Senior PHP Developer - WordPress Optimization & Backend Architecture (remote)

CloudLinux is a global remote-first company. We are driven by our principles: do the right thing, employees first, we are remote first, and we deliver high volume, low-cost Linux infrastructure and security products that help companies to increase the efficiency of their operations. Every person on our team supports each other and does what we can to ensure we all are successful.

CloudLinux OS, our flagship product, runs on more than 50,000 production servers today, powering over 40 million websites, and is recognized as the best OS for security and efficiency in a shared hosting environment. CloudLinux OS increases server density and enhances security, thus reducing operating costs, decreasing churn rates, and increasing profitability.

As a Senior PHP Developer you will be part of the CL PRO Team focuses on the diagnostic and optimization of WordPress sites (PHP X-Ray, AccelerateWP), advanced automation, deep-look performance analytics, and centralized monitoring tools. You will be working oncreating software to optimize websites working on WordPress, analyzing/debugging different plugins, and developing our own ones.

Check out our website for more information about our CLOS Product - https://www.cloudlinux.com/

Join us to make a difference!

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development, optimization, and maintenance of high-traffic WordPress projects.

• Design and implement scalable backend architectures using PHP and modern tools.

• Oversee complex database structures and optimize performance (MySQL/MariaDB, Redis/Memcached).

• Implement and enforce comprehensive testing strategies, including unit, integration, and end-to-end testing.

• Act as a technical mentor for less experienced developers, fostering best practices in code quality and testing.

• Collaborate with DevOps to streamline CI/CD pipelines and improve deployment efficiency.

• Ensure code reliability through robust test automation practices.

Required Skills and Experience:

• 5+ years of experience with PHP in a production environment.
• Proven expertise in WordPress plugin development and core system maintenance.
• In-depth understanding of frontend optimization techniques (e.g., HTTP/2, CDN, critical CSS).
• Advanced backend performance tuning (e.g., SQL query optimization, caching, opcache, server-side architecture).
• Strong experience with MySQL/MariaDB database design, optimization, and debugging.
• Proficiency in modern server technologies: Apache, Nginx, LightSpeed (preferred).
• Solid experience with automation tools (Docker, Ansible, Jenkins, etc.).
• Expertise in testing frameworks PHPUnit and test automation workflows.
• Familiarity with CI/CD systems and their integration with automated tests.
• Deep understanding of Linux environments and scripting.
• Strong knowledge of Git and modern branching strategies.

It would be great if you also have:

• Experience in managing large-scale CMS projects (Joomla, Drupal).
• Familiarity with cloud-based architectures and scaling (AWS, GCP).
• Knowledge of advanced caching layers (e.g., Varnish, Elasticache).
• Experience with behavior-driven development (BDD) or test-driven development (TDD) methodologies.
• Proficiency in implementing performance testing and load testing tools (e.g., JMeter, Locust).

Personal skills:

• Decency, responsibility, and high level of discipline 
• Fast-learning, proactivity
• Desire to work in a fast-paced growing deadline-driven startup-up environment
• Strong self-motivation, driven to achieve committed milestones
• Ability to independently analyze a task and find the right solution
• Ability to work in a team