CMS Lead Developer

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and hands-on delivery of headless CMS solutions using Next.js, React, and APIs, with a strong focus on Optimizely SaaS CMS.
• Oversee complex integrations between the CMS, Commerce, and third-party tools like search and analytics/tag management platforms.
• Team Leadership: Mentor development and QA teams to ensure high-quality code, accessibility, and SEO/AEO optimized structures.
• Serve as a client-facing technical lead, driving solutioning workshops, scoping, estimation, and occasionally stepping into BA/PM responsibilities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on CMS development and scalable component data modeling in a consulting environment, with expertise in Optimizely CMS, Storyblok, or Contentful CMS strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, informatics, information technology or equivalent real-world experience.
• Strong frontend and backend development skills utilizing a Next.js and React framework, with the ability to translate Figma designs into responsive HTML/CSS.
• Proven experience configuring and integrating headless CMS platforms with enterprise ecommerce systems (like Salesforce Commerce).
• Understanding of modern web best practices and technical patterns around Core Web Vitals, SEO/AEO, and JSON-LD.
• Experience writing and consuming queries from headless APIs as Graph or REST.
• Practical understanding of DevOps pipelines and configuration for frontend hosting platforms, such as Netlify, Vercel, or Optimizely.
• Experience implementing third-party search solutions (e.g., Coveo, Algolia, etc.).
• Track record of leading developers on client projects while remaining active in the codebase.
• Optimizely certifications (or related CMS platforms) are highly preferred.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to navigate high-feedback, client-facing environments with professionalism and poise.

About the role

US-based remote worker with the flexibility to support clients across multiple time zones and occasionally travel to client sites or Studio Science HQ in Indianapolis.