Senior PHP Back End Engineer (m/f/d)

Life at Smoobu

At Smoobu, we are building more than just software. We empower everyday people to become successful entrepreneurs by helping them manage their vacation rentals simply and efficiently. Our platform supports over 100,000 properties in 120+ countries, enabling hosts to grow their businesses confidently and efficiently. That kind of impact doesn’t come from playing it safe; it comes from people who take ownership, act purposefully, and work together to make things happen. How you will contribute to our success

We are swiftly evolving the Smoobu platform into a cloud-native, service-oriented architecture driven by AI. We are transforming our engineering team into a highly capable tech organization that thrives on individual autonomy, innovation and fast feedback loops. This is your opportunity to drive meaningful impact, demonstrate technical excellence, and showcase your creativity.

In this role, you will be part of the Conversion team, driving customer success by developing innovative content management tools and native checkout capabilities designed to maximize booking rates.

Key Responsibilities:

• Autonomously plan and execute full quarter complexity projects, set measurable milestones, manage complex dependencies and scope

• Partner closely with business stakeholders to refine product direction, recommend impactful improvements delivering customer value, and strengthening feedback loops

• Propose and implement tangible technical initiatives improving team velocity and overall software quality. Mentor your colleagues.

• Continuously improve the way we use AI-assisted and agentic coding, hit impossible goals and make it new normal.

• Contribute in transforming Smoobu Tech into a cloud-native, service-oriented architecture.

You will thrive in this role if you

• Have experience designing and working with event-driven, asynchronous and integration-heavy systems
• Have excellent problem-solving skills
• Are a master of AI-assisted software development, including agentic coding tools and workflows
• Have experience mentoring team members, providing technical guidance, constructive feedback, and support while fostering a collaborative and learning-oriented environment
• Have an entrepreneurial mindset and business curiosity 
• Have solid experience with our technical stack:• Modern PHP & Symfony
• Relational and non-relational databases
• Docker and containerized environments
• Cloud platforms, preferably AWS

• Have excellent English communication skills and the ability to work efficiently in a distributed team

Nice to have:• Experience with layered architectures, CQRS patterns, Domain-Driven Design principles

• Full stack engineering experience incl. infrastructure, frontend

How we will measure your success

Our Values

• Support each other with candid feedback, encouragement, and trust — success is a team sport

• Stay authentic by bringing our true selves to work and valuing each person’s unique contributions

• Be reliable, follow through on commitments, and show up for each other every day

• Embrace experimentation, welcome change, and learn quickly from new ideas

• Get things done by solving problems with focus, action, and a bias for simplicity

What you can expect

• Flexibility – We work remotely for up to 50% of the year, including up to 63 working days abroad.

• Time to Recharge – 27 vacation days, plus one extra day for each year of tenure (up to 32). Celebrate your 5th anniversary with five additional paid days off and a €500 HomeToGo booking credit.

• Learning & Growth – Mentorship program, German classes, professional development opportunities, and clear pathways for growth based on your performance.

• Wellbeing & Fun – Team events, a dog-friendly office, social clubs, new joiner buddy lunches, mental health support, and a Wellhub (Gympass) contribution.

• Perks & Discounts – Enjoy corporate discounts and exclusive offers through FutureBens and Corporate Benefits.

• Sustainability Commitment – We partner with Plan A to reduce our environmental impact through measurable climate action.

• Diversity: Our company language is English, and our team represents over 28 nationalities.

Recruitment Process

• 30-minute call with a recruiter 
• 45-60-minute call with your future manager
• 45–60-minute technical assessment with a peer or stakeholder. This step may include a discussion of a take-home assignment, which you may be asked to prepare in advance
• 30-minute call with your future team members
• Reference check & Offer

Please note that this is a general recruitment process and may vary depending on the role and the seniority level of the position.

About us

Smoobu (www.smoobu.com), a subsidiary of HomeToGo Group, is a fast-growing startup in the vacation rental industry. Smoobu’s SaaS solution currently empowers private hosts to manage over 100,000 properties across more than 110 countries. Smoobu runs as an independent enterprise within the HomeToGo Group, ensuring its startup spirit and growth potential remain at the forefront. Our top priority is to assist hosts in efficiently managing and growing their businesses simultaneously.

Smoobu’s success is attributed to our dynamic, ambitious, and international team, dedicated to exceeding our customers’ expectations through expert advice and action. We celebrate diversity and operate in a truly global environment, embracing the challenges and opportunities that come with it. Join us on this exciting journey to transform the vacation rental industry!