Chicago – Web Application Development Director

Gate 39 Media,  a web development and marketing agency specializing in the financial and agricultural services industry, is seeking a WordPress/LAMP Web Development Manager. Located in Downtown Chicago, you’ll work in a team atmosphere using the latest web technology. 

In addition to providing our financial services clients with websites and marketing solutions—we create web applications that help businesses grow. From our own software-as-a-service solutions to custom-built portals and applications, we are recognized for our innovative solutions in the financial industry. 

Who We Are Looking For

• A great communicator 

  As the main point of contact for the agency development team, you’ll coordinate directly with management and clients to collect and organize technical, business and marketing requirements. As a fluent translator between tech and non-tech, you’ll communicate between internal and client teams to streamline project development, ensure tasks are delegated and completed to meet deadlines, and provide keen quality assurance oversight to ensure that we deliver an exceptional client experience.

• A technical leader 

  You’ve got a strong background in software development and web technologies. You have no ego and no problem diving into code when needed, but also help lead problem-solving efforts within the development process. You can effectively lead technical discussions, help diplomatically resolve technical disagreements, and can effectively present and evaluate development trade-offs.You’re experienced in leading both in-house and offshore development teams.

• Experience with Web and Mobile Application Development

  Our tech stack includes custom WordPress websites, e-commerce applications, mobile app including PWAs, portal applications, and custom .Net applications. You are comfortable working across technology stacks, and can “see” beyond the tasks and data to understand the full functionality required for any project.

  You will oversee the lifecycle, project management, QA, code review, and client communication of web and app projects and will work with the team on a variety of technical UI/UX projects. You live and breathe web standards, for evaluating new technologies, and can adapt standard methodologies to best fit the needs of your team.

•  A successful history of leading a development team 

  This isn’t your first rodeo. You’ve established a strong track record of leading a productive development team and creating an environment where people love to do their best work, while having fun doing it. You understand how to motivate, develop, and promote technical experts.

You understand the need for organization, processes, and standardized methodologies to create constant improvement. You understand how to meet client requirements and can work with and satisfy various stake holders’ needs and requirements. 

The Specifics

We’re seeking a professional, detail-oriented communicator who can: 

• Be a professional liaison between clients and development, collecting technical specifications and assets related to web and app projects.  
• Meticulously oversee operational details and start-to-finish project management processes, including QA, code review, security review, cross-browser compliance, launch prep, and support requests 
• Extreme organization skills and experience with task management software such as Asana or Basecamp 
• Accurately estimate project needs including human and technical resources
• Provide oversight to improve and document internal development processes and stay up to date on industry best practices and development trends
• Assist with the scoping potential projects and creating proposals from a technical standpoint
• Assist with team building including hiring and managing development team
• Set and follow timelines, implement milestones, and assign tasks to meet deadlines
• Help direct and lead our growing development team in the creation of new internal applications and expand our portfolio of agency projects.
• Member of the company management team responsible for setting the overall direction of the company

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of professional WordPress development experience, including experience managing teams
• Bachelor’s Degree or higher required; additional certifications a plus
• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree REQUIRED. No exceptions.
• Excellent communication skills are a MUST
• Strong debugging, code inspection, and QA skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of WordPress, Bootstrap, Git, CSS, JS/JQuery, security protocols, plugins, experience implementing custom apps;working with other CMS framework installations such as Joomla, and Drupal—Sitefinity and .NET CMS systems a plus; good understanding of standards such as XML, SQL,various web frameworks; infrastructure knowledge including Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure and other hosting environments; basic understanding of PHP, .NET and other programming languages; working with a variety of APIs to connect disparate systems
• A desire to learn, motivate, and cultivate a team within a rapidly growing technology and marketing agency

Company Culture & Benefits

We share a commitment to excellence and a desire to work in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere, so we only hire nice, bright, funny people who are willing to work hard. We are looking to add amazing folks to our team who will bring diversity across many lines, including race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, sex, and country of origin.

This full-time position, located in Chicago includes:

• Medical and dental insurance benefits 
• Paid holidays 
• Casual work environment
• Supply of soda and snacks, free weekly lunch 
• Work on diverse projects
• Competitive salary