Backend Engineer (PHP)

TL;DR

Backend Engineer (PHP/Laravel): Building highly scalable self-serve cost-per-click (CPC) bidding marketplaces for retail media with an accent on high-throughput ad pipelines and RESTful APIs. Focus on designing the technical foundation of a greenfield project, optimizing real-time bidding endpoints, and integrating modern AI development tools.

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Salary: EUR 60,000 - 70,000 yearly

Company

One of Europe's fastest-growing e-commerce companies operating at the intersection of fashion and technology.

What you will do

• Develop backend services and RESTful APIs using PHP 8.2+ and Laravel for a CPC bidding marketplace.
• Write comprehensive unit and integration tests and perform peer code reviews to ensure high-throughput ad pipelines remain maintainable.
• Collaborate with product managers and tech leads to translate ad-tech requirements into working code.
• Monitor application health and debug backend issues using tools like Datadog to ensure fast and reliable ad serving.
• Integrate modern AI tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, or Gemini into the daily development workflow.

Requirements

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 3 years of professional experience in backend software engineering.
• Strong proficiency with modern PHP (8.2+) and the Laravel framework.
• Practical experience building secure RESTful APIs and working with relational databases (SQL).
• Familiarity with application logging, error tracking, and monitoring tools.
• Must be based in or able to work from Hamburg, Germany.

Nice to have

• Prior exposure to AdTech or Loyalty domains, such as campaign dashboards, budgeting engines, or reward systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Flat hierarchies with a strong emphasis on ownership, trust, and direct communication.
• Pragmatic engineering approach that favors shipping reliable code over over-engineering.
• Active social life with team lunches, afterwork drinks, and company events.
• Inclusive environment promoting acceptance and diversity.