PHP Developer Lead

DEFEND INSURANCE GROUP is a well-established international company operating in the field of automotive insurance. While we work in a traditional industry, we operate with agility, constantly seeking ways to improve our products, services, and internal processes. We're looking for colleagues with a growth mindset—people who embrace innovation, think about efficiency, and actively contribute to shaping not just their role, but the company as a whole. We encourage projects beyond roles because we believe that the best ideas come from cross-team collaboration. That's why we give people the space to step beyond their core responsibilities and drive meaningful change.

Our headquarters in Prague is home to colleagues from over 20 countries, where English is our shared language. We believe in open communication, fast decision-making, and a strong team spirit—because that's what keeps us ahead of the game.

And speaking of moving ahead — from next year, we'll be relocating to brand new modern offices directly on metro C. 

We are looking for an experienced PHP Developer Lead to join our team and help us build scalable web applications, integrate modern technologies, and optimize performance. You'll have the opportunity to grow, collaborate across teams, and work on meaningful projects.

What will be your role?

• Mentor the development team by providing guidance and technical expertise with main focus on PHP / Symfony;
• Responsible for the design, maintenance, updates, and further development of a backend platform based on the Symfony / Sonata framework;
• Actively participate in application and low-code platform development, optimizing for performance and reliability;
• Manage and configure Web Services, including databases, while maintaining security and cost efficiency;
• Maintain documentation of technical processes, solutions, and best practices for team reference;
• Leverage your expertise in Azure Web/AKS Services;
• Participate on technical strategic project management and solve complex technical challenges.

Why should you work for us?

• Our development and deployment processes are streamlined. We work with Docker containers and leverage cloud-based solutions including Kubernetes and SaaS;
• Security is a top priority for us — we ensure regular system updates and follow best practices;
• We have a friendly environment here and we like to get together after work for good food and drink or even to play sports together;
• We place immense importance on education and personal growth, which is why we provide a comprehensive professional development plan and a wide range of educational courses.

We take care of our employees; we provide them with benefits like:

• Possibility of hybrid working model
• 6 weeks holiday and 2 personal days
• Multisport card
• A meal allowance
• A healthy breakfast every Wednesday, or a FreshPoint fridge with an employee 30% discount on products
• Company events and much more...

You might be a perfect fit, if you have:

• Proven experience as a Senior Developer, with a background in designing and delivering complex solutions;
• Proficiency in technologies such as PHP with Symfony or Nette, and MySQL;
• Advantageous to have experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and Azure AKS services, including provisioning and configuring web resources;
• Collaboration skills, guiding and supporting the development team;
• Willingness to learn and work with new and niche technologies, such as domain‑leading Low‑Code programming platforms, Large Language Models (LLM) with AI, and blockchain.

Has this position caught your attention? If yes, then don't hesitate to send us your resume along with a cover letter. We will be delighted to get back to you and schedule an online interview where we will have the opportunity to get to know each other better.

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