Software Engineer

• Designing, developing, and maintaining applications using PHP 7/8.
• Building and consuming RESTful APIs across key retail systems.
• Working with modern frameworks such as Laravel or Symfony.
• Writing high-quality, maintainable code following industry best practices.
• Debugging, profiling, and optimising application performance.
• Working closely with Product, UX, QA, and DevOps teams.
• Supporting code reviews and helping evolve engineering standards.
• Managing data using relational databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL.

• Strong commercial experience with PHP.
• Hands-on experience with a modern PHP framework (Laravel preferred).
• Good understanding of relational databases (MySQL/PostgreSQL).
• Knowledge of RESTful API design and backend engineering.
• Experience with Git and CI/CD workflows.
• Core front-end understanding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).

Nice to Have:

• Retail or e-commerce environment experience.
• Exposure to Docker or containerised development.
• Familiarity with AWS/Azure/GCP.
• Experience with Vue.js, React, or another front-end framework.
• Automated testing using PHPUnit or Pest.

The Person

• Strong communicator who thrives in cross-functional teams.
• Detail-focused with a structured approach to writing maintainable code.
• Enjoys solving engineering challenges and improving systems.
• Keen to develop new skills and adopt modern PHP tooling.

This organisation offers a strong, modern benefits package, including:

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Hybrid working
• Enhanced pension scheme (above statutory employer contribution)
• Private healthcare or health cash plan
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Employee discount scheme across retail products
• Training & development budget for certifications, courses, and conferences
• Flexible working hours
• Life assurance
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Modern tech stack and investment in engineering culture

Why This Role Appeals

• Competitive salary: £50,000 - £60,000 DOE
• Join a modern, forward-thinking retail tech team in Manchester
• Work on high-impact systems used across the customer journey
• Career growth as the engineering function continues to scale
• Flexible, people-focused working environment

We're representing a leading retail organisation based in Manchester that is expanding its in-house engineering team due to sustained growth. They're looking for a Software Engineer to help evolve their digital platforms, internal systems, and customer-facing applications. This role suits someone who enjoys modern PHP development, clean coding practices, and building reliable, scalable systems at the heart of a well-known retail brand.