Lead Website Development Engineer

Arizona State University • Mesa, AZ

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Website Development Engineer (Drupal & WordPress) plays a critical leadership role in shaping and advancing KE’s web ecosystem, including enterprise websites and web properties. This position is responsible for technical strategy, governance, and development standards across KE’s web systems, with a focus on Drupal and WordPress. This role collaborates with the marketing and communications, UX, and engineering teams, researchers, stakeholders, and the Office of Project Management & Operations (OPMO) to design, develop, and scale accessible, secure, and high-performing websites and digital experiences. The Lead Website Development Engineer will also supervise and mentor other developers, guide architectural decisions, and drive modernization efforts aligned with RTO prioritization, OPMO delivery frameworks, and ASU’s evolving research administration needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and seven (7) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
• PHP (8.x+)
• modern JavaScript (ES6+), and/or frameworks such as React
• HTML5, CSS3, and responsive design
• API integrations (REST, GraphQL)
• Git/GitHub with multi-branch workflows
• Core principles of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Secure web development practices
• Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, and SEO best practices
• Experience with JIRA, Azure DevOps, or similar ticketing systems
• Deep understanding of WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards
• Experience implementing accessible, user-centered digital experiences
• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on outcomes and impact
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives and stakeholders simultaneously
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to foster an inclusive and psychologically safe team environment

Nice To Haves

• Significant experience with Drupal (8/9/10+) and WordPress development, including theme and module/plugin development
• Demonstrated experience in a technical leadership or lead developer role
• Strong understanding of website architecture, CMS governance, and web ecosystem strategy
• Experience working in large-scale, multi-site, or enterprise web environments
• Experience in higher education or similarly complex organizations
• Experience with Cloudflare is a plus
• Experience with WP Engine and Acquia web hosting
• Experience in supervising, mentoring, and developing team members

Responsibilities

• Technical leadership: Leads architecture, design, and development standards for Drupal and WordPress web properties across KE. Defines and enforces best practices for website development, security, performance, and scalability. Evaluates and recommends improvements to KE’s web ecosystem, including modernization strategies and emerging technologies.
• Development & delivery: Oversees and contributes to the development of custom Drupal modules and WordPress plugins, themes, and integrations. Designs and implements content models, site architectures, and templating systems for websites and web applications. Leads integration efforts across APIs, data systems, and third-party tools supporting web properties. Ensures high-quality code through code reviews, testing strategies, and CI/CD practices. Guides troubleshooting and resolution of complex technical issues.
• Accessibility & standards: Champions web accessibility (WCAG 2.1) and inclusive design practices across all web properties. Ensures compliance with university, state, and federal digital accessibility requirements. Promotes and operationalizes UX and content standards across distributed web teams.
• Collaboration & stakeholder engagement: Partners with marketing and communications, UX, research, engineering teams, and the Office of Project Management & Operations (OPMO) to align technical solutions with project intake, prioritization, and delivery processes. Collaborates with OPMO to ensure accurate scoping, estimation, and execution alignment across web initiatives. Serves as a key technical partner to OPMO, aligning architecture decisions with delivery timelines and project goals. Translates complex technical concepts into clear recommendations for stakeholders and project teams. Works across KE and ASU to support a distributed web governance model.
• People & team leadership: Provides technical leadership and mentorship to other web services developers within the team. Supports skill development, knowledge sharing, and adoption of best practices. Contributes to hiring, onboarding, and building a high-performing engineering culture. Helps remove blockers and align team efforts with strategic priorities.
• Operational excellence: Manages priorities across multiple initiatives, ensuring alignment with RTO and KE goals. Contributes to process improvement, documentation, and service maturity. Supports the implementation of enterprise tools such as analytics, tag management, and monitoring solutions. Fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Culture and values: Takes responsibility for fostering culture, advancing our values, and championing engagement across teams. Advances ASU and KE values through collaboration and leadership.

Benefits

• Flexible work options: Alternative work schedules can include four, 10-hour workdays in a workweek; a nine-day, 80-hour schedule over two workweeks for exempt employees only; and staggered start and stop times.
• Hybrid work is an arrangement where employees spend a minimum of 60% of their regular workweek at their primary ASU work location.
• Remote work is an arrangement where the employee spends less than 60% of their regular workweek at a regularly assigned ASU work location.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior