Senior PHP Developer

We are looking for a Senior PHP Developer with deep technical expertise and a strong background in building scalable, high-performance systems. In this role, you will lead the design, development, and optimisation of back-end solutions, mentor junior developers, and contribute to the overall architecture and efficiency of Unipesa’s fintech platforms.

About Unipesa
Unipesa is a Dubai - based development company specializing in B2B2C solutions for payment services across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. We integrate with local and global payment methods, connect payment agents to service providers, and build communication solutions that enable customer engagement across SMS, messaging apps, and more.

Role Purpose
The primary focus of this role is to design and implement core back-end components, improve system performance, and ensure best practices across Unipesa’s codebase. You will also take part in strategic architectural decisions and provide technical guidance to the development team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of new modules and services for the core platform.

• Build and maintain scalable architectures to support high transaction volumes.

• Develop and optimise PHP code, database queries, and API integrations.

• Refactor and modernise legacy systems, ensuring maintainability and performance.

• Collaborate with Business Analysts, QA Engineers, and DevOps to ensure reliable product delivery.

• Participate in architectural planning and implementation of new system components.

• Review code, enforce development standards, and mentor junior developers.

• Contribute to continuous improvement of development processes and automation.

Tech Stack

• PHP 7+, Native PHP, Laravel

• JavaScript, Vue.js (Inertia.js is a plus)

• MySQL, Redis

• Docker, Kafka (RabbitMQ as a plus)

Ideal Candidate

• 6+ years of commercial back-end development experience.

• Advanced knowledge of PHP and modern frameworks (Laravel preferred).

• Strong understanding of software architecture, scalability, and system design.

• Proven experience with RESTful APIs, JSON, and third-party integrations.

• Deep understanding of relational and non-relational data storage (MySQL, Redis, etc.).

• Solid experience in debugging, profiling, and performance tuning.

• Passion for clean, maintainable, and testable code.

• Experience leading technical initiatives or mentoring other developers.

Nice to Have

• Experience with development automation (templating, CI/CD, AI-assisted coding).

• Knowledge of message queues (Kafka, RabbitMQ).

• Familiarity with columnar databases (ClickHouse).

• Experience with GoLang or microservice-based architectures.

• Background in fintech, billing systems, or payment integrations.

• Broad IT background and curiosity for emerging technologies.

What’s in it for you?

• Technical ownership and opportunity to influence system architecture.

• A product-focused environment with real impact in fintech and payments.

• Flexible schedule and full-time remote work.

• Opportunity to mentor a growing development team and shape internal practices.

Employment Type: Full-time, permanent