Software Engineer I (Back-End Focus)

1 vacancy

Bonus and 4% RRSP Match

At Wise Publishing, we’re on a mission to help North Americans make better financial decisions and live richer lives. We believe financial literacy is the key to a better future, and we reach millions of readers each month through our widely-read digital publications:  Moneywise.com  and  

Money.ca .

We're a close-knit team of techies, creatives and wordsmiths who genuinely care about our craft and each other. We move fast, stay curious, and treat every challenge as a learning opportunity. If you're looking to grow your career while making a meaningful impact, we'd love to meet you.

The Role:

We’re looking for a  Software Engineer I (Back-End Focus) to join our engineering team and help build scalable, high-performance applications. In this role, you'll focus on building robust server-side systems, designing data models, and improving the performance and security of our core platforms. You’ll work cross-functionally with front-end developers, designers, and product managers to deliver seamless, full-stack solutions.

This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys working with PHP/Laravel, designing APIs, and solving complex technical challenges in cloud-native environments.

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities):

• Develop, maintain, and optimize back-end services using PHP (Laravel) and modern software design principles
• Build and maintain RESTful APIs for web and mobile platforms
• Design, write, and optimize SQL queries and database schemas (e.g., MySQL, Redis)
• Implement CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitHub Actions
• Collaborate with front-end developers to integrate APIs and troubleshoot end-to-end functionality
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and code reviews, contributing to a high-quality engineering culture
• Improve application security by applying best practices (XSS, CSRF, JWT, authentication/authorization)
• Leverage AWS infrastructure (e.g., S3, CloudFront, Elastic Beanstalk) to support scalable deployment
• Use test-driven development to ensure code quality and reliabilityKeep up-to-date with industry best practices and contribute to technical architecture discussions

What You Bring (Core Skills):

• 5+ years of professional software development experience
• Strong back-end development skills using PHP (Laravel) and SQL databases
• Comfortable working with different LLMs to improve productivity (Copilot, Claude Code, CursorAI, JetBrain Junie)
• Experience with Redis or other caching layers
• Proficiency in using AWS services and CDN technologies (CloudFront, Cloudflare)
• Working knowledge of front-end integration using TypeScript/React
• Familiarity with SOLID principles, TDD, and CI/CD workflows
• Understanding of common web security threats and prevention techniques
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, Agile environment

More Perks and Reasons to Join:

• We’re proud to be recognized as a Great Place to Work® for the last four consecutive years
• A hybrid work environment and a beautiful midtown Toronto office for when you want to collaborate in person
• A flexible hybrid work environment; most of our team works 1-2 days a week in the office
• Top-tier benefits include comprehensive dental/medical/vision as well as Health Spending Account (HSA), RRSP matching, telemedical and wellness program
• Quarterly company-wide team outings and events
• Free in-office snacks, espresso, and an outdoor patio
• A supportive learning environment (Pair programming sessions, lunch & learns and more)
• Access to a wide variety of learning resources and tools that will help boost your productivity (GitHub co-pilot, ChatGPT, Laracast, Oriley and more)

To apply: Please submit a  PDF version of your resume with a link to your GitHub (if applicable).

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, due to the volume of applications, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.