PHP Developer

PHP Developer – Full-Stack (Remote, South Africa)

Hirexe is recruiting on behalf of a growing U.S.-based SaaS company serving the higher education space, used by over 1,200 institutions across the U.S. and abroad.

We're looking for a full-stack PHP developer who wants real ownership early in their career - not just years of experience. This is a dual role: half hands-on product development, half direct customer-facing technical support, working closely alongside the company's CTO, who is genuinely invested in mentoring the right person and handing off increasing responsibility over time.

If you're someone who takes initiative, is comfortable getting on a call with a client, and knows how to put AI tools to work to move faster and punch above your experience level - we want to hear from you.

What you'll be doing

• Supporting technical onboarding and integration calls with customers and their IT teams (SSO/SAML, data integrations, third-party platform connections)
• Building and maintaining features across the full stack — PHP/Laravel backend, Bootstrap-based frontend
• Using AI-assisted development tools to work efficiently and extend your capability
• Taking ownership of features from scoping through delivery, with growing independence as you build trust
• Contributing to the modernisation of a legacy PHP codebase, with direct guidance from the CTO
• Helping administrators and IT teams through training sessions and clear documentation

What we're looking for

• Solid, hands-on PHP experience; comfortable with Laravel or ready to ramp up fast
• Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Bootstrap
• Experience with MySQL or similar relational databases
• Genuine interest in AI-assisted coding tools — this is a real differentiator for us
• A confident communicator who's comfortable speaking directly with clients
• Based in South Africa, with real availability to work EST (US East Coast) hours
• Coachable, curious, and hungry to take on more responsibility over time

Why this role

• Direct mentorship from an experienced CTO who wants to grow you into a bigger role
• Real client exposure and technical ownership from early on
• Fully remote, working with a U.S. company on a product used by thousands of students and administrators daily