What we are looking for in you…
You’re a senior-level Laravel developer who can operate as a hands-on engineer, with the inventive mind of a software architect. You have fully embraced an AI-assisted development workflow, but have the experience to properly guide AI, knowing best-practices, and how to validate what AI produces.
You love building applications and data management systems using the Laravel stack (Tailwind CSS, Alpine.js, Laravel, Livewire) with Filament for admin interfaces, but can crossover to support legacy apps written in Vue and Node. You prefer working with a small team where you are considered the expert, and have the freedom to make decisions in the best interest of the company and its clients.
About this role…
This is a role for a technically creative individual who can effectively manage the complexities of building modern software applications. The perfect candidate is a strategist who thinks in systems, communicates technical decisions clearly, and has developed the judgment and understanding of when AI-generated code is production-ready versus when human intervention is required.
We value pragmatic solutions over theoretical perfection, clear communication, and the ability to ship functional software efficiently and quickly.
Responsibilities
Architecture & Technical Leadership
- Design application architecture for business systems including data models, service layers, and API structures
- Make technology decisions and document architectural rationale
- Establish coding standards, patterns, and conventions for projects
- Write and review code (both human and AI-generated) for quality, security, and maintainability
- Translate business requirements into technical specifications that can guide both human developers and AI tools
- Accurately estimate time for projects and tasks and meet deadlines on time and on budget
Development
- Build and maintain Laravel applications using Livewire for reactive interfaces
- Develop admin panels and CRUD systems using Filament
- Implement front-end components with Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js
- Translate designs into functional interfaces
- Write and maintain test suites for critical business logic
- Optimize database queries and application performance
- Direct AI coding tools (primarily Claude Code) to implement features and solve problems
- Craft effective prompts and context to get high-quality code output from AI tools
- Review and QA AI-generated code for correctness, edge cases, security vulnerabilities, and adherence to project conventions
- Identify when AI output needs correction versus when manual implementation is more efficient
- Maintain project documentation and context that enables effective AI collaboration
Required Experience
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering (or similar)
Technical Skills
- 7+ years of professional experience with Laravel
- Expertise with the TALL stack ecosystem:
- Tailwind CSS
- Alpine.js
- Laravel concepts (including Eloquent, queues, events, middleware)
- Livewire
- Blade
- Laravel Boost, AI, and MCP packages
- NodeJS/Vue.js experience for maintaining legacy applications
- PostgreSQL experience and experience with vector datasets
- MongoDB experience for document-based data storage
- Hands-on experience building with Filament (admin panels, custom resources, forms, tables, actions)
- Expertise with RESTful API design and implementation
Architecture & Design
- Demonstrated experience designing systems from scratch, not just implementing features
- Understanding of SOLID principles and when to apply (or pragmatically ignore) them
- Ability to evaluate tradeoffs between different technical approaches
- Track record of building maintainable, scalable applications
AI-Assisted Development
- Practical experience using AI coding assistants (Claude Code, primarily)
- Demonstrated ability to break complex features into well-scoped tasks suitable for AI implementation
- Critical eye for reviewing AI-generated code—you catch subtle bugs, missed requirements, and security issues
- Understanding of when AI assistance accelerates work versus when it introduces risk
- Experience creating MCP servers for custom applications
- Experience creating AI skills and plugins
Soft Skills
- Clear written and verbal communication for technical decisions
- Ability to think creatively and critically
- Self-directed with strong project management instincts
- Comfortable working directly with clients or stakeholders to gather requirements
- Thrives in small team environments where you own solutions end-to-end
- Honest about what you know and don't know
Our Culture
We are a creative brand technology company built to help people and organizations succeed, combining strategy, design, and technology to create solutions that drive growth, improve efficiency, solve complex challenges, and empower users through meaningful engagement. Founded in 2010, we partner with clients of all sizes across industries—from technology and B2B to healthcare, education, and retail—taking the time to deeply understand their goals, challenges, and vision so every solution supports both immediate needs and long-term success. Our culture is rooted in curiosity, efficiency, and possibility: we believe anything can be figured out, innovation should be energizing, and great work balances smart strategy with thoughtful design. We value authenticity over ego, ownership over complacency, and collaboration over silos—bringing passion, accountability, and a genuine desire to help our clients and each other grow.
Benefits
MCG Strategic offers full-time staff competitive salaries, a retirement plan, healthcare, access to supplemental benefits plans, vacation and paid time off.
About MCG Strategic
It is MCG Strategic’s practice not to discriminate against any employee or applicant because of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or sexual preference, pregnancy or maternity, genetic information, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
To Apply
Send us:
- Your resume, Github link, and LinkedIn profile
- A story about you ...
- A brief description of a recent project you architected and what decisions you made
- An example of how you've used AI tools effectively in development, and what you've learned about limitations
- We'll review your materials and reach out to schedule a conversation to determine if there's a fit.
Apply Now