Software developers are among the most crucial and complex roles to hire for.
This is only made more difficult due to the fact there are many different sub-categories of software developers that need to know various coding languages and specific applications in order to be successful in their role.
Hiring for specific roles, like PHP developers, is especially intimidating for recruiters, who may not have in-depth knowledge of the required technical skills and coding languages — which is perhaps what brought you to this article.
Have no fear, we're here to help. We’ve developed the ultimate guide to writing a PHP developer job description with an overview of the role, five examples of real job descriptions and a customizable template.
Feel free to skip to the section that most interests you. Otherwise, keep on reading.
Access our entire library of templates for your open roles.
Table of Contents
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor), a scripting language specific to web development, is the used to create programs, applications, websites and more. Unlike HTML, where the code is written on the user-side, PHP is written on the server-side. However, PHP can be embedded in HTML, meaning PHP developers should also have a knowledge of HTML.
Developers who work with PHP tend to focus on writing, testing and maintaining code for the back-end of the website, though they also support the front-end in some cases. They create the basic website functions that many of us take for granted, like user log ins, image or file uploads, blogs and forums and e-commerce checkout flows. Their role also incorporates website administration, software testing and user training, to name but a few.
PHP is used by everyone from startups and small businesses to advertising agencies and Fortune 500s due to its broad usability, low cost and efficient development process. Some notable applications built using PHP include Wikipedia, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr MailChimp, iStockPhoto, Business Insider and Yahoo.
There are two primary categories of PHP developers — PHP software developers and PHP web developers. Web developers build user-facing applications, like websites, whereas software developers build software for stand-alone desktop and mobile platforms and applications. For example, a web developer builds a website that is mobile friendly, whereas a software developer builds a mobile app.
PHP developers often have a bachelor’s degree in information science, software engineering or computer science, although many qualified PHP developers went straight to work after secondary school or acquired a developer certification. In general, it’s more common for software developers to obtain a bachelor’s degree than it is for web developers.
As with all developer roles, there are a number of different programs and software associated with their work. While we won’t get into the logistics of each resource, these are a few that are likely to be included in your job description, depending on what your team uses, so check with them first.
Coding Languages
Frameworks
Operating Systems
Web Servers
Version Control Systems
Now that you understand the basics of the role, let's take a look at five real examples of PHP developer job descriptions. We gathered these examples from our seven online communities.
You’ll notice that we’ve redacted some information to protect the privacy of the companies that originally posted them, but aside from that we've left them unaltered.
After the examples, we’ve provided you with a PHP developer job description template to customize for your needs.
We’re looking for truly exceptional PHP engineers who are ready to tackle an endless, important feature list, and do it at intimidating scale. The stuff you’ll work on has a very real impact, and our customers will love you or hate you for what you deliver. What you build matters here.
You should be able to operate without much direction, but be excited to work closely with a team. We want developers who are opinionated about smart ways to build, yet humble enough to listen and take input well. You should want to take ownership of the features you build…you’re shipping to customers, not just completing story points. We’re looking for developers who care deeply about the quality of their code…it impacts your fellow devs, your company, and your customers. QA can and will help, but ultimately, you embrace the fact that the quality of what you ship is your responsibility.
For this particular slot, we need someone who will take on a leadership position—mentoring the team and taking responsibility for pushing forward. We need all that cool stuff above—plus your ability to motivate and hold accountable a talented team.
We have an incredible team, with a brilliant culture. Your friends will be jealous when you tell them about your day at work. What are you waiting for? Send us your resume!
Responsibilities:
Requirements:
As a Front-End Web Developer you will have an opportunity to [redacted]. The ideal candidate will have experience building interactive web pages, have experience developing websites on a PHP-based CMS, and have experience working with other teams within marketing to deliver on cross-team marketing goals.
While it is critically important to understand the “how” as a front-end developer on the [redacted] team, it is equally important to understand the “why” behind the projects you will be working on. You’re a perfect fit for this role if you are a detail-oriented problem solver, who can work and contribute to the [redacted] team not only as a developer, but as a resource to help provide feedback and insights into how we can help deliver on company wide goals.
What you'll do:
Do you have the right ingredients?
As a Web Developer at [redacted], you’ll architect and build beautiful user-centered website and intranet experiences with your exceptional front-end and PHP development skills. Your work will serve the millions of users that visit the website every month and have a direct impact on [redacted]. You’ll also have the fortune to work with a small, collaborative, and smart team that works hard and loves keeping up with the latest [redacted].
What You’ll Do
About You
You are a front-end pro who regards code as poetry and has a passion for creating engaging, precise, and lightning fast experiences. You care about consistency, forward-thinking architecture, security, and building interactions that will delight the user.
[redacted] engineers are obsessed with delivering delightful customer experiences, value software engineering practices such as testing, and never forget about scalability and reusability when designing code. If you’re interested in tackling big challenges, working hard, and creating success at [redacted], this is the job for you.
What You'll Do:
What You'll Bring
We are looking for a seasoned polyglot engineer that is driven, takes ownership and is solution oriented to join a stellar team working on [redacted] written in Go and PHP [redacted].
The job involves the following responsibilities:
Building robust and scalable software in multiple modern object oriented and functional languages. We're making [redacted] using Go and Kafka.
Who we think would be a fit...
We are looking for someone who not only loves building great software but is also passionate about getting stuff done. You might have worked at large top name companies, but you prefer small nimble companies with tight knit cross-functional teams that focus on getting stellar products to market quickly. You have the skills and experience, but you still love to learn - and you want to work with super talented folks to build great products.
Additionally, you:
Basic Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
Hopefully these job descriptions give you a better understanding of the responsibilities and requirements for PHP developer candidates. They are, however, written for specific roles tailored to fulfill the unique needs of the individual company.
To help you write a job description that’s specific to your company and covers all the bases for a PHP developer role, we’ve narrowed down a few key responsibilities and requirements.
We’ve compiled these elements into one handy job description template that you can tailor to your specific needs. It would certainly behoove you to request feedback from your development team to ensure your job description includes all the correct coding terms and responsibilities beyond what we’ve provided you.
Again, this is a template. Please customize it to reflect your company, culture and needs.
Company Bio
[Use this section to provide a high level overview of your company, culture, perks and benefits, career development opportunities and anything else that will get candidates excited about your company.]
Job Description
Responsibilities
Requirements
How to reduce turnover while increasing engagement and inclusion for remote
source
