Backend Developer (High-Scale WordPress & API)

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead backend development and contribute to the overall technical strategy for MBN’s digital platforms.
• Design, build, and maintain secure, scalable, and high-performance WP REST API and GraphQL endpoints, custom WordPress plugins, and themes that extend the alhurra.com platform.
• Develop reusable components, templates, and libraries to enhance efficiency and reduce redundancy.
• Upgrade existing platforms by improving functionality, optimizing performance, and modernizing architecture.
• Collaborate with mobile development teams to build applications optimized for performance and large-scale data handling.
• Design and maintain efficient database schemas, working with and extending the core WordPress database structure, ensuring data integrity and optimal query performance.
• Implement advanced security practices to protect user data and mitigate risks across digital systems.
• Integrate third-party services and APIs to expand and enhance platform functionality.
• Ensure all backend systems meet standards for scalability, maintainability, and performance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve backend issues in collaboration with digital, front-end, and DevOps teams; document code and maintain version control standards.
• Implement and manage SEO tools—including structured data, meta tags, and XML sitemaps—within Agile development cycles.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Candidates are required to have:
• A Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in backend or full-stack development.
• Strong skills in database design (SQL), REST API development, and application architecture.
• Solid understanding of web technologies including HTTP, REST, AJAX, and JSON.
• Proven experience building scalable, secure, and high-performance backend systems.
• Familiarity with version control (Git) and Agile development practices.
• Expertise with WordPress coding standards, action/filter hooks, custom post types, and the WordPress Object Cache API.
• Strong problem-solving, debugging, and documentation skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Ability to accommodate flexible work schedule to support 24/7 news environment.
• Ability to prioritize competing deadlines.

Preferred

• Experience with modern JavaScript frameworks (e.g., Vue, React, or Angular).
• Knowledge of SEO best practices and backend optimization for search engines.
• Understanding of accessibility, cross-browser compatibility, and web standards.
• Experience integrating third-party services and APIs.
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure or DevOps tools.