Senior Back-End Engineer, WordPress

At Forum One, we partner with leading nonprofit organizations and government agencies to create digital experiences that advance missions and improve lives. Our work sits at the intersection of strategy, design, and technology—and we’re looking for a Senior Back-End Engineer to help bring it to life.

If you’re passionate about building scalable, high-performing digital platforms and enjoy solving complex challenges, this role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact through your work.

As a Senior Back-End Engineer at Forum One, you’ll play a critical role in developing and supporting sophisticated WordPress solutions. You’ll work closely with Technical Architects and cross-functional teams to implement high-quality systems that are scalable, secure, and aligned with client needs.

In this role, you will:

• Develop and support complex WordPress implementations, including custom themes, plugins, and Gutenberg blocks
• Translate technical architecture and requirements into scalable, maintainable back-end code
• Contribute to headless and decoupled WordPress implementations as directed by Technical Architects
• Integrate third-party platforms and APIs (such as Salesforce and ServiceNow) to extend functionality and solve client challenges
• Leverage modern AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor) to improve efficiency and code quality
• Provide input on feasibility, performance, and implementation approaches during project planning

Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues to ensure the stability and success of our platforms

Beyond hands-on development, you’ll help strengthen our engineering practice through collaboration and knowledge sharing.

You’ll also:

• Serve as a contributor with deep expertise in back-end development and WordPress
• Stay current with emerging technologies and development tools
• Help solve complex technical challenges and share knowledge across teams
• Contribute to internal tools and open-source efforts that enhance delivery quality and efficiency

We’re looking for someone who combines strong technical expertise with a collaborative mindset and a passion for mission-driven work.

You should have:

• 5 years of experience in software engineering or a related field
• Deep expertise in PHP and WordPress back-end development
• Strong experience building custom WordPress themes and plugins
• Solid understanding of JavaScript, CSS, and modern web development practices
• Strong knowledge of database design, implementation, and optimization
• Familiarity with other CMS platforms (Drupal, Craft, Payload) is a plus
• Experience integrating third-party APIs and enterprise platforms
• Proficiency with Git and modern development workflows
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools to enhance productivity
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to secure, high-quality code
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams
• U.S. citizen or legal resident and able to work domestically
• Able to attain a low-level security clearance

We believe technology can amplify impact. When you join Forum One, you’ll work alongside a team that is deeply committed to using digital tools to support meaningful causes.

Here, you’ll find:

• Purpose-driven work with nonprofits and public sector organizations
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment
• Opportunities to work on complex, high-impact digital platforms
• A culture that values learning, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Flexibility and support for remote work

Forum One is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. For this position, the target base salary range is  $84,000 to $126,000. Actual compensation salary will be determined based on a variety of factors, such as your qualifications, skills, experience, security clearances, certifications, and the scope of your responsibilities. The salary pay range is subject to change and may be modified at any time.   

We participate in E-Verify. Upon hire, we will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Due to the nature of our work with the federal government, all roles at Forum One are required to work from the contiguous United States.