Backend Engineer PHP 60-100%

Prefer coding over long meetings? Code reviews that help you grow? People who don’t sugarcoat technical debt but tackle it head-on? We discuss the best solution on equal footing and thus make complex web projects maintainable.

Permanent position, 60-100%, Länggasse Bern, starting immediately - or whenever suits you.

What impact can I make?
In 2026, you will connect the new Drupal-based download portal for a globally active “hidden champion” to Azure Storage for a two-sided, seamless file synchronisation.

You will set up a crawler that reads licensed web content, summarises it briefly, and submits it to a nationwide association for review. From these summaries, we later generate answers to their users’ questions in a web app.

And for an industrial corporation, you will extend the search solution with live results, RAG-based answers, and dynamic categories.

In short: Together we create solutions that not only relieve people but also bring them joy and enthusiasm.

Who the Hell is Helga?
We get up in the morning to make the world a tiny bit more efficient, user-friendly, and thus better that day. To have learned something and spent a good time together by evening.

We do this as an 11-person Bern digital agency by developing Drupal-based solutions that make a difference. With the highest standards for technology, clean code, and sustainable architecture.

With the goal of delighting our clients and impressing their users.

What should I bring?
In short: Several years of experience with PHP and Symfony, Laravel, Drupal, WordPress, or comparable frameworks and CMS. Clear thinking. The pursuit of clean code. A structured way of working. And enthusiasm for a likeable team.

More detailed:

Technology and Experience
Most importantly: You have several years of in-depth knowledge of PHP and its most common frameworks or CMS. You don’t solve challenges just somehow, but properly.

You are ready to dive deep into Drupal - that’s where we primarily need you.

You don’t just think in tickets but in architecture, caching, interfaces, data models, multilingualism, roles, permissions, testability, performance, and security.

Drupal, PHP, Symfony components, Composer, DDEV, Git, GitHub and GitHub Actions, search solutions with Solr and OpenSearch, API integrations with CRM, ERP, PIM or SAP, and Drupal Commerce are regular parts of your work with us.

Ultimately: You are ready to jump on board developing with the support of artificial intelligence - if you haven’t already started.

Working Method
You work in a structured way: understand context, plan architecture, document decisions, implement cleanly, document, critically review.

Pull requests and code reviews are normal for us, not negotiable. Coding standards, deployment pipelines, test environments, documentation, monitoring, and security update processes are part of it.

We partially use static analysis and are expanding it. Automated testing is not yet where we want it to be - that’s one of the topics you can help shape.

For us, senior does not mean “more meetings and less code” but more independent development. Reviews, mentoring, strategy. Actively tackling topics close to your heart. And sometimes direct client contact.

Agency work means variety, often priority changes - but not aimless firefighting as a business model. We want to do good work, communicate clearly, and build software that lasts.

Drupal and Community
Drupal is more than a tool for us: it is an ecosystem of standards, modules, documentation, ideas, events, and people who prefer to share rather than keep things to themselves.

We recently published our own Drupal contrib modules and will speak at DrupalCon Rotterdam 2026 about modern video delivery in Drupal with AV1, responsive sources, CDN providers, and better contrib architecture.

We regularly host Drupal meetups in Bern - and sometimes UX and Laravel meetups as well.

It would be great if you share our enthusiasm for the open-source and community spirit.

Character and Collaboration
Repetitive tasks cause you a small existential crisis. What costs you unnecessary life time, you prefer to automate away. What else is software for?

You want to grow with a team, help shape it, and take responsibility.

You like clear statements, good questions, and honest discussions. If something is unclear, you address it. If a solution doesn’t hold, you say so. And if someone else has a better idea, you see it as an opportunity.

You know: sometimes clean architecture is needed. Sometimes “good enough” suffices. Sometimes. You can handle that.

Language and Workplace
Code, technical documentation, and pull requests are often in English with us. Internally, we mostly speak (Swiss) German.

You should have at least B2-level German so internal coordination and client proximity work.

We develop in Bern. Up to two days of home office per week are possible with a 100% position; the days are coordinated within the team.

Everyone allowed to work in Switzerland is welcome. If you come from the EU/EFTA area and moving to Switzerland is realistic for you: let’s talk.

This position is a permanent role in Bern. No freelancers, no recruiters, no nearshoring, no outsourcing offers, and no fully remote role.

And why Helga?
You will be part of an 11-person team - not a number, but a character with influence on code, architecture, and collaboration.

We are consensus-oriented, work towards the same goal, and find the best solution together. As a company and individuals, we continuously develop and educate ourselves. You can have a say, shape your work, and influence our future.

A few facts? Here:

• Central location near Bierhübeli in Bern
• A decent budget for team events organised by all employees: Aare boating, Oktoberfest, camping and kayaking in the Jura, a ski day - whatever half your peers vote for
• Large roof terrace with hammock, barbecue, and Alpine view
• Active office life - and still the freedom to work up to two days a week from home
• Many plants, bar, a proper coffee machine, and a fridge full of favourite drinks
• A notebook of your choice and a say in the tools and technologies we use
• Participation in own open-source projects
• 5 weeks holiday and very flat hierarchies
• Contribution to your public transport commute
• Additional time off for age, birth - and a free day in September for everyone
• Partial premium coverage for daily sickness and accident insurance
• Loyalty bonuses if you stay long enough
• Flexible working hours

Convinced! What next?
Simply: get in touch.

Briefly tell Felix why you fit with us. Send your CV and preferably your LinkedIn profile and GitHub handle as well as your own modules, talks, or project examples if you have any.

Then the ball is in our court.

Workplace Bern

Helga Digitalagentur GmbH
Mr Felix Steiner
Brückfeldstrasse 16
3012 Bern
+41 31 528 10 25