Senior Full Stack Developer (JavaScript & PHP)

About Pearl Talent

Pearl works with the top 1% of candidates from around the world and connects them with the best startups in the US and EU. Our clients have raised over $5B in aggregate and are backed by companies like OpenAI, a16z, and Founders Fund. They’re looking for the sharpest, hungriest candidates who they can consistently promote and work with over many years. Candidates we’ve hired have been flown out to the US and EU to work with their clients, and even promoted to roles that match folks onshore in the US.

Hear why we exist, what we believe in, and who we’re building for:

🧑‍💻 Why Work with Us?

We’re not just another recruiting firm—we focus on placing candidates with exceptional US and EU founders who prioritize the long-term success of their team members. We also provide retention bonuses at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, as well as community-driven benefits like an annual retreat.

We are seeking a highly technical and responsive Senior Full Stack Developer responsible for building, maintaining, and optimizing user-facing workflows. This developer must be hands-on with JavaScript and API integrations, with additional experience in PHP being a strong plus. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in building seamless user journeys, managing backend integrations, and ensuring speed, scalability, and reliability across all web applications.

The role involves close collaboration with the founder and current development team, ensuring smooth handoffs, efficient problem-solving, and forward-looking buildouts to support our client's customer growth strategy.

Hours per Week:

40 hours/week (Full-time)

Expected Work Schedule:
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM CST (Central Standard Time)

Time Zone Needed:
CST (Central) or strong CST overlap; must be available for same-day feedback loops and morning sync

Requirements

Immediate Tasks (Week 1 Ownership):

• Review existing environment and diagnose performance bottlenecks
• Meet with founder and current developer to review site architecture and integration flows
• Audit current Stripe + GoHighLevel sign-up logic and confirm full data/trigger sync
• Conduct cross-device and mobile speed tests; propose solutions to improve performance
• Begin implementing immediate fixes to improve user onboarding experience and site speed
• Sync with founder every morning for priorities review and close daily feedback loop

Non-Negotiables:

• Strong hands-on experience with JavaScript (front-end and back-end development)
• Proven expertise in API integrations and building/managing webhooks (without relying on Zapier)
• Ability to work with PHP (nice-to-have, not mandatory but highly valued) Clear familiarity with GoHighLevel backend workflows or comparable platforms
• Strong English communication skills and morning CST availability Strong sense of urgency and autonomy — takes ownership and delivers results quickly Proficiency with coding accelerators (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Replit Copilot)

Characteristics of Best Hires:

Lightning-fast executor with a track record of same-day delivery Knows when to escalate and when to just solve it Fluent in AI tools and doesn’t reinvent the wheel Communicates clearly and proactively — no ticket left hanging Thinks like a product owner: solves for the system, not just the task Prioritizes uptime, performance, and resilience

Tools and Communication Channels Used by the Team:

GoHighLevel – backend CRM and product logic platform Stripe – payment and onboarding integration Slack – real-time team communication Google Workspace – email, docs, file sharing Loom – async communication and video walkthroughs ChatGPT / Claude – AI-powered coding and debugging

Benefits

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (after 3 months probation)
• Permanent WFH