Senior Programmer, PHP/Wordpress - Term

Job Description

Please note: This position is a full-time, term position currently. THIS POSITION IS ELIGIBLE FOR REMOTE WORK OPTIONS.

The IRIS Center is a federally funded project located within the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. The center is an international leader in the development of free, open-access resources used for training and ongoing professional development of current and future teachers and other education professionals.

NOTE: A Term position is a staff position that exists for a period longer than six months but is not expected to last beyond one year. Although a position may exist for a specified or indefinite period, staff who accept term positions are not guaranteed employment for the entire period; they are employed for indefinite periods within the limit of the appointment. There are no guarantees of continued employment, either within the term or when the term ends.

The IRIS Center is looking for a programmer with expert, senior-level skills and an enthusiasm for creative problem-solving and minute details to add to its tiny but mighty team of professionals. This senior programmer will be expected to update and maintain the IRIS Center’s highly customized, dynamic, WordPress website ( https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu ) —accessed over 4 million times per year—and perform a set of diverse programming tasks designed to continuously improve the functionality, integrity, and security of the site.

This is a grant-funded, term position that can be performed primarily via an alternative work arrangement (i.e., remote work) during regular business hours. It will become a permanent position during the first year of the center’s new funding cycle (2023).

Applicants should be prepared to perform assorted programming tasks as part of the application process.

Duties And Responsibilities

The senior programmer is responsible for:

• Updating and maintaining the current WordPress site
• Developing additional subsite platforms in LearnDash
• Building and posting the center’s interactive resources.

Primary responsibilities within each of these key functions include but are not limited to:

• Updating and maintaining the current WordPress site
• Work with IRIS team members to continuously improve the site’s functionality, integrity, and security
• Continually test the website to identify and correct technical issues
• Implement and maintain high-quality SEO policies
• Create/modify user experience and user interface (UX/UI)
• Continually review/maintain site’s WCAG 2.2 compliance
• Collaborate with external web consultants on design and function of site
• Download and distribute website user form submissions (feedback, newsletter signups) weekly
• Developing and maintaining additional subsite platforms in LearnDash (LMS)
• Build and maintain interactive modules in a dedicated LearnDash LMS
• Manage set-up and maintenance of school/district and teacher accounts in LearnDash
• Provide phone/email technical assistance for users in the LearnDash LMS
• Building and posting the center’s interactive resources
• Work with IRIS team members to translate static content into dynamic, instructional resources
• Maintain integrity of internal and external links

The senior programmer is expected to learn new technologies, keep up with industry trends, and perform other relevant tasks as needed.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not have supervisory responsibility and reports administratively and functionally to the administrative manager.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in computer science OR 5+ years similar experience is strongly preferred.

Required Experience and Skills:

PHP (need exceptional knowledge of WordPress PHP functionality) is required

HTML/CSS/Less (including responsiveness)

MySQL – building MySQL queries to extract user data

Javascript (jQuery, Backbone.js)

Grunt

GitHub

Background Checks

Please note: All candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, and professional license verification.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

About Us

Vanderbilt is a community of talented and diverse staff & faculty!

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville , Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice through:

• Working and growing together as a community of communities... we are One Vanderbilt.
• Providing a work environment where every staff and faculty member can be their authentic and best self, while providing the resources and opportunities to learn and grow.
• Encouraging development, collaboration, and partnership both internally and externally while fostering the value that every member of the Vanderbilt community can lead and grow regardless of title or position.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.

Vanderbilt University has made the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff and our surrounding communities a top priority. As part of that commitment, the University requires all employees to (1) participate in any required on-campus COVID-19 testing protocol as may then be in effect, or (2) show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.