Remote PHP Engineer (Hourly Contractor)

About the role

We are seeking a remote PHP Engineer to work on an hourly basis reviewing AI‑generated PHP code, backend designs, and technical explanations. You will produce high‑quality reference implementations and step‑by‑step reasoning for complex engineering problems, helping improve AI models used by millions of developers.

Key responsibilities

• Develop AI training content: create detailed prompts across PHP/backend topics and write high‑quality reference answers to guide AI learning.
• Optimize AI performance: evaluate, rank, and provide feedback on AI responses to improve correctness, security, readability, and contextual fit.
• Ensure model integrity: test AI outputs for inaccuracies, unsafe practices, and potential biases; validate reliability across real‑world use cases.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• 4+ years of professional experience developing production backend systems in PHP.
• Expert‑level proficiency in modern PHP (7.4/8.x+), including OOP, strict typing, namespaces, Composer, and common design patterns.
• Strong backend fundamentals: HTTP, REST, authentication/authorization, sessions, caching, queues, and API design.
• Deep experience with databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL, including schema design, indexing, query optimization, and transactions.
• Experience with at least one major PHP framework (e.g., Laravel, Symfony) and knowledge of dependency injection, middleware, and ORM trade‑offs.
• Security mindset with hands‑on knowledge of secure coding practices (OWASP Top 10, input validation, SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, secrets handling).
• Comfort with version control, CI/CD workflows, and automated testing (PHPUnit, integration tests, mocking strategies).
• Prior experience with AI data training, annotation, or evaluating AI‑generated technical content is a strong plus.
• Minimum C1 English proficiency (written and spoken) with the ability to write clear technical explanations.

Required skills

• PHP (7.4/8.x+)
• Object‑Oriented Programming
• Composer
• Laravel
• Symfony
• MySQL
• PostgreSQL
• RESTful API design
• HTTP
• Authentication/Authorization
• Caching
• Queues
• Version control (Git)
• CI/CD pipelines
• Automated testing (PHPUnit)