Senior Wordpress Developer (Kumasi, Ghana)

The Sr. Developer role at fjorge is integral to delivering high-quality products that meet client needs and business goals. As a leader on the development team, the Sr. Developer ensures the technical execution of projects, from architecture to estimation to completion. The Sr. Developer collaborates closely with other team members, consistently providing clear communication, accurate estimations, and maintaining a high standard of work that aligns with the product vision.

You create great. → Great products. Great experiences. 

Accountable for

• Development Communication  
• Done Means Done For Everyone  
• Billing
• Estimation  
• Client Facing Interactions 

Development Communication

Senior developers help lead technical planning to meet product and project requirements and stay actively engaged throughout the client engagement. They see themselves as key stakeholders and help ensure project success by supporting team collaboration through clear and effective communication channels. They also help refine the implementation into actionable tasks to keep projects moving forward. 

Example Behaviors

• Provide updates proactively and seek feedback often to ensure alignment and address issues early.
• Demonstrate completed work to QA with necessary context and instructions for validation.
• Refine user stories into actionable tasks and ensure they are aligned with project goals.
• Proactively communicate when issues arise and resolve them quickly to maintain project momentum.
• Actively engage in stand-ups and ensure all developers are completing tasks at a high level.

Done Means Done For Everyone 

Every developer is responsible for ensuring their tasks and features are completed to a high standard and are genuinely ready for the next phase. Our senior developers strive to continually improve our processes and code quality. They actively lead in team discussions and planning sessions to align on technical requirements and project goals. They architect technical plans and work closely with product owners to ensure we are able to meet requirements and deliver an outstanding product.

Example Behaviors:

• Leads the development of technical plans that align with project goals and requirements, effectively translating user stories into actionable tasks.
• Takes responsibility for code quality and delivery, ensuring that technical solutions meet high standards and addressing any issues proactively.
• Coordinates testing efforts and ensures effective collaboration between developers and stakeholders, aligning technical work with project goals.
• Actively leads and participates in team discussions and planning sessions, driving alignment on technical requirements and project objectives.
• Ensures clear and effective communication channels within the team, facilitating collaboration and supporting project success by addressing potential issues and providing guidance.

Billing

All developers understand how they impact the success and health of a project through accurate time tracking and hours usage. They stay in alignment with project goals, hours, and time frame and are able to manage project billing accurately and efficiently. Senior developers pay close attention to project financials and are acutely aware of when a project is ‘off track’. They define the success of a project by its ability to stay within budget.

Example Behaviors:

• Track project progress and hours diligently to ensure billing aligns with project goals and resources.
• Update Harvest daily with accurate entries and clear notes by the end of each day, reflecting the actual time spent on tasks.
• Ensure time entered matches scheduled resourcing.
• Verify that billed hours match scheduled resourcing to maintain billing accuracy.
• Communicate when initial estimates are no longer accurate and additional time is needed to continue work. 

Estimation

Our developers are able to provide accurate and detailed estimates for project tasks and features to ensure alignment with business goals, timelines, and budgets. They utilize available tools and techniques to optimize resource usage and maintain up-to-date estimates throughout the project lifecycle. 

Example Behaviors:

• Develop and communicate detailed estimates for project tasks that align with business objectives and constraints.
• Submit initial estimates promptly and update them regularly to reflect any changes in project scope or requirements.
• Take advantage of snippets, plug-ins, and libraries to optimize time and resource usage.

Client Facing Interaction

Our developers build trust and foster confidence with their clients by maintaining clear and effective communication, ensuring their expectations are met regarding project timelines, goals, and overall progress. They see their relationship with their clients as a true partnership, adding value to their interactions with clear and concise communication. Our developers rely on process knowledge and past experiences to successfully guide and deliver client projects, even in unfamiliar technologies.

Example Behaviors:

• Communicate project timelines, goals, and updates clearly and regularly to Product Owner and/or clients, keeping them informed. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that testing phases meet client expectations and align with project requirements.
• Conduct client meetings with a focus on clarity, demonstrating progress, and providing concise, valuable communications.

Key Behaviors 

• Extreme Owner: You take extreme ownership of your projects and contributions. You lead by example when it comes to active participation and collaboration and you help pave the way when it comes to development quality and standards. You are a subject matter expert and not only take pride in delivering work that meets AC and Definition of Done, but in helping the other developers on your team do the same as well.
• Effective Communicator: You keep your team and clients informed through clear and concise communication. Whether it's updating Jira, providing end-of-day updates, or leading client meetings, you articulate your work and ideas effectively, ensuring everyone is aligned and any roadblocks are addressed promptly.
• Proactive Problem-Solver: You anticipate challenges before they arise and take steps to mitigate risks. When issues do occur, you communicate them quickly and propose solutions to keep the project on track.
• Client-Focused Professional: You excel at understanding client needs and translating them into actionable tasks. In client-facing situations, you are confident and clear, whether leading meetings or sending written communications, ensuring the client feels informed and valued.
• Adaptable and Resilient: You thrive in dynamic environments where flexibility is key. You quickly adapt to changes in project scope or priorities and maintain your composure in challenging situations, ensuring that your work remains of the highest standard.

Technical Qualifications

• 5+ years of custom theming experience on deadline-driven development projects, including experience leading development teams
• Strong skills with multiple content management systems such as WordPress, Drupal, Shopify, etc.
• Able to mentor others in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and PHP
• Proficient in working with Database Management Systems like MySQL
• Understanding of responsive development and digital user experience
• Experience with maintaining properties post-launch or working in continuous development
• Familiar with accessibility standards and experience building ADA Compliant websites
• Experience with Sass or other CSS pre-processors and task runners such as Gulp or Grunt
• Experience with Git or other version control systems

Personal Utilization 

• You are held accountable to a 90% personal utilization target