Full Stack Web Developer at California Institute of Applied Technology

United States

$85k - $95k

Description Work from Home (WFH) - Remote work must be performed while residing in New Mexico, Florida or Massachusetts CIAT Location: San Diego, CA and Albuquerque, NM Reports to: VP of Information Technology Status: Exempt Employment Type: Full-time Summary The Full Stack Web Developer at CIAT is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining modern web applications that power our student experience, marketing funnels, and internal operations. They work across the entire stack (front end, back end, databases, and integrations) to deliver secure, scalable, and responsive solutions that support CIAT’s growth and innovation goals in career-focused higher education. This role collaborates closely with the CIAT Marketing department and IT stakeholders to translate business requirements into reliable web-based solutions, continuously iterating based on data and user feedback to improve performance, usability, and conversion outcomes. Responsibilities: Develop, maintain, and optimize web applications using PHP/Laravel, WordPress, and NodeJS Collaborate with business stakeholders, graphic designers, QA, and other team members to define requirements, design solutions, and deliver new features Troubleshoot, profile, and optimize code to ensure high performance, stability, and security Write clean, well-structured, and well-documented code; actively participate in code reviews Monitor application health, identify bottlenecks or bugs, and implement timely fixes First point of contact for change requests and enhancements on ciat.edu and CIAT web properties including content updates, images, menu changes, digital assets, new page layouts, new features, and accessibility features Create responsive and interactive web pages that align with CIAT brand guidelines Ensure all ciat.edu website pages and content remain editable in version control tools for collaborative team maintenance Collaborate closely with our in-house and third-party development team members to triage, delegate, and test new web changes Gather project requirements outlined by department stakeholders and provide time estimates to scope web projects for implementation Accurately implement design specifications and work collaboratively with the marketing team to optimize the user experience within time, budget, and business constraints Monitor web analytics and real-time visitor monitoring tools to recommend improvements in web accessibility, functionality, or new feature deployment Communicate effectively and professionally with internal teams and vendors Utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills to outline programmatic solutions for solving critical business challenges Stay up to date with emerging tools, libraries, frameworks, and industry trends; proactively suggest improvements Adhere to CIAT’s compliance requirements to ensure all Federal, State, accreditation, and institutional policies and procedures are being met Contribute to team effort by accomplishing results as needed Embody CIAT’s mission, vision, purpose and values Ensure a safe, secure, and ethical work environment Requirements Bachelor’s degree in software development, web development, computer science, or related industry experience 7+ years of web programming experience in professional business environments 7+ years of experience with version control tools such as Git, to collaborate with a multi-person development team Advanced expertise in PHP/Laravel, including complex Eloquent relationships, service container usage, event-driven design, and queue orchestration required Experience with backend languages, such as Rust, or exposure to systems-oriented development in Go or Python preferred. Familiarity with Microsoft Power Pages preferred Strong proficiency in WordPress, building and maintaining scalable solutions such as multisite or headless implementations, with deep REST API customization and effective caching strategies Strong proficiency in Node.js, including service-oriented architecture, real-time features (WebSockets), and performance profiling in production environments Strong proficiency with front-end development, with deep knowledge of JavaScript (ES6+) and CSS (including preprocessors such as SASS or LESS), and production experience with at least one major framework (React or Vue.js) Demonstrable experience designing and optimizing relational database schemas (MySQL or PostgreSQL), with working knowledge of NoSQL systems (Redis or MongoDB) for caching and high-throughput workloads Demonstratable experience with containerization and delivery pipelines, including Docker and CI/CD workflows, and familiarity with orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes Strong proficiency with API design, including RESTful and GraphQL systems, authentication and authorization flows (OAuth2, JWT), and real-time communication patterns Experience with automated testing, including unit, integration, or end-to-end testing using tools such as PHPUnit, Jest/Mocha, or Cypress Familiarity with security best practices, including OWASP guidelines, content security policies, and secure development practices across the stack Ownership mindset around code scalability, and reliability, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues before they impact users Confident use of Git as an engineering tool, with attention to clear history, ownership, and long-term maintainability Familiarity with responsive web design, mobile compatibility, UI/UX best practices. Familiarity with SEO requirements and the impact of website performance, URL structures, and the impacts of compliance and search engine friendly code Eagerness to learn and adapt to new web programming tools and methodologies Ability to work independently, estimate effort accurately, and deliver reliably within structured development cycles. Willingness to participate in regular team check-ins and provide clear, proactive progress updates Self-motivated, goal-oriented, assertive, results-driven, high energy, and highly ethical. Team player with a positive, can-do attitude Strong organizational skills with the proven ability to prioritize Possess high ethical standards, being an example of professionalism to others Ability to problem solve while maintaining compliance with all policies, procedures, and regulations, including those related to integrity, conduct, and professionalism Must be able to embody CIAT’s mission, vision, purpose and values Position Type and Expected Hours of Work Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday. Occasional weekend and evening hours may be required. Supervisory Responsibility This position has no supervisory responsibilities. Values Values such as integrity, excellence, customer service, teamwork and mutual respect are some of those that remain constant, regardless of changes in our company. When identifying company values, it is important that those values are being demonstrated in the course of business each day. Our values set expectations for how employees and managers interact with every person while representing the company. We are passionate about education and student success We value integrity and excellence in our employees and students We treat ourselves and our students with dignity and respect We believe in and encourage innovation at our school to better help our students succeed We have a customer centric focus and we want people highly committed to achieving goals, where our success equals student’s success We are accountable for our actions and focus on improvements moving forward We have a growth mindset with a sincere belief that every student can do better and achieve their goals We expect every employee to be an example of conduct and professionalism, being a role model to students and colleagues We commit to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment that respects the diversity of students' backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives We foster lifelong learning and professional development Physical Demands These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions. Essential functions of this role require sitting for extended periods of time. Ability to type, use a computer to search for information and input information while speaking on the phone is required. The employee will frequently be required to use the computer, mouse and telephone to conduct the regular tasks of this role. The employee will be required to compute simple to simple mathematical calculations as a normal part of this role. Work Environment While performing the responsibilities of this remote position, the job holder will work in a home office environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. This role routinely involves using standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and virtual communication tools. Employees are expected to ensure that their home office is a safe and ergonomic working environment, as the company will for employees working on campus. Employees must maintain data security and confidentiality in accordance with company policies and use secure connections for all work-related activities. Expectations regarding work hours, availability, and time tracking will be clearly communicated and must be adhered to. The company is not responsible for maintaining home office environments beyond the provision of reasonable accommodations and necessary work-related equipment. Workers' compensation and liability for injuries that occur in the home office will be covered as per company policy and applicable laws. This remote work policy is designed to comply with all relevant local, state, and federal laws. AAP/EEO Statement California Institute of Applied Technology provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, the California Institute of Applied Technology complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. California Institute of Applied Technology expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of California Institute of Applied Technology’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge. Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time, with or without notice. Salary Range The starting salary range for the Full Stack Web Developer is $85,000-$95,000 yearly/DOE. We base salary offers on a variety of considerations, such as education, experience, equity and other business and organizational needs. #ZR