Senior Technical Lead Needed to Take Ownership of Existing Laravel/React Platform

We are looking for a senior hands-on Technical Lead / Full-Stack Engineer to take ownership of an existing production-oriented multi-platform software platform. This is not a greenfield project. Make sure you answer the screening questions honestly as it will save everyone time because eventually we will have interview with our tech head so AI generated answers will be caught in no time. To confirm that you have read the requirements, start your proposal with: TECHNICAL OWNERSHIP. The existing system includes: - Laravel 8 / PHP backend - REST APIs / JWT authentication - React / JavaScript + Laravel Blade web application - Laravel-based admin panel - MySQL-compatible database - Firebase services - Redis / realtime infrastructure - Docker - AWS/S3 - Stripe / Stripe Connect - Google APIs - SendBird - HubSpot - Other third-party integrations - Two native Android applications (Java/XML) - Two native iOS applications (Swift/UIKit) The backend is the central application layer shared by the web and mobile applications. What we need We need someone who can take technical ownership of an inherited codebase, rather than simply work on assigned tickets. Your initial responsibility will be to: 1. Understand the existing architecture and business logic. 2. Set up the development environment. 3. Establish/organize the Git workflow. 4. Audit the existing Web/Backend implementation. 5. Review API dependencies with Android and iOS applications. 6. Review infrastructure, database and third-party integrations. 7. Identify critical, high, medium and low-priority technical issues. 8. Identify missing configuration/access required to build and deploy the mobile applications. 9. Prepare a practical technical recovery/stabilization roadmap. 10. Subsequently lead ongoing development, maintenance and technical improvements. Required experience - Strong Laravel/PHP - REST API development and debugging - React/JavaScript - MySQL - Git/GitHub - Production Linux/SSH environments - Firebase - Redis / queues / realtime systems - Third-party API integrations - Payment integrations - Docker - Experience taking over existing/legacy applications Preferred Experience with: - Native Android / Java - Native iOS / Swift - App Store Connect - Google Play Console - AWS/S3 - Stripe Connect - Firebase mobile services - Push notifications - Realtime/location-based systems Important We are not expecting one person to be an expert in every technology listed. We need a senior technical owner who can independently manage the core Web/Backend/platform layer, understand the mobile architecture and API dependencies, identify where specialist support is required, and coordinate that work effectively. We will bring in dedicated Android/iOS specialists separately when required. Initial engagement The engagement will begin with a paid, time-boxed technical assessment/takeover phase. After reviewing the codebase, we expect the selected developer to provide: - Technical architecture assessment - Environment/setup status - Critical technical issues - Infrastructure/integration findings - Mobile build/deployment requirements - Recommended priorities - Technical roadmap - Estimated ongoing involvement Do not provide a final project timeline before reviewing the existing codebase. We are looking for a long-term technical owner, not someone looking for a short coding assignment.