Senior WordPress Engineer

Are Media Pty Limited; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work options

Paid parental leave

Learning & development

Wellbeing program

Exclusive discounts

BELONG @ Are

Job summary

Are Media Pty Limited is seeking a Senior WordPress Engineer to lead hands-on development and guide a small team as the WordPress platform powers Australia's iconic brands. You'll own technical direction, improve performance, security and scalability of WordPress ecosystems, work with cross-functional teams, and evaluate WordPress VIP opportunities to inform our digital growth strategy.

Hybrid work options available with a focus on delivering reliable, high-traffic experiences and modernising

Qualifications

• Extensive WordPress development experience across multisite environments.
• Strong PHP expertise with modern JavaScript, React, REST APIs.
• Experience with digital advertising tech and ad stacks.
• Proven performance engineering capabilities incl. Core Web Vitals.
• Experience leading or mentoring developers and strong communication.
• MySQL, Git, and CI/CD knowledge; familiarity with paywall or personalization platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop the WordPress Developer team, setting coding standards.
• Own the technical direction of Are Media’s WordPress platform and optimize performance.
• Diagnose and resolve complex site performance and ad tech issues across CMS.
• Collaborate with Content, Audience, AdTech, Data and Tech teams on initiatives.
• Assess WordPress VIP and contribute to the platform roadmap.

Skills

WordPress development

PHP

JavaScript/React/REST APIs

Performance engineering

Leadership/mentoring

Communication

Problem solving

Tools

MySQL

Git

CI/CD

Gutenberg blocks

Job description

Who are we?

Our portfolio includes some of Australia’s most iconic and trusted brands, including The Australian Women’s Weekly, ELLE, marie claire, New Idea, Australian House & Garden, Bounty Parents, Better Homes & Gardens and more!

We are Australia’s leading omnichannel content company for women! Every day we inform, inspire and connect with 9 in 10 Australian women through magazine media, digital, video, social, e-commerce, vodcasts, events and experiences.

What we can offer you

• We welcome the opportunity to explore flexible work options where appropriate, depending on the needs of the business.

• Additional paid leave, including a day off to celebrate your birthday, four days of volunteer leave each year, and inclusive leave provisions supporting reproductive, hormonal and wellbeing needs, as well as First Nations cultural and ceremonial commitments.

• Paid parental leave of up to 12 weeks, plus a parenting gift pack, meal vouchers and return-to-work support.

• Opportunities to grow and develop, with access to tailored learning pathways, mentoring, Lunch & Learns, our Digital Learning Academy and professional development support.

• A comprehensive wellbeing program including EAP, Mental Health First Aiders, and a personalised online wellbeing portal with assessments, resources and lifestyle plans.

• Exclusive benefits and discounts, including Fitness Passport memberships, discounted health insurance, beauty services, technology and a range of lifestyle offers through our benefits partner Flare.

• A genuinely inclusive culture, supported through our BELONG @ Are program, where everyone is welcomed, valued and empowered to be their authentic selves.

The Role

Shape the future of the WordPress platform powering some of Australia’s most recognised media brands!

As Senior WordPress Engineer, you’ll combine hands‑on engineering with technical leadership, guiding a small development team while improving the performance, security and scalability of Are Media’s WordPress ecosystem.

Reporting to the Head of Engineering & Technology Operations, you’ll play an influential role in our digital growth strategy, modernising the platform, improving Core Web Vitals and advertising experiences, and helping assess the future potential of WordPress VIP.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead, mentor and develop the WordPress Developer team, establishing strong engineering, code review and delivery standards.
• Own the technical direction of Are Media’s WordPress platform, improving its configuration, caching, security, database health and overall performance.
• Diagnose and resolve complex site performance and advertising technology issues across the CMS, browser and ad stack.
• Partner with Content, Audience, AdTech, Data and Technology teams to deliver initiatives spanning paywalls, personalisation, video, tag governance and improved mobile experiences.
• Lead the technical assessment of WordPress VIP and contribute to the longer‑term platform roadmap.

About you

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Extensive professional WordPress development experience across multisite environments, custom themes and plugins, component-based architecture and Gutenberg.
• Strong PHP expertise and confidence working with modern JavaScript, React, REST APIs and custom Gutenberg blocks.
• Hands‑on experience with digital advertising technology such as Google Ad Manager, Prebid or header bidding, GPT slot lifecycles and lazy loading.
• Proven performance engineering capability, including Core Web Vitals, real‑user data, browser diagnostics, caching, CDNs and third‑party script performance.
• Experience leading or mentoring developers, supported by strong communication, collaboration and problem‑solving skills.
• Working knowledge of MySQL, Git, coding standards and CI/CD, with exposure to paywall, membership or personalisation platforms highly regarded.

Are Media is a proud member of Media Diversity Australia, a not-for-profit organisation working towards a media landscape that looks and sounds like Australia. We are committed to fostering diverse, respectful,collaborative & inclusive workplace. We know & value the success this brings for everyone, and we welcome & encourage applications from diverse backgrounds.When you apply, please let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.