Back-End Team Lead (iGaming)

Location: Hybrid in Malta or Remote from EuropeReporting to: Software ArchitectOur client is moving into a new phase of technical independence. They are migrating our core systems to a fully in-house model, and need a Back-end Team Lead to spearhead the transition. This isn't a "business as usual" management role. You are the primary builder responsible for recruiting, mentoring, and leading a high-caliber internal team to take full ownership of the platform.Your MissionsBuild and lead the internal Back-end team from the ground up to support the full migration and long-term ownership of the platform.Take command of the PHP backend, ensuring the system remains stable, secure, and optimized throughout the migration process.Partner with the Software Architect to translate the long-term technical vision into a scalable, internally managed reality.Mentor and grow your engineers, setting the bar for high-velocity delivery, clean code, and rigorous testing standards.Drive the transition from a legacy environment into a modern, high-performance internal architecture.Own the delivery of the backend roadmap, ensuring our global gaming systems maintain high availability and fault tolerance.What You BringExtensive experience as a Senior or Lead Engineer with a proven ability to scale high-performance engineering teams.Mastery of Laravel. You know the framework inside and out and have a deep understanding of refactoring complex systems for scale.Experience in high-stakes migration environments - you know how to move systems between environments while mitigating risk.Deep knowledge of relational databases (PostgreSQL/MySQL), Redis, and building scalable REST/GraphQL APIs.Strong grasp of modern infrastructure, including Docker, Kubernetes, and automated CI/CD pipelines.A pragmatic, hands-on leadership style where you lead by example in the codebase rather than just from the sidelines.Excellent communication skills in English, with the ability to navigate complex architectural transitions with both the team and leadership.Nice to HaveBackground in iGaming, Sportsbook, or Fintech platforms.Experience with event-driven architectures (Kafka, RabbitMQ).Familiarity with AWS/GCP cloud environments.Knowledge of security best practices for high-volume financial transactions.What's In It For YouBe the technology owner and build something great from scratch! Make a tangible impact in a rapidly growing, global company.A culture that rewards ambition, innovation, and collaboration.If hired remotely, 28 days of time off and public holidays as per country of residency.Comprehensive benefits package for Malta-based employees, including:Private health insurance, wellness allowance, and communication allowance.Healthy lunch on Wednesdays, Social Fridays, and Summer & Christmas events.Employee discounts in restaurants and businesses.Extended second-parent leave policy.Private parking space.