Long-Term Core PHP Full-Stack Developer to Complete and Maintain an Existing Website

We are looking for a reliable Core PHP full-stack developer to complete an existing business website and continue working with us on a long-term basis. The website is already partially developed, but several pages, responsive improvements, technical optimizations, and final testing are still required. This is not a project that needs to be built from scratch. The current technology stack includes: Core PHP — not Laravel HTML5 CSS JavaScript MySQL Custom authentication and registration functionality Initial scope of work: Review and understand the existing codebase. Identify unfinished pages, technical issues, and areas that need improvement. Provide an estimated list of tasks, hours, and priorities. Complete the remaining website pages. Ensure the website works correctly on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. Review and improve the registration and authentication system. Fix bugs and improve website security. Improve loading speed and Core Web Vitals. Implement technical SEO requirements. Test the complete website before launch. Organize and document the code so another developer can understand and maintain it. Technical SEO responsibilities may include: SEO-friendly URLs Editable title tags and meta descriptions Correct heading structure Canonical URLs XML sitemap robots.txt Schema/JSON-LD markup 301 redirects and proper 404 responses Image optimization and lazy loading Internal linking and breadcrumbs Indexation controls Mobile performance Google Search Console implementation A separate SEO specialist may audit the website and prepare additional technical recommendations. The selected developer must be able to implement those recommendations correctly. Long-term opportunity: After completing the current website, we want to transform the codebase into a clean and reusable master template. We plan to use this template to create presentation websites for several different businesses. Future work may include: Creating new websites based on the master template Changing branding, colors, fonts, layouts, and content Adding or modifying pages Implementing business-specific SEO requirements Maintaining and updating existing websites Fixing bugs and improving functionality Server deployment and domain configuration Important requirements: Strong experience with Core PHP without depending on Laravel Ability to understand and improve an existing custom codebase Good knowledge of HTML5, modern CSS, JavaScript, and MySQL Experience with responsive website development Understanding of technical SEO and Core Web Vitals Knowledge of PHP security best practices Experience with Git and version control Ability to work on a staging environment before production deployment Clean, structured, and maintainable coding style Clear communication and reliable availability Willingness to work with us on a long-term basis Please do not propose a complete rewrite in Laravel, WordPress, or another framework unless you identify a serious technical reason and explain it clearly. We prefer to improve and complete the existing Core PHP codebase. Engagement process: The first stage will be a paid code review of approximately 5–10 hours. After reviewing the code, you will be expected to provide: A summary of the current code quality A list of unfinished or problematic areas Recommended improvements Estimated hours for completing the website Any security or maintainability concerns If the initial review and first assigned task are completed successfully, we will continue with the full website and future projects through a long-term hourly contract. When applying, please answer the following questions: How many years of experience do you have with Core PHP? Have you previously taken over and completed an existing custom PHP project? Please provide two relevant examples of Core PHP websites you have worked on. What is your experience with technical SEO and Core Web Vitals? Are you comfortable working with Git and a staging environment? How would you approach reviewing an unfamiliar custom PHP codebase? Are you interested in ongoing work after completing the first website? What is your hourly rate and weekly availability? Please begin your proposal with the words “Core PHP” so we know you have read the full job description. Generic or automated proposals will not be considered.