Senior Full-Stack Developer / Technical Lead

Senior Full-Stack Developer / Technical Lead

We are seeking a Senior Full-Stack Developer / Technical Lead with expertise in Laravel, PHP, Google Cloud, AI, and Front-End Development. This is a remote contract position offering flexible engagement, with potential for full-time contract work. Join Canadian Parent.

About Canadian Parent

CanadianParent.ca is a rapidly expanding digital platform dedicated to Canadian parents. Our comprehensive ecosystem features a custom Rewards platform, streamlined member registration and onboarding, engaging giveaways, points systems, polls, advertiser integrations, and robust lead-generation programs, alongside a WordPress content website. We have recently completed a migration to Google Cloud infrastructure and are now focused on platform enhancements, expanding our AI capabilities, and driving new initiatives in member engagement, research, SEO, and revenue growth.

The Role

We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on Full-Stack Developer who will take significant ownership of our technology stack. This role requires a proactive individual capable of understanding business operations, contributing to early-stage ideas, identifying potential issues, and delivering reliable, finished products. As a true full-stack developer, you will be proficient in developing complex backend functionality and crafting polished, responsive front-end experiences. You will transform AI-generated mockups, screenshots, or design concepts into professional, working web pages, requiring both strong development skills and keen visual judgment. You will collaborate directly with the owner to translate business goals into technical solutions, offering your own insights and recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and enhance our custom Laravel/PHP Rewards platform.
• Optimize the member signup and onboarding experience.
• Develop new features for giveaways, points, polls, and member engagement.
• Build and refine backend AI-assisted content workflows.
• Integrate third-party APIs, advertising partners, and lead-delivery systems.
• Transform AI-generated mockups and design concepts into polished, production-ready web pages.
• Create responsive front-end experiences for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
• Apply thoughtful judgment in layout, spacing, typography, imagery, and usability.
• Ensure visual consistency across the Canadian Parent platform.
• Manage both front-end presentation and supporting backend functionality.
• Enhance existing pages for improved design, usability, and conversion.
• Boost platform reliability, performance, security, and scalability.
• Review current architecture and address technical debt.
• Troubleshoot production issues and conduct root-cause analysis.
• Improve deployment, testing, monitoring, and documentation practices.
• Provide support for technical SEO, structured data, page performance, and indexability.
• Identify opportunities to increase signup conversion, advertising revenue, and overall ROI.
• Assist in prioritizing development work based on business impact.
• Potentially coordinate or offer technical direction to other developers.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong professional experience with PHP and Laravel.
• Profound knowledge of MySQL and database design.
• Expertise in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Proven ability to develop polished, responsive user interfaces.
• Experience in accurately translating mockups, screenshots, or design concepts into functional web pages.
• Exceptional attention to spacing, typography, alignment, and visual consistency.
• Solid understanding of user experience (UX) and conversion-focused design principles.
• Capability to make informed design and development decisions even when specifications are incomplete.
• Experience maintaining and enhancing an established custom platform.
• Proficiency with Google Cloud Platform or similar cloud infrastructure.
• Experience designing and integrating REST APIs.
• Familiarity with Git, deployment workflows, and production environments.
• Ability to comprehend complex business rules and interconnected workflows.
• Strong debugging and root-cause analysis skills.
• Working knowledge of technical SEO and website performance optimization.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and take ownership of project outcomes.

Valuable Additional Experience

• Experience with AI or large language model API integrations.
• Proficiency in Python, Node.js, or other technologies complementing Laravel.
• WordPress development experience.
• Knowledge of Redis, queues, and background processing.
• Familiarity with Cloud Run, containerization, or Docker.
• Expertise in analytics, conversion tracking, and advertising technology.
• Experience with high-volume membership, rewards, loyalty, or lead-generation platforms.
• Skills in automated testing, monitoring, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience leading or reviewing the work of other developers.

What Success Looks Like

The ideal candidate will:

• Proactively explore and comprehend the platform without requiring extensive guidance.
• Ask insightful questions regarding both technological aspects and business objectives.
• Propose innovative ideas, identify potential risks, and highlight new opportunities.
• Transform general concepts into polished, fully functional features.
• Suggest practical solutions, avoiding unnecessary re-engineering of existing systems.
• Communicate effectively about project scope, timelines, tradeoffs, and progress.
• Manage projects from initial discussion through design, development, testing, and successful release.
• Ensure systems are well-organized, thoroughly documented, and easily maintainable.
• Demonstrate pride in both the functionality and aesthetic quality of the platform.

Contract Structure

This is a remote contract position. We are flexible to start with a defined project or an ongoing weekly commitment. Full-time contract work may be available for candidates who establish a strong working relationship. Compensation will be determined by experience, technical capability, and the agreed-upon working arrangement.

How to Apply

To apply, please include the following:

• A brief explanation of your interest in this Senior Full-Stack Developer / Technical Lead role.
• Examples of platforms or systems where you have demonstrated significant technical ownership.
• Details of your experience with Laravel/PHP, Google Cloud, AI integrations, and technical SEO.
• Links to live web pages you personally developed.
• A concise explanation of your specific front-end design and backend development contributions for those examples.
• Your availability and preferred hourly or monthly contract rate.
• Links to relevant GitHub projects or case studies, if available.

Please note: Applications lacking relevant examples of polished front-end work may not be considered. Generic applications that do not specifically address the requirements of this role will not be prioritized.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay: $61,359.80 - $142,598.19 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Work from home

Work Location: Remote