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PHP Developer

  • Organization: The HALO Trust
  • Location:
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Information Technology and Computer Science
    • Human Settlements (Shelter, Housing, Land, Property)
    • Design (digital, product, graphics or visual design)
  • Closing Date: Closed

Description

Introduction

The HALO Trust is the world’s largest and oldest international humanitarian mine action non-government organisation (NGO). Our mission is to lead the effort to save lives and restore livelihoods for those affected by conflict. HALO is known for its work to clear landmines but is very much involved in the disposal of other explosive hazards such as bombs, rockets, missiles, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). HALO was established in Afghanistan in 1988 and now employs over 9,500 staff in 26 countries and territories. As part of a digitalisation improvement plan, HALO is boosting the in-house capacity of systems and application.

Role Summary

We are seeking a PHP Developer to work on our web-based internal operations management system, on a 2-year contract, to help increase the functionality and efficiency of HALO’s operations. Built in-house in 2020 using Laravel, Bootstrap and Postgres, and hosted in the Google Cloud Platform, the system is the largest database of mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal, and weapons and ammunition management operations in the world, spanning 26 countries, over 20,000 minefields and the daily productivity of 10,000 staff. The role is a fantastic opportunity to work with meaningful data, whose purpose is to improve the lives of communities affected by conflict.

Reporting to the Deputy Head of Information Management, we are looking for a developer with a self-starter mentality, whose preference is working in the backend of systems. Being used by hundreds of users every day, the system is mission-critical; the architecture is not a Single Page Application (SPA) and needs to work reliably in conflict-affected countries that have poor internet connections (e.g. 600ms nearest ping), and as such is not engineered to use heavy frontend frameworks.

The role would suit a person working earlier in their career with a strict attention to detail and pragmatic attitude; HALO is an organisation that is solutions focussed – sometimes in rapidly changing environments, as the recent conflict in Ukraine highlights. The successful candidate will require to be able to work with a large Postgres database, NoSQL JSON data, writing PHP in Laravel, writing native JavaScript, managing servers, communicating with stakeholders as well as working with colleagues who are involved in explosive ordnance disposal, weapons and ammunition management and landmine clearance.

This post will be based from either our office in Wilton (near Salisbury) or in Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, Scotland and will be hybrid working with the expectation that one week a month will be in the office, Overseas travel may be required from time to time.

Role Responsibilities

  • Creating new functionality and interfaces with PHP, JavaScript, HTML and CSS, to ensure flexibility for future requirements and scalability
  • Scripting database changes using Data Definition Language and rolling them out to ensure minimal downtime and integrity of existing data
  • Storing all changes in source control with descriptive commit messages
  • Tracking progress of work using Github issues and projects
  • Writing unit tests to ensure coverage of key functionality
  • Selecting third-party packages that are well-supported and future-proof
  • Upgrading backend, frontend and server software as appropriate (e.g. Laravel/PHP) to ensure our systems are as secure and performant has possible
  • Testing all changes before releasing to production
  • Collaborating with other colleagues to design of solutions based on stakeholder requirements
  • Documenting new features and system architecture in a concise way
  • Providing training sessions to system users on new features
  • Isolating and fixing bugs, making sure that existing functionality does not change
  • Responding to incoming questions from programmes
  • Supporting the Deputy Head of Information Management to plan, research and improve Information Management within HALO

Other

  • Work within the framework of HALO’s core values and standards
  • Ensure familiarity with and adhere to all HALO policies and procedures
  • Understand and uphold the standards outlined in HALO’s safeguarding policy, acting with due care and attention to safeguard the well-being of anyone that comes into contact with HALO’s work and reporting concerns if they arise
  • Discharge duties and responsibilities under HALO’s health and safety procedures
  • Carry out any other duties as directed to meet programme standards and operational requirements.
  • All HALO staff are expected to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to perform appropriate tasks when required to dorr

Requirements

Person specification

  • Resilient, with the ability to adapt in a complex, fast-paced, changing environment
  • Self-motivated with the ability to work with minimal supervision
  • Experience of delivering priority work within strict timelines

Required experience

  • OOP
  • PHP7+
  • Experience with MVC frameworks, ideally Laravel
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • SQL experience. Postgres, MySQL, SQL Server
  • Setting up webservers
  • Native JavaScript or jQuery
  • Git

Desirable experience

  • Laravel 8+
  • Multi-tenanted codebases
  • Managing large Postgres databases
  • PostGIS
  • Leaflet / Google Maps API
  • NPM
  • Using JSON within SQL databases
  • Ubuntu servers
  • Apache webserver
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
  • Bootstrap framework
  • Writing tests, TDD/BDD
  • Working in the third sector
  • Understanding of SOLID Programming principles

The HALO Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

The HALO Trust is committed to a culture that is both diverse and inclusive and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people form a diverse candidate pool.

If you wish to apply please submit your CV (no more than 2 pages) and a covering letter (no more than one page) detailing your suitability for the role. The closing date for the role is 28th August 2022. You are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time, once we have received sufficient applications.

For this role you will be required to provide proof you have the right to live and work in the UK without time restriction.

Benefits

  • Salary circa £35,000
  • 25 days annual leave plus 8 statutory holidays
  • Non-contributory Life Assurance
  • Workplace Pension with up to 5% contributions matched by HALO
  • Cycle to work
  • Flexible working policy
This vacancy is now closed.
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