Full Stack / Backend Developer

Lee Enterprises • Davenport, IA

1d • Remote

About The Position

We are seeking a Full Stack / Backend Developer with strong experience in PHP and large-scale MySQL environments to join our engineering team. This role focuses on building and maintaining backend services and APIs that power our platform, with some involvement in front-end integrations using modern JavaScript frameworks. You will work on systems that handle high volumes of data and traffic, requiring careful attention to performance, scalability, and reliability.

Requirements

• 3+ years of professional experience with PHP (no frameworks required)
• Strong experience working with large-scale MySQL databases
• Deep understanding of query optimization, indexing strategies, and performance tuning
• Experience handling high-volume data and production-critical systems
• Strong understanding of backend architecture and API design
• Experience building and consuming RESTful APIs
• Familiarity with front-end integration using React
• Experience with version control systems (Git)
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills
• Ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with large, legacy PHP codebases
• Familiarity with replication, sharding, or other scaling strategies in MySQL
• Experience with asynchronous processing, queues, or background jobs
• Familiarity with AI coding tools such as Copilot in VS code or Claude Code
• Understanding of web security best practices
• Experience working in high-traffic environments
• Exposure to cloud infrastructure (AWS or similar)

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services using PHP
• Build and maintain APIs and integrations with internal and third-party systems
• Design and optimize queries for large-scale MySQL databases
• Analyze and improve database performance, indexing, and query efficiency
• Collaborating with front-end developers working in React
• Troubleshoot production issues and implement long-term solutions
• Write clean, maintainable, and well-documented code
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to development best practices
• Support deployment processes and ongoing system maintenance

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• short and long-term disability
• company provided life insurance
• supplemental life insurance
• 401K retirement plan with company match
• generous paid time off
• paid parental leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed