Senior Backend Engineer (Laravel / Native PHP / API) $$$$
🚀 Senior Backend Developer (PHP / Laravel)
We’re looking for a Senior Backend Developer to help build, scale, and optimize a powerful sports data platform and APIs used worldwide 🌍
This is your chance to work on a product trusted by sports clubs, federations, media companies, and global organizations.
🏢 About the Company
Our client is a fast-growing sports data company based in the Netherlands 🇳🇱, delivering high-quality, reliable data through APIs powering:
- Sports websites & mobile apps
- Fantasy sports platforms
- Media products
- Analytics & data solutions
Their platform is trusted by well-known brands across sports and media ⚡
💡 About the Role
As a Senior Backend Engineer, you will:
- Take ownership of backend architecture 🏗️
- Work on high-load, high-performance systems ⚙️
- Build scalable APIs and microservices
- Solve complex technical challenges
This is a hands-on individual contributor role — no people management, just real engineering impact 💻
🔎 What We’re Looking For
✔️ 5+ years of Backend development experience
✔️ Strong expertise in PHP + Laravel
✔️ Solid understanding of OOP and architecture
✔️ Experience with high-load systems
✔️ Experience building microservices and scalable systems
✔️ Strong API development experience
✔️ Good English communication skills
➕ Nice to have: interest in sports 🏀⚽
📍 Willingness to work on-site in the Netherlands 2–3 days/week
👨💻 Team
- ~11 developers
- Strong engineering culture
- Pragmatic and collaborative environment
- Hybrid setup (remote + in-person)
🛠️ What You’ll Do
- Design and improve backend architecture
- Build and maintain microservices
- Develop high-performance APIs
- Work with real-time data systems 📡
- Improve system performance, reliability, and scalability
- Contribute to long-term technical decisions
- Perform code reviews and raise engineering standards
Collaborate with product and technical stakeholders
🎁 What’s Offered
💰 Competitive salary
🎯 Annual bonus (€500–€2000)
🏖️ 26 vacation days
💻 Laptop, pension, lunches, travel reimbursement
🕐 Flexible working hours
🚀 Real impact in a growing international company
📍 Location & Setup
- Leeuwarden, Netherlands 🇳🇱
- Full-time, direct employment (no B2B/freelance)
⚠️ Important:
- You must already have the right to work in the Netherlands
- No standard visa sponsorship available
- Possible support for 30% ruling (not guaranteed)
🧩 Interview Process
- Intro call with CEO
- Technical interview (incl. live coding)
- Additional round (if needed)
🔥 If you enjoy building high-performance systems, working with real-time data, and making a real product impact — this role is for you
Required skills experience
| Database Design and Architecture | 5 years |
| Microservices | 5 years |
| high-performance API solutions | 5 years |
Required languages
| English | B2 - Upper Intermediate |
| Ukrainian | B1 - Intermediate |