Lead PHP Software Engineer

We are looking for a Lead PHP Software Engineer to improve platform performance, scalability, and fair resource usage through governance and limits enforcement. You will drive design and delivery of resilient services, optimize search and data flows, and guide engineering practices—apply to help build reliable systems at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical design and delivery of a resilient indexing pipeline
• Build scalable PHP services and components for the search platform
• Define best practices for Elasticsearch mappings, queries, and monitoring
• Own complex data synchronization and load-related reliability challenges
• Optimize SQL queries, indexes, and schemas to improve performance
• Provide technical guidance and engineering best practices to teammates
• Participate in on-call rotation and drive production issue resolution

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional software development experience
• 5+ years of hands-on PHP development experience
• Strong experience with a strongly typed backend language such as Go, Java, or Scala
• Proven leadership experience driving design and delivery of complex resilient systems
• Strong project ownership skills for complex challenges such as data synchronization and system load
• Advanced Elasticsearch skills including query optimization and index management
• Strong SQL performance skills across queries, indexes, and schemas
• Proven distributed messaging experience with RabbitMQ or Kafka
• Strong communication skills for explaining complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
• High initiative and drive to proactively identify risks and deliver solutions
• Growth mindset with continuous learning and adaptation to evolving challenges
• English proficiency: B2 Upper-Intermediate

Nice to have

• Go language experience in backend services
• Java experience in strongly typed backend systems
• Scala experience in distributed backend systems

We offer

• International projects with top brands
• Work with global teams of highly skilled, diverse peers
• Healthcare benefits
• Employee financial programs
• Paid time off and sick leave
• Upskilling, reskilling and certification courses
• Unlimited access to the LinkedIn Learning library and 22,000+ courses
• Global career opportunities
• Volunteer and community involvement opportunities
• EPAM Employee Groups
• Award-winning culture recognized by Glassdoor, Newsweek and LinkedIn

EPAM is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.