We’re on the lookout for a talented, self-motivated & driven Junior WordPress Developer to strengthen our experienced engineering team. The ideal candidate will be a self starter, who is not afraid to make a mistake.
The Role
We’re looking for a full-stack engineer with experience of WordPress; meaning writing themes and/or plugins in the WordPress ecosystem, not just being able to write a blog post or upload an image to the media library.
You should know that hook isn’t just that bloke from Peter Pan, that walkers aren’t just from north of the wall, and that Gutenberg isn’t what you say after you sneeze.
You’ll need knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP & JavaScript. And be able to write semantic DRY code that is easy for every developer on the team to understand.
You’ll hit the ground running, and straightaway you’ll be able to sink your teeth into some high-profile projects: You’ll be working on flagship websites for universities and colleges in the UK.
It’s important that you understand we’re not expecting you to know everything, but you will need to be someone who is comfortable building applications in modern web technologies. You’ll be surrounded by a supportive team of knowledgeable people that will help you on your journey.
A typical day would involve:
- Prioritising and managing several open issues at one time
- Converting design files to code
- Communicating across multiple teams (dev, design & ops)
Who are we?
We are SMILE: A digital agency at the forefront of the Higher and Further Education sector. Creating revolutionary online experiences with the latest tech available & we’re pretty good at it - if we do say so ourselves. We’ve been in the game for over a decade, learning the language, refining our craft, and in turn - shaping the sector.
We are fully-remote. You read that right. Work from your home, a coffee shop or at the top of a mountain - if you can maintain a stable internet connection you can work there.
We are pioneers, on projects that genuinely excite us. To name a few:
- The University of Gloucestershire digital prospectus. The first of its kind digital take on the otherwise dated concept of a printed prospectus. A headless experience built with Next.js, flavoured with JSX & ESNext.
- BCU Inspired. A stunning multi-site WordPress build that showcases student work for potential employers. Painstakingly crafted to pixel perfection, using the latest tech including CSS grid, ESNext & WEBP.
- The Flagship website for the University of Sunderland. An award winning (literally) redesign of the Flagship website for one of the top ranking Universities in the UK (Guardian University guide 2023).
We are a well-oiled machine. You’ll be joining an experienced dev team that gets it done. We craft digital experiences that are visited by millions of users each month. Each member of the team has a unique skillset, which when combined, allows us to build the best work of our careers.
To help ensure we’re at the top of our game, we’re looking for a Junior Full-Stack WordPress Engineer that’s not afraid to get stuck in, is that you?
Who are you?
Hard working. Fully-remote does not mean fully-relaxed, on the sofa, with a drink in hand. We are still a fairly small team (there’s 9 of us), which means being on the top of our game at all times.
Adaptable. With the wide variety of projects at SMILE, no two days are the same. You will need to work collaboratively on a diverse range of projects, both internal & customer facing.
Self Starter. You’ll be surrounded by a supportive and friendly team of talented and knowledgeable people that will help you to develop your skills. That said, we’re not looking to be a crutch: You’ll come prepared when asking for help.
Inquisitive. You’re curious, you want to know how & why it works, and you’re going to find out. You love learning & want to continue developing your skill set.
Required skills:
- Knowledge & experience with PHP (preferably in a WordPress environment)
- Experience with GIT
- Understand how to write semantic code, written to coding standards
- A strong understanding of the Web; including familiarity with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, REST APIs, and Git.
- Deep knowledge & experience with WordPress PHP. Whether you are currently supporting individuals with their sites or maintaining your own, we’re looking for theme, plugin, block editor, or e-commerce experience. It’s important to be able to read the code when diagnosing and potentially resolving problems.
- Take designs & convert them into code
- Understand how to split code up into reusable partials
- Write DRY code
- Knowledge of modern coding techniques
- The desire to learn. WordPress is a vast and nuanced ecosystem, and being a subject area expert is important.
- Excellent communication skills. We’re a distributed team, so frequent and clear written communication is crucial. We require proficiency in written English.
- Excellent troubleshooting skills that help you take big problems and break them down into manageable pieces with easy-to-understand solutions.
- Understanding of issues around scalability, performance and accessibility.
Useful skills to have:
- Experience with AWS
- Experience with templating languages e.g. Nunjucks
- Experience with REST APIs
- Experience with css preprocessors (we use SCSS)
We expect our staff and customers to adhere to our code of conduct at all times.
Even if you don’t feel that you meet all of the requirements, you should still apply. We’re looking for those that show great potential. You don’t need formal training: We’re interested in what you’ve achieved, however you achieved it.
We are an inclusive workplace, and that extends to you and your application. If you need any adjustments during our process, let us know and we’ll make whatever accommodations are possible.
This role is only open to current residents of the UK who have permanent residence and/or the Right To Work.
How to apply
We’d love to see examples of your work that you’re most proud of. You’ll be presenting to technically minded people, so don’t worry if it’s talking through 20 lines of code, but similarly, if you have a super awesome web animation we’re here for that too.
The application process will include:
- A chat to talk through your CV and experience
- An interview
- A technical test delivered online, for you to do in your own time.
If you’ve got a question about this process, or you just want to go off-piste and speak to the team before you make an application - drop us a line hello@wearesmile.com / 0800 358 3608
This role was first published on careers.wearesmile.com