Web Developer

Virtual Technologies Group • DC, DC

4d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Mid-Level Web Developer on this project, you will help build and maintain engaging, educational, and robust digital experiences that bring the Smithsonian’s world-class collections and research to a global audience. You will bridge the gap between elegant user interfaces and complex backend systems, ensuring that our web applications are responsive, performant, and universally accessible. You will collaborate closely with UX/UI designers, backend engineers, and museum stakeholders in an Agile environment to deliver digital products that inspire and educate.

Requirements

• Experience: 3 to 5 years of professional experience in front-end or full-stack web development.
• Core Web Technologies: Deep proficiency in HTML5, CSS3 (including preprocessors like Sass), and vanilla JavaScript.
• Modern Frameworks: Strong professional experience with at least one modern JavaScript framework (React, Vue, or Angular).
• Content Management: Experience building and theming components for enterprise CMS environments (Drupal experience is highly preferred).
• Accessibility Expert: Demonstrated experience building highly accessible websites (Section 508 / WCAG compliance) and using screen readers/testing tools.
• Version Control: Strong grasp of Git workflows (branching, merging, pull requests).
• Clear Communicator: Ability to translate technical constraints and opportunities to non-technical museum stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience working as a federal contractor or supporting cultural institutions/museums.
• Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS or Azure) and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience handling complex, high-resolution media rendering and interactive maps/timelines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and Maintain: Write clean, modular, and well-documented code to build responsive web applications and interactive features.
• Ensure Accessibility: Implement strict Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance standards across all digital products—ensuring historical and cultural resources are accessible to everyone.
• Integrate Systems: Connect front-end interfaces with CMS platforms (e.g., Drupal) and consume RESTful APIs to display rich media, collection data, and search interfaces.
• Collaborate: Work closely with cross-functional Agile teams, actively participating in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospective meetings.
• Quality Assurance: Conduct peer code reviews, write unit tests, and troubleshoot cross-browser/cross-platform rendering issues.
• Optimize: Improve application performance for speed and scalability, keeping in mind the high-traffic nature of Smithsonian digital properties.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed