Advanced WordPress/ACF Developer (CONTRACT HIRE)

Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced contract WordPress developer to support our internal development team with advanced builds, custom functionality, and complex problem-solving. This role is designed to alleviate production bottlenecks by adding senior-level expertise—someone who can step into sophisticated projects and execute with minimal oversight.

This is not a basic WordPress role. We are looking for a developer who understands how to architect scalable solutions within WordPress while working efficiently inside the framework and integrating custom development where necessary.

Duties

• Build and support advanced WordPress websites (we use YOOtheme Pro)
• Develop and manage Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) implementations with YOOtheme Essentials, including flexible content structures and reusable systems
• Architect and implement complex directory structures (custom post types, taxonomies, relationships, filtering, and search logic)
• Develop custom functionality where native tools or plugins fall short
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues across themes, plugins, and hosting environments
• Collaborate with internal designers and strategists to translate UX/UI into performant builds
• Develop and refine mobile navigation systems, including complex menu logic and responsive behavior
• Ensure clean, maintainable, and scalable code
• Optimize performance, accessibility, and SEO-related technical elements
• Document approach and decisions when building reusable systems

Required Experience

• 5+ years of WordPress development experience
• Strong expertise in Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) including flexible content fields, repeater fields, relationship fields, JSON syncing and deployment workflows
• Proven experience building complex directory-style websites, including custom post types & taxonomies, advanced filtering and search, data relationships and hierarchies
• Strong understanding of PHP (WordPress theme/plugin development), JavaScript (especially for UI behaviors and navigation), HTML/CSS (with attention to responsive design and maintainability)
• Experience customizing or extending page builders/frameworks when needed
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills
• Experience integrating APIs or third-party data sources into WordPress
• Familiarity with performance optimization techniques (Core Web Vitals, caching strategies)
• Experience working within agency workflows
• Understanding of SEO technical requirements in WordPress builds

Pay: $80.00 per hour

Application Question(s):

• Walk through how you would architect a directory site with: Multiple content types (e.g., businesses, locations, categories), Filtering by multiple criteria, Bi-directional relationships between entries. Include details on post types, taxonomies, and how filtering/search would work.
• Describe the most complex mobile navigation system you’ve built. What made it complex? How did you handle usability, performance, and maintainability? What tradeoffs did you make?
• You inherit a WordPress site with: Large ACF structures, Complex queries, Slow load times. Walk through your process for diagnosing and improving performance.
• When building with ACF, how do you decide between: Flexible content fields, Repeaters, Separate post types. Provide a real-world example.
• Describe a project where you worked within WordPress using Advanced Custom Fields to build a flexible, scalable content system. How did you structure the fields? How did you handle repeatable layouts or modular content? What limitations did you encounter, and how did you solve them? Provide the URL for this work.
• Give an example of when a WordPress builder could not meet a requirement. What was the limitation? What approach did you take to extend or bypass it? Why did you choose that approach over alternatives?
• What is your philosophy on managing styles in WordPress builds—specifically: Using framework settings, Creating custom CSS systems, Maintaining consistency across pages and components. Where do you draw the line between using the framework and writing custom styles?

Work Location: Remote