Senior PHP Developer / Application Support Lead

eCollect.com.au Pty Ltd is seeking a Senior PHP Developer / Application Support Lead to join our Melbourne-based development team. This full-time position combines hands‑on software development with technical leadership and application ownership.

Australian work authorisation is required for this position.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop, maintain, and enhance PHP-based applications using modern coding practices and frameworks.
• Design and implement scalable solutions that meet both current and future business requirements.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance across development and application support activities.
• Conduct code reviews to ensure code quality, security, and adherence to best practices.
• Troubleshoot complex technical issues and implement effective long‑term solutions.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including business stakeholders and third‑party vendors.
• Document technical specifications, processes, and system architecture.
• Act as a senior escalation point for critical application issues and incidents.
• Identify opportunities for system optimisation, automation, and performance improvement.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends in web development.
• Support internally developed applications and associated business systems.
• Work directly with business users to understand requirements, troubleshoot issues, and deliver practical solutions.
• Analyse recurring application issues, identify root causes, and implement permanent fixes.

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of PHP development experience, with at least 3 years working in CodeIgniter or a comparable MVC framework.
• Proven experience managing complex web projects.
• Strong understanding of CodeIgniter 4’s ecosystem, including HMVC architecture, models, controllers, filters, services, routing, and view inheritance.
• Solid experience with relational databases, particularly PostgreSQL, and familiarity with database design, query optimisation, and indexing.
• Familiarity with version control systems, particularly Git, and modern development workflows (CI/CD).
• Expertise in building RESTful APIs and integrating third‑party services.
• Strong understanding of software design patterns, application architecture, and secure development practices.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work directly with end users and business stakeholders.
• Experience supporting business‑critical applications and managing technical incidents.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing technical teams or mentoring junior developers.

Highly Regarded

• Experience working with ticketing systems and support workflows.
• Experience with CodeIgniter 3 for legacy system maintenance.
• Experience with cloud services, particularly AWS.
• Knowledge of testing frameworks such as PHPUnit and TDD/BDD practices.
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies.
• Understanding of security best practices including field‑level encryption, secure credential storage, and audit logging.
• Experience with payment gateway integrations and financial web applications.
• Exposure to microservices architecture and containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes).

What We Offer

At eCollect.com.au Pty Ltd, we offer competitive remuneration, a collaborative team environment, and the opportunity to work on business‑critical applications. We value innovation, technical excellence, and ownership, recognising strong performance and contributions across the organisation.

About Us

eCollect.com.au Pty Ltd is a Melbourne‑based debt recovery agency that develops and maintains its own internal systems to support collections, payments, client management, and day‑to‑day operations. Technology is a key part of how we operate, and we are continually looking for ways to improve our systems and processes. This role offers the opportunity to work on a variety of projects that have a direct impact on the business and the people who use them. We have a hands‑on and collaborative team environment where people are encouraged to contribute ideas, take ownership of their work, and help drive improvements across the organisation.