Backend Developer – PHP / MySQL / CodeIgniter

Are you a backend developer who enjoys solving complex data problems and building robust, scalable systems? Do you want your work to power digital experiences for leading arts, culture, and heritage institutions worldwide?

Keepthinking is looking for a Backend Developer to join our growing team and play a key role in developing high-quality, data-driven applications.

About us

Keepthinking creates digital platforms for cultural institutions around the world. From collection management systems to richly designed public websites, our work helps organisations tell meaningful stories and engage global audiences.

Based in our studio near Borough Market / London Bridge, we collaborate with internationally recognised clients including SFMOMA, Coca-Cola, Art UK, Asia Art Archive, GSK, and The Barack Obama Foundation.

You’ll be joining a multidisciplinary team of 8 developers, 2 designers, and 6 project managers, working in a highly collaborative and supportive environment.

The role

As a Backend Developer at Keepthinking, you will design and build the core application logic, APIs, and data structures that power our platforms.

A central part of the role involves data migration and transformation—working with legacy systems that are often complex, inconsistent, and poorly structured, and turning them into clean, coherent datasets within Qi, our next-generation collections management system.

This is not a routine ETL role. It requires analytical thinking, curiosity, and problem-solving, as each dataset presents unique challenges in structure, meaning, and interpretation.

You will also contribute directly to the ongoing development and enhancement of Qi, helping shape a flexible, modern platform used by institutions worldwide.

You’ll work closely with experienced front-end developers, integrating with Vue.js, Tailwind CSS, and JavaScript-based interfaces, ensuring seamless communication between backend systems and user-facing applications.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain backend applications using PHP (CodeIgniter framework)
• Design and optimise MySQL databases for performance, scalability, and integrity
• Build and maintain RESTful APIs for front-end applications and integrations
• Analyse and transform legacy datasets, designing mappings and structures for migration into Qi
• Contribute to the development and evolution of Qi, our collections management platform
• Collaborate closely with front-end developers to deliver clean, efficient data interfaces
• Ensure high standards of security, performance, and code quality
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues across the stack
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to best practices

Requirements

• Strong proficiency in PHP, with experience in CodeIgniter (or similar MVC frameworks)
• Ideally, experience with Elasticsearch
• Solid experience with MySQL, including schema design and query optimisation
• Experience with data transformation, ETL processes, or legacy system migrations
• Ability to analyse and understand complex or inconsistent datasets
• Experience building and consuming RESTful APIs
• Understanding of how backend systems integrate with modern front-end frameworks (e.g. Vue.js)
• Familiarity with Git and collaborative workflows
• Ability to write clean, maintainable, and well-documented code
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Based in or near London, with availability to work 2–3 days per week in the office
• Right to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship available)

What we offer

• The opportunity to work on meaningful, high-profile projects in the cultural sector
• Direct involvement in shaping a next-generation collections management system (Qi)
• Work that combines engineering with investigative data problem-solving
• A collaborative team with strong design and technical expertise
• Hybrid working (office + remote flexibility)
• Competitive salary based on experience (between £40,000 and £50,000)
• A supportive environment that values craft, quality, and long-term thinking
• Opportunities for professional growth and technical development

How to apply (READ THIS)

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send your CV and a short cover letter to jobs@keepthinking.it, explaining why you’d be a great fit.

STRICTLY NO RECRUITERS