PHP CodeIgniter Lead / Architect (Legacy Upgrade CI2 to CI4)

Job Title: PHP CodeIgniter Lead / Architect (Legacy Upgrade – CI2 to CI4)
Location: San Diego, CA (Prefers onsite but Remote is fine)

Experience Level: Mid to Senior (8+ years preferred)
 
Role Overview
We are looking for an experienced CodeIgniter Developer with a strong background in modern PHP frameworks, IIS-based hosting, SQL Server integration, and Dockerized Azure environments.
The ideal candidate will lead the migration of legacy CodeIgniter 2 (CI2) applications to CodeIgniter 4 (CI4), ensuring performance, security, and code modernization while maintaining full functional parity.
 
Key Responsibilities

• Convert legacy CodeIgniter 2 controllers, models, libraries, and helpers to CodeIgniter 4 standards.
• Refactor legacy procedural code to modern OOP MVC structure.
• Migrate views (PHP, Twig, AngularJS 1) with minimal UI disruption.
• Build and maintain REST APIs for internal and external systems.
• Integrate SQL Server stored procedures and optimize database queries.
• Implement authentication, session, and access control aligned with CI4.
• Deploy applications on IIS servers and Dockerized Azure environments.
• Implement CI/CD pipelines and manage Azure App Services deployments.
• Ensure testing, documentation, and security best practices are followed.

Technical Skills Required
Core Stack:
• PHP 7.4+ / 8.x with CodeIgniter 4 (and experience in CodeIgniter 2)
• AngularJS 1.x, jQuery, Bootstrap, HTML5, CSS3
• Microsoft SQL Server, T-SQL, Stored Procedures, Views, Triggers
• IIS (Windows Server 2019/2022) configuration & optimization

DevOps / Cloud:
• Docker containerization (multi-stage builds, networking, volumes)
• Azure Cloud Services (App Service, Azure SQL, Container Registry, Key Vault)
• CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or Jenkins)
• Version Control: Git (GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket)

Tools & Supporting Libraries:
• Composer, PSR-4 autoloading, Namespaces
• PHP extensions: SQLSRV, intl, gd, zip
• ENV configuration for multi-environment setup
• PowerShell or Bash scripting for deployment


Preferred Experience

• Experience upgrading CI2 to CI4 with functional and database parity.
• Migrating CI2 sessions, routes, and libraries to CI4 equivalents.
• Working knowledge of API-based integrations (e.g., reCAPTCHA, payment gateways).
• Exposure to WordPress or Bedrock setups (bonus).
• Knowledge of Windows Docker containers and hybrid deployment scenarios

Soft Skills

• Excellent debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and ability to collaborate with distributed teams.
• Self-driven, detail-oriented, and focused on maintainable code.
• Comfortable working in Agile or hybrid waterfall environments.

Educational Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent experience.
• Certifications in PHP, Azure, or DevOps are a plus.
Example Projects

• Migrating and modernizing a legacy CI2-based insurance platform with AngularJS frontends.
• Building Docker-based CI4 environments integrated with SQL Server backends.
• Automating deployment pipelines to Azure App Services with staging and production slots.
• Refactoring legacy models and controllers for RFP, enrollment, reporting, and document modules.