The Senior Back-End Developer is responsible for strengthening and extending the Off2Class software platform through reliable, scalable, and maintainable back-end development. This role focuses on server-side architecture, APIs, database performance, infrastructure reliability, integrations, testing, and deployment quality.

The Senior Back-End Developer will work closely with the Lead Developer and Technical Project Manager to deliver high-quality back-end solutions that support product growth, platform stability, and a smooth experience for schools, teachers, and learners.

Job Duties

Back-End Development

- Design, build, and maintain reliable server-side application logic, APIs, services, and integrations.
- Develop scalable back-end features from technical planning through deployment.
- Improve existing back-end systems for performance, maintainability, security, and reliability.
- Collaborate with front-end developers to ensure APIs and data flows support product requirements effectively.

Architecture & Code Quality

- Contribute to back-end architecture decisions and help evolve the platform’s technical foundations.
- Write clean, maintainable, well-documented code that follows established engineering standards.
- Review pull requests with attention to performance, security, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
- Identify and reduce technical debt in core systems.

Database & Performance Management

- Design, optimize, and maintain database queries, schemas, and data access patterns.
- Monitor and improve the performance of SQL databases, Redis, background jobs, and other back-end services.
- Investigate bottlenecks, failed jobs, production errors, and performance spikes.
- Support reliable data processing and system availability across the platform.

Infrastructure & Dependency Management

- Maintain and update back-end dependencies, software packages, server components, and plugins.
- Support cloud infrastructure and services, including AWS EC2 and RDS.
- Monitor server environments, resource usage, and application health.
- Contribute to secure and reliable deployment practices.

Quality Assurance & Testing

- Write comprehensive tests for new back-end code, including unit, integration, and regression tests where appropriate.
- Support debugging and root-cause analysis for production issues.
- Improve error handling, logging, monitoring, and alerting.
- Ensure back-end changes are delivered with a strong focus on stability and reliability.

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

- Create, update, and review Pull Requests (PRs).




- Support smooth deployment processes using CI/CD best practices.
- Help maintain reliable release processes and reduce deployment risk.
- Collaborate with the development team to improve build, test, and deployment workflows.

Collaboration & Technical Planning

- Work with the Lead Developer, Technical Project Manager, product team, and other developers to clarify requirements and define technical solutions.
- Break down technical work into clear, manageable tasks.
- Communicate trade-offs, risks, dependencies, and implementation options clearly.
- Proactively suggest technical improvements that strengthen the platform.

Competencies

- Back-End Engineering: Strong ability to design, build, and maintain robust server-side systems.
- System Reliability: Focused on uptime, stability, monitoring, and production readiness.
- Database Expertise: Skilled at working with SQL databases, query optimization, and data integrity.
- Problem-Solving: Able to diagnose complex technical issues and resolve them efficiently.
- Code Quality: Committed to clean, testable, maintainable code and thoughtful peer review.
- Security Awareness: Understands secure coding practices and infrastructure considerations.
- Communication: Able to explain technical issues, risks, and solutions clearly to technical and non-technical colleagues.
- Adaptability: Comfortable learning new tools, frameworks, and technologies as platform needs evolve.
- Teamwork: Works collaboratively with developers, product, and project stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

Job Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Minimum of 8+ years of professional software development experience, with significant back-end development responsibility
- Strong proficiency in PHP and server-side application development
- Experience with JavaScript, HTML, and Frontend framworks, sufficient to collaborate effectively with front-end development work
- Experience with server management: Ubuntu, Nginx, SQL, Redis
- Experience managing AWS infrastructure and services, including EC2 and RDS
- Experience designing, building, and maintaining APIs and integrations




- Strong experience with testing, debugging, performance optimization, and production support
- Experience using project management and development tools, such as Jira, GitHub, or Linear
- Based in the Greater Toronto Area

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Back-End Delivery: Number and quality of back-end features, services, APIs, and improvements delivered within planned timeframes.
- System Stability: Reduction in production bugs, failed jobs, downtime, and recurring technical issues.
- Bug Resolution Time: Average time taken to identify, address, and resolve back-end defects.
- Code Quality: Frequency of critical issues found in code after deployment.
- Performance Improvements: Measurable improvements in application speed, query efficiency, background job reliability, or infrastructure utilization.
- Pull Request Cycle Time: Time from PR creation to merge, indicating efficiency in development and review processes.
- Deployment Reliability: Frequency of successful deployments and reduction in deployment-related incidents.
- Technical Debt Reduction: Progress on refactoring, dependency updates, and maintainability improvements.

What Success Looks Like 30 Days

- Complete architecture and codebase onboarding across core PHP services, databases, and AWS environments.
- Ship first bug fixes and minor backend feature PRs through standard CI/CD and review workflows.
- Establish smooth collaboration rhythms with the Lead Developer, TPM, and frontend team.

60 Days

- Independently build, test, and deploy new backend features and APIs aligned with product roadmap priorities.
- Optimize database queries, Redis caching, or background job performance to resolve bottlenecks.
- Actively review peer PRs and expand automated unit and integration test coverage.

90 Days

- Own end-to-end technical delivery of complex backend epics from architectural planning to production release.
- Drive platform reliability, technical debt reduction, and AWS infrastructure maintenance (EC2/RDS).
- Ensure high deployment reliability, low PR cycle times, and proactive error monitoring.

Pay: $115,000.00-$125,000.00 per year

Advantages

- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Paid time off
- Vision care
- Work from home

Experience:
- backend web development with PHP frameworks: 5 years (required)
- cloud computing services, such as Oracle Cloud or AWS: 1 year (preferred)

Location:
- Toronto, ON M6J 2L5 (preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Toronto, ON M6J 2L5

📌 Senior Back-End Developer (Toronto)
🏢 Off2Class
📍 Toronto