Senior WordPress Engineer (Freelance)

<meta><h1 data-title="true" style="line-height:1.38;font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;margin:24px="" 0px="" 4px;padding:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:26pt;"=""><span style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Senior WordPress Engineer (Freelance)</span><br><br></h1><p style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:4px="" 0px;padding:0px;"=""><b><strong style="font-size:18pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Who You Are</strong></b></p><ul data-pattern="discCircleSquare" data-depth="1" style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;margin:8px="" 0px;line-height:1.6;padding:0px="" 0px="" 32px;list-style-type:disc;"=""><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You have a keen eye for details, even the small ones</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You are an enthusiastic WordPress advocate who is curious about how emerging technologies - including AI - can enhance the platform</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You are fueled by a balanced blend of humility and confidence</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You appreciate order and efficiency but have an action-oriented approach</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You have an appetite for learning and self-development</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You value autonomy and have the self-management skills to operate dependably in a fully remote role</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You're actively exploring how AI tools can improve your productivity and code quality</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You think beyond the code - you're comfortable making architectural decisions, evaluating trade-offs, and guiding technical direction for a project</span></li></ul><p style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:4px="" 0px;padding:0px;"=""><b><strong style="font-size:18pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">What You've Done</strong></b></p><ul data-pattern="discCircleSquare" data-depth="1" style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;margin:8px="" 0px;line-height:1.6;padding:0px="" 0px="" 32px;list-style-type:disc;"=""><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You’ve had your hands deep in complex, large scale web technology projects </span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You’ve actively participated in mentoring and guiding less experienced developers to follow best practices through code reviews</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You’ve built complex custom WordPress plugins and themes from scratch</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You’ve worked extensively with PHP, WordPress, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You've built custom Gutenberg blocks, Block Editor panels, and sidebar plugins to extend the editing experience</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You've used performance monitoring and error tracking tools to diagnose issues in production environments</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">You have experience developing for enterprise WordPress hosting platforms such as WordPress VIP, including familiarity with their coding standards, deployment workflows, and code review requirements</span></li></ul><p style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:4px="" 0px;padding:0px;"=""><b><strong style="font-size:18pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">What You'll Do at XWP</strong></b><br><br><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:14pt;white-space:pre-wrap;"> </span><b><strong style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:14pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Be an Engaged Team Member</strong></b><br><br></p><ul data-pattern="discCircleSquare" data-depth="1" style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;margin:8px="" 0px;line-height:1.6;padding:0px="" 0px="" 32px;list-style-type:disc;"=""><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Contribute to estimations for all tickets in the backlog and participate in Backlog Grooming, Sprint Planning, and Sprint Review Meetings</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Adhere to Agile Scrum Methodologies and organizational processes</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Be a candid, respectful and supportive teammate and leader</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Work closely and collaboratively with others to develop solutions</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Shape technical direction in collaboration with teammates, balancing client needs, maintainability, and long-term scalability</span><span style="white-space:pre-wrap;">  </span><br><br><b><strong style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:14pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Champion Engineering Best Practices</strong></b><br><br></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Review and write unit, integration, and regression tests when appropriate</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Write and maintain unit tests with PHPUnit, enforce static analysis with PHPStan, and build end-to-end tests with Playwright</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Conduct architectural peer reviews for code created by other engineers</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Set up build and test environments as well as deploying code</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Implement PHP and JavaScript Linting</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Setting up CI/CD workflows with Github Actions</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Implement standard Docker local development environments</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Monitor and optimize application performance using tools like Sentry for error tracking, New Relic for application logs and performance metrics, and Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals for frontend performance</span><br><br></li></ul><p style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:4px="" 0px;padding:0px;"=""><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:14pt;white-space:pre-wrap;"> </span><b><strong style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:14pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Write Secure, Performant, Scalable Code</strong></b><br><br></p><ul data-pattern="discCircleSquare" data-depth="1" style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;margin:8px="" 0px;line-height:1.6;padding:0px="" 0px="" 32px;list-style-type:disc;"=""><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Develop custom WordPress plugins for use at enterprise scale </span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Object Oriented Programming</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Create custom React-based Blocks</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Utilize WordPress technologies like WP-CLI and REST API</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:10.5pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Build custom, performant SQL queries</span></li></ul><ul data-pattern="discCircleSquare" data-depth="1" style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;margin:8px="" 0px;line-height:1.6;padding:0px="" 0px="" 32px;list-style-type:disc;"=""><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Package management tools like NPM and Composer</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Responsive interface development and interface extension using JavaScript</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Debugging across a wide range of browsers and devices</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Develop and maintain plugins and themes that meet WordPress VIP coding standards and deployment requirements</span></li></ul><p style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:4px="" 0px;padding:0px;"=""><b><strong style="font-size:18pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">What Success Looks Like</strong></b></p><ul data-pattern="discCircleSquare" data-depth="1" style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;margin:8px="" 0px;line-height:1.6;padding:0px="" 0px="" 32px;list-style-type:disc;"=""><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Delivery of quality code, on time, and as estimated</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Collaborative and effective communication across global time zones and cultures</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Proactive approach to learning, growth, and sharing</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Having the trust and confidence of your teammates</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Leading by example and treating others with respect</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Thoughtful adoption of AI tools that demonstrably improves code quality, security, and overall quality of work</span></li></ul><p style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:1.6;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:4px="" 0px;padding:0px;"=""><b><strong style="font-size:18pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Payscale & Benefits</strong></b></p><ul data-pattern="discCircleSquare" data-depth="1" style="font-family:" basel="" grotesk",arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;margin:8px="" 0px;line-height:1.6;padding:0px="" 0px="" 32px;list-style-type:disc;"=""><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">Trust and support from your colleagues (we look out for each other and work together towards our shared goals and vision)</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">The rewards of a highly collaborative culture (we’re a team, not a working group)</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">The joys of remote work done right (schedule flexibility, skip the commute, and more time for family and interests outside of work)</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">The chance to play an important part in helping XWP achieve its full potential and make a meaningful difference for our clients, team members and the open web.</span></li><li style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:12pt;margin:3px 0px;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.6;"><span style="color:rgb(65,71,87);font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">$35 to $60 USD per hour</span></li></ul>

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Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...