Senior BE Engineer (PHP/Laravel)

Meet: PHORIA Studios

Founded: 2014

HQ Location: Fitzroy, Melbourne

Tech stack: PHP, Laravel, React, AWS

Role type: Fixed-term contract (project through to 2027)

Ways of working: Team is HQ Melb, but this role can be remote.

The story

PHORIA Studios is a world-leading immersive technology studio creating awe-inspiring experiences that push the boundaries of reality. Based in Melbourne, they blend art, science, and cutting-edge technology—AR, VR, XR, spatial computing—to tell powerful stories and build unforgettable worlds. Their work has been featured globally, from museums and cultural institutions to conservation projects and large-scale installations, all designed to move people emotionally and connect them deeply with the world around them.

At PHORIA, you'll join a passionate, interdisciplinary team that’s redefining what’s possible—and you’ll never look at technology the same way again. If you want your work to mean something and be part of something truly special, this is the place.

The role

We are seeking a Senior Laravel Back-End Engineer to help accelerate the launch of this next-generation immersive content platform.

You will lead the development of a web portal that intersects with an immersive VR application. We need your help to create an Admin Portal that manages the content delivery of high-quality immersive content worldwide, as well as Pay-Per-View Transaction Layers, with a focus on scalability, security, and high availability infrastructure.

The aim is to start ASAP and run through to 2027, with the option to continue the placement. Ideally, a contractor-based arrangement with rolling 3-month contract periods.

What you’ll get up to

Backend Architecture & Development

• Architect and develop robust backend services and APIs using Laravel for:
• Content upload and scheduling portal
• Video content CMS system (CRUD, scheduling, geofencing, DRM, analytics)
• Payment processing (Pay-per-view / Ticketing MVP)
• Authentication integration (OAuth, external partner logins)
• Design secure, scalable database models (MySQL/PostgreSQL, object storage).
• Implement DRM and media access controls (Widevine Level 1 and Level 3 standards).

Infrastructure Leadership

• Define and implement infrastructure using AWS (storage, compute, networking, CDNs).
• Build a highly available, resilient backend supporting multiple concurrent users.
• Integrate third-party transcoding services (e.g., Tiled Media, AWS MediaConvert) for video processing.

Security & Compliance

• Implement robust security protocols (OAuth, encryption, OWASP standards compliance).
• Manage user session security, purchased content access controls, and external partner authentication.

Testing, Monitoring & Optimisation

• Establish unit, integration, and end-to-end testing frameworks.
• Set up comprehensive monitoring, logging, and alerting systems for portal stability.
• Profile and optimise backend systems for battery efficiency and network performance at scale.

Documentation & Collaboration

• Produce clean, maintainable technical documentation and API specs.
• Work closely with frontend engineers, XR system architects, and cloud infrastructure teams.
• Mentor junior team members and participate in architecture reviews.

What you bring to this role

• 5+ years of experience as a Back-End Engineer with deep Laravel expertise.
• Experience with React frontend development.
• Strong knowledge of OAuth2, JWT, and authentication protocols.
• Experience with AWS (S3, CloudFront, EC2) or GCP equivalents.
• Familiarity with CDN integrations, object storage design, and database scaling.
• Solid background in security best practices (SSL, encryption, penetration testing).
• DevOps familiarity: Docker, CI/CD pipelines, load balancing.
• Previous experience working with scheduling systems, paywall systems, or digital storefronts a major plus.
• Strong communication skills and experience in fast-paced product launches.

Bonus Experience Points

• Knowledge of DRM systems (e.g., Widevine, FairPlay).
• Experience building or scaling media upload and transcoding platforms.
• Experience writing and deploying node.js scripts to AWS Lambda.
• Familiarity with immersive media (360° video, VR/XR content) and video processing pipelines.
• Background working on subscription services, ticketed event platforms, or content licensing systems.

What's in it for you

• Exciting, innovative world world-leading project with immediate impact.
• Work on cutting-edge immersive content systems at the intersection of VR, MR, and large-scale media delivery.
• Collaborate with world-class XR engineers, creative technologists, and major studio partners.
• The product they are building and the content they are working with is incredibly exciting and fun!
• Flexible remote/hybrid working arrangements are available.

Next steps

Hi We’re from affix. Curious to learn more? Apply, say hi, we’d love to chat!