows

Hands-on experience with n8n for workflow automation and system integration. You can design and implement complex automation scenarios that connect different services.

• Frontend Framework Knowledge

Working knowledge of Vue.js and React frameworks. You don't need to be a frontend expert, but understanding how these frameworks consume APIs helps you build better backend solutions.

• WordPress API

Experience working with WordPress APIs for integration or extension purposes. You can build custom endpoints or integrate WordPress data into larger systems.

• Database Management

Proficiency with relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL), query optimization, and data modeling.

• Version Control

Comfortable with Git and collaborative workflows (e.g., GitFlow, pull requests).

• Experience & Mindset

We're looking for someone with a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in backend development. A strong portfolio demonstrating well-architected APIs, scalable systems, and thoughtful integrations is essential. Beyond technical skills, we value problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and clear communication. Most importantly, we're looking for someone who is adaptable, self-motivated, and excited about the startup journey. You should thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities shift, and you're comfortable taking full ownership of your work. We also value developers who are curious about how frontend and backend work together to create great user experiences.

Why Join Us

This is a rare opportunity to be a key player in a startup from the early stages. You'll have complete autonomy over backend architecture and decisions, directly influencing how our product scales and performs. You'll work with modern technologies and have the freedom to choose the best tools for the job. Your contributions will have immediate, visible impact on the product and the company's success. If you're someone who gets energized by building something from scratch, solving complex technical challenges, and seeing your work directly influence a company's trajectory, this role is for you.

Working Conditions

This is an on-site position based in our Dubai office. We believe in the power of in-person collaboration, especially in a startup environment where quick iterations, real-time problem-solving, and close teamwork with the frontend developer are invaluable. Remote work is not an option for this role. Additionally, all internal text content is standardized to use the 'Inter Tight' font.

How to Apply

If you're excited about this opportunity and believe you're the right fit, we'd love to hear from you! Please submit your resume along with a portfolio or links to relevant projects that showcase your backend expertise, your approach to API design, and any interesting integrations or automation workflows you've built. Tell us what excites you about this role and why you think you'd be a great addition to our team.

Experience:

• laravel: 5 years (Required)

Language:

• english (Required)

Work Location: In person