Senior Web Developer

The Senior Web Developer provides technical leadership and progressively takes ownership of our clients Laravel-based Go platform and its development and delivery arrangements.

During the initial three-month discovery and familiarisation phase, the postholder will work with internal colleagues and external development partners to understand the platform, codebase, architecture, integrations, hosting, documentation and delivery framework.

Following this phase, the will progress towards technical ownership, leading new functionality, enhancing existing features, maintaining development standards, managing technical relationships and developing internal technical capability.

This is a hands-on senior technical combining Laravel development, platform assurance, technical governance, stakeholder communication and delivery leadership.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Initial Platform Familiarisation and Discovery

During the first three months, the postholder will:

• Work with internal colleagues and external development partners to understand companies Laravel based system and its supporting technology.
• Familiarise themselves with the Laravel application, codebase, architecture, databases, dependencies, integrations and hosting arrangements.
• Review technical documentation, guides, runbooks and support procedures.
• Understand the existing process from business request through scoping, development, testing, approval, release and support.
• Review development frameworks, standards, controls, responsibilities, supplier arrangements and escalation routes.
• Assess current access, security, backups, recovery, monitoring and business continuity arrangements.
• Identify gaps in documentation, knowledge and operational ownership.
• Build effective working relationships with development partners and internal stakeholders.
• Produce an initial platform and delivery overview for senior management, presenting observations, risks and improvement opportunities constructively.
• Agree priorities and next steps with senior management before material changes are made.

The purpose is to establish a reliable baseline and transition plan, not to conduct a performance audit of individual employees, contractors or suppliers.

Key Accountabilities

The postholder is accountable for:

• Establishing and maintaining a reliable understanding of Company pleatform and its supporting technology.
• Providing an independent, evidence-based view of platform health, risks and priorities.
• Delivering secure, maintainable and appropriately tested Laravel development.
• Maintaining development, testing, release and documentation standards.
• Ensuring material technical changes follow agreed governance and approval processes.
• Maintaining visibility of security, resilience, dependencies and technical debt.
• Supporting effective backup, recovery, monitoring and continuity arrangements.
• Coordinating technical delivery across internal resources and external partners.
• Reducing dependency on undocumented individual or supplier knowledge.
• Providing clear and timely assurance reporting to senior management.
• Supporting the development and mentoring of the Junior Applications Developer.
• Protecting personal, confidential and commercially sensitive information.
• Escalating material operational, security, compliance, supplier and delivery risks.
• Supporting the agreed platform roadmap and business priorities.

Skills and experience

Essential Experience and Knowledge

• Strong commercial experience in PHP and Laravel.
• Knowledge of secure software development, OWASP principles, authentication, access control, encryption and data protection.
• Experience with relational databases, SQL, front-end technologies, API integrations and third-party services.
• Experience with Git, code reviews, development environments, CI/CD, deployment and release management.
• Knowledge of cloud hosting, infrastructure, websites, domains, DNS, SSL certificates, backup and recovery.
• Experience establishing technical standards, documentation, runbooks, change control and assurance processes
• Experience overseeing external development partners, technical delivery and stakeholder relationships.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills, with a methodical, evidence-led approach.

Desirable Experience and Knowledge

• Experience transitioning from supplier-led delivery to internal technical ownership.
• Experience mentoring junior developers and developing technical capability.
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365, business-system integrations and platform roadmaps.
• Experience in technical assurance reporting, supplier management, software contracts and technology audits.
• Awareness of regulated environments, including FCA requirements.

Skills and Competencies

• Technical leadership: Establishes standards, provides technical direction and mentors junior colleagues.
• Development and architecture: Designs, reviews and maintains secure, reliable and maintainable Laravel applications.
• Security and risk management: Identifies, assesses and prioritises technical, security and operational risks.
• Delivery and quality assurance: Oversees development, testing, approvals, releases and compliance with agreed standards.
• Platform and problem analysis: Evaluates existing systems, dependencies and issues, identifying practical improvements.
• Governance and documentation: Maintains technical standards, procedures, runbooks and evidence-based assurance reporting.
• Stakeholder and supplier management: Communicates effectively, coordinates external partners and manages delivery expectations.
• Commercial awareness and judgement: Balances technical quality, cost, business value and risk, escalating significant decisions appropriately.
• Continuous improvement: Strengthens platform reliability, security, maintainability and internal technical capability.

General Requirements

• Comply with company policies, applicable legislation and approved procedures.
• Work within delegated authority and obtain approvals where required.
• Protect confidential, personal and commercially sensitive information.
• Maintain accurate, complete and auditable technical records.
• Follow approved development, security, testing and change-management processes.
• Maintain relevant technical, security and regulatory knowledge.
• Promptly report security incidents, vulnerabilities, data breaches and material service failures.
• Participate in performance reviews, training, audits and development activities.
• Support planned releases, maintenance and critical incidents as reasonably required.
• Represent the company professionally and promote accountability, collaboration, security and continuous improvement.

The job may be updated following appropriate consultation to reflect changing business, technical, regulatory or operational requirements.

Location
Stafford

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Company pension scheme.
• Hybrid working opportunities following probation.
• Exposure to real-world software development projects.
• Opportunity to work directly with senior management and influence technology initiatives.
• Career progression opportunities as the develops.
• Onsite parking