We're building an in-house development team and need a senior Laravel developer to lead this transition. You'll take ownership of our technical infrastructure, modernize our platform architecture, and eventually build a development team.

This is a high-ownership role. You'll work directly with the founder (me), have full technical decision-making authority, and shape how we build software going forward.

The Technical Challenge

Current state:

5 separate Laravel 10 codebases (one per course domain)
Mostly similar architecture but evolved independently
Blade templates primarily, some Vue.js components
WordPress integration for certain content
AWS infrastructure with dedicated DevOps support
Stripe payment processing
~44 items in active backlog (Jira)

What needs to happen:

Upgrade from Laravel 10 to latest stable
Consolidate 5 codebases into modern multi-tenant architecture
Clear substantial backlog of features and improvements
Build AI-powered case management system (Python scraper → AI screenshot analysis → automated email updates)
Establish scalable foundation for 16+ courses
Improve deployment processes and code quality standards

What You'll Do

Month 1-2:

Audit all 5 codebases - document architecture, dependencies, technical debt
Review and understand existing AWS infrastructure
Get access to all systems and establish development workflow
Take on first backlog items to understand codebase hands-on
Begin documenting transition plan

Month 3-4:

Execute Laravel upgrade path
Start platform consolidation work
Clear high-priority backlog items
Define technical standards and processes
Create hiring criteria for additional developers

Month 5-6:

Lead platform consolidation implementation
Build AI automation system for case management
Interview and hire 2 additional developers
Begin knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members
Transition to full technical ownership

Ongoing:

Own all technical decisions and architecture
Lead small development team (eventually 3-4 people)
Work directly with me on product roadmap and priorities
Ensure code quality, security, and performance standards

Requirements

Technical must-haves:

7+ years professional Laravel development
Strong experience with Blade templating
Database design and optimization (MySQL/PostgreSQL)
RESTful API design and integration
AWS experience (EC2, S3, RDS, etc.)
Git workflow and code review experience
Laravel upgrade experience across major versions
Experience with legacy codebase modernization

Experience we value:

Leading or mentoring other developers
Multi-tenant SaaS architecture
Platform consolidation projects
E-learning or EdTech platforms
Python (for automation project)
Vue.js or modern JavaScript
Stripe or payment integration
Security best practices for PII/payment data

Working style:

Self-directed and proactive - you see problems and solve them
Strong written communication (we're async-first)
Comfortable with ambiguity and making technical decisions
Patient with knowledge transfer and documentation
Pragmatic about shipping vs perfection
Comfortable using AI to scale output

How We Work

Fully remote - work from anywhere
Async-first - no fixed hours, overlap as needed
Tools: GitHub, Jira, Slack, AWS
Communication: Slack for daily updates, video calls for planning/decisions
You'll work with: Me (founder), DevOps engineer, eventually 2-3 developers you help hire

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $70-80k USD annually (based on experience)
Time off: 10 days PTO + your local public holidays
Probation: 3-month evaluation period

Hiring Process

Application - Resume + answers to questions below
Initial call - 30 minutes to discuss experience and fit
Technical assessment - Take-home Laravel project, 3-4 hours, $200 compensation
Technical interview - 60 min discussion of your solution + architecture scenarios
Final conversation - Role expectations, questions, logistics
Offer - Start within 2-4 weeks

Total timeline: 4-6 weeks

To Apply

Email hello@prateekagarwal.com with:

Resume/CV (including GitHub or code samples if available)
Answers to these questions:

Describe a legacy codebase you inherited. What was the biggest technical challenge and how did you approach it?
You're auditing 5 similar Laravel codebases that need consolidation. Walk me through your first 2 weeks - what do you analyze, what do you document, how do you prioritize?
What's your experience with Laravel version upgrades? What's the trickiest upgrade you've done?

Optional: Anything else you think is relevant

No agencies or recruiters please.

Prat City LLC

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Senior Laravel Developer & Technical Lead