Staff Software Engineer PHP - Chapter Lead

We are an e-commerce platform and a network of travel agencies offering a wide range of travel products. Since 2015, we have been part of Wirtualna Polska Holding – Poland’s largest group of media and e-commerce companies. Together with Travelplanet.pl and the Invia brands across CEE, we are building a unified travel group driven by a shared #TravelMindset.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• At least 10 years of experience in software development with a focus on PHP.
• Deep understanding of PHP language specifications and experience in developing and maintaining complex backend systems.
• Proven experience in defining coding standards, security guidelines and best practices for PHP.
• Excellent skills in conducting code reviews and providing constructive feedback.
• Experience in training and mentoring developers to improve their skills and knowledge.
• Strong problem solving skills and the ability to tackle complex technical challenges.
• Team player and good communication skills to work effectively with other teams and solve conflicts.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently, in a goal-oriented manner without supervision.
• Good understanding of AI tools in day to day usage.
• Fluent English.

Nice to have:

• Experience with legacy systems modernization.
• Open Source Contributions or Public Speaking.

Standards & Engineering Excellence:

• Define, codify, and evolve PHP coding standards, architectural guidelines, and quality criteria that apply across all PHP teams.
• Translate engineering excellence from individual judgment into shared, documented, and (where possible) machine-enforceable rules, especially through adoption of AI-ready documents, skills and similar solutions.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Identify, prioritize, and drive cross-cutting initiatives that elevate the entire chapter — shared libraries, frameworks, tooling, AI-assisted development workflows, observability practices, and modernization efforts.

Assessment & Career Development:

• Own the PHP competency framework and define what "good" looks like at each seniority level.
• Design assessment, calibration, and feedback processes that work consistently across teams and divisions, replacing ad-hoc evaluation with repeatable structure.

Recruitment & Hiring Standards:

• Define interview formats, technical evaluation criteria, and hiring bar for PHP roles across the organization.
• Train and calibrate interviewers to ensure consistent, fair, and high-quality hiring decisions at scale.

Community of Practice:

• Build and sustain a strong PHP community across teams — through chapter meetings, knowledge-sharing formats, internal talks, and structured programs.

Governance & Decision-Making:

• Establish lightweight governance structures that enable consistent technical decisions across teams without becoming bottlenecks.
• Facilitate alignment on contested topics and document decisions for organizational memory.

Cross-Functional Influence, Hands-On Credibility:

• Maintain enough hands-on involvement.

Enablement Over Tutoring:

• Scale impact through programs, documentation, internal courses, workshops, and self-serve resources rather than 1:1 mentoring.

Travel:

• Occasionally travel between company offices across different locations to engage with PHP teams in person, participate in chapter events and workshops.