Senior Back-end Engineer with Drupal

South AfricaSouth Africa·Londonsenior
EngineeringBackend Developer
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Quick Summary

Key Responsibilities

Develop, enhance, and maintain scalable and secure web applications using PHP and related frameworks. Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including designers and project managers, to gather

Technical Tools
EngineeringBackend Developer

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

As a Senior Developer, you will play a crucial role in designing, developing, and maintaining our web applications and systems using PHP and related technologies. If you are passionate about PHP development, have a strong technical background, and enjoy tackling complex challenges, we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities

~1 min read
  • Develop, enhance, and maintain scalable and secure web applications using PHP and related frameworks.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including designers and project managers, to gather requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
  • Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code that adheres to coding standards and best practices.
  • Participate in architectural discussions and provide input on system design and improvements.
  • Perform thorough testing and debugging to ensure the quality and stability of the applications.
  • Optimise application performance by identifying and implementing performance enhancements and code optimisations.
  • Stay updated with emerging trends and technologies in PHP development and incorporate them into our development processes.
  • Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior developers, fostering their growth and development.
  • Collaborate with team members to conduct code reviews and ensure code quality.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
  • Minimum of 4 years of experience in PHP development, with a strong command of PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, or CodeIgniter.
  • Solid understanding of object-oriented programming (OOP) principles and design patterns.
  • Proficiency in front-end technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  • Experience with database integration using MySQL or other relational databases.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to tackle complex technical challenges.
  • Familiarity with version control systems, such as Git. Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
  • Previous experience in a senior or lead developer role is a plus.
  • Previous experience in a Drupal CMS role is a plus.

Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.

Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.

We lead with Heart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish.
We empower your Brains for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.
And we champion Courage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.

 

Our Enterprise Solutions division houses strategic consultants, creative and technical architects and skilled developers and operators that together help some of the world’s leading organisations to deliver outstanding digital experiences across all major routes to market worldwide: marketplaces, online retailers, D2C, B2B and social platforms. With over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centres across 34 countries, our capabilities span the entire buying journey from customer acquisition, through engagement, to conversion and loyalty, driving multi-channel growth for world-leading brands.

We work with some of the most exciting brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, EY, Bosch, Unilever, Ford, DFS, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Shell and Tiffany & Co. We’ve built over 500 platforms for brands and retailers and generate in excess of $29bn annually for our clients and work with over 50 strategic partners including Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, HCL, Shopify, Sitecore, BigCommerce, commerce tools and Acquia. Our reputation is based on our people, and we believe we have some of the best in the business.

As our business grows internationally, we’re looking for new people to join us on our journey to inspire and take a key role in shaping some of the best commerce solutions, services, and websites in the world. Working as a team, no problem is insurmountable; we share in our client’s successes and believe that anyone can show creative bravery no matter what their role is in the team.

#LI-EMEA

WPP (VML Enterprise Solutions) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. 

VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. 

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.

Location & Eligibility

Where is the job
Cape Town, South Africa
On-site at the office
Who can apply
Open to applicants worldwide

Listing Details

Posted
May 19, 2026
First seen
May 19, 2026
Last seen
May 19, 2026

Posting Health

Days active
0
Repost count
0
Trust Level
60%
Scored at
May 19, 2026

Signal breakdown

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Senior Back-end Engineer with Drupal