PHP Engineer (OpenCart / eCommerce)

Job Description

We are hiring a Senior PHP Engineer with strong, hands-on expertise in Core PHP and OpenCart to work on a long-term US-based eCommerce platform.

The ideal candidate should have deep experience in OpenCart core customization, building scalable eCommerce solutions, and integrating multiple third-party systems across the commerce ecosystem. Experience with the Squared OpenCart theme will be a strong advantage.

This role requires close collaboration with US stakeholders, so comfort working in US time zones is essential.

Required Qualifications

• 6–8 years of hands-on experience in Core PHP (PHP 7.4+)
  

• Strong understanding of OOP, MVC architecture, and design patterns
  
• Proven expertise in OpenCart, including core customization, custom modules, admin extensions, and event system, with minimum 1–2 live projects (mandatory)
  
• Strong experience in end-to-end eCommerce development including catalog, cart, checkout, order lifecycle, promotions, and customer accounts
  
• Strong knowledge of MySQL / MariaDB (InnoDB) including schema design, indexing, query optimization, and performance profiling (EXPLAIN, SHOW INDEX)
  
• Experience with REST APIs and third-party integrations
  
• Basic frontend skills: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery
  
• Hands-on experience with Git (git-flow) and Agile methodologies
  
• Experience working in client-facing or international projects, preferably with US-based clients

Roles and Responsibilities

• Customize and extend the OpenCart platform including core, modules, controllers, models, and events
  

• Develop and maintain custom modules and extensions using Core PHP (OOP, MVC)
  
• Work on theme-level customization (Squared theme preferred)
  
• Build and manage integrations with payment gateways, shipping carriers, tax engines, search and analytics platforms, and marketing or marketplace systems
  
• Support and enhance content/blog systems integrated with the eCommerce platform
  
• Optimize database performance (MySQL / MariaDB – InnoDB) including query tuning, indexing, and eliminating N+1 queries
  
• Debug and resolve production issues using New Relic APM and logs
  
• Participate in client discussions (US-based) and provide technical solutions
  
• Follow git-flow, code reviews, and documentation standards
  
• Ensure high standards of performance, security, and scalability