Senior Developer & Project Manager

Overview

Conte Studios is a branding and web design agency seeking a Senior Developer & Project Manager to serve as the operational and technical lead across all active projects. You will manage a team of 5 (WordPress developers, Shopify developers, designers, and motion graphics designers), lead development efforts, act as the primary point of contact for clients, and report directly to the CEO. Your goal: Assist CEO from day-to-day project operations and technical oversight so they can focus on sales, growth, and strategy.

Mission

Own the technical direction and project delivery for all web, branding, and SEO projects. Serve as the bridge between the CEO and the production team - combining hands-on development leadership with full project management accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Development

Serve as the lead designer & developer across WordPress, Shopify, and Elementor projects - setting standards, making architecture decisions, and building when needed
Translate Figma designs into high-performance, responsive websites using WordPress/Elementor, Shopify/Liquid, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP
Review all code and development work from the team before delivery; enforce quality standards and best coding practices
Research and recommend plugins, tools, third-party APIs, and technical approaches for achieving project requirements; provide accurate estimates for implementation
Set up and manage staging and production environments; handle migrations across multiple WordPress and Shopify sites
Implement contingency measures - automatic backups, malware scans, security protocols, and disaster recovery procedures
Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues across client websites; provide ongoing support
Oversee the full development lifecycle: requirements gathering, design handoff, development, QA/testing, deployment, and maintenance
Promote best practices for responsive design, cross-browser compatibility, performance optimization, and site security
Stay current on WordPress, Shopify, Elementor, and general web development trends
Project Management

Manage active projects at all times (web builds, branding packages, e-commerce builds), keeping them on time and adhere to our standards
Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, and status reports within ClickUp
Participate in weekly meetings per month with the CEO, client, and production team
Track 100% of project time and billable hours; hold the team accountable to time tracking
Team Management

Directly manage and coordinate the team: WordPress developers, Shopify developer, digital designer, and motion graphics designers
Assign tasks, set priorities, and ensure tea ---------- mbers have clear direction and deadlines
Coach and mentor developers through technical challenges; conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback
Facilitate collaboration across disciplines (design, development, content) to ensure smooth handoffs
Identify skill gaps and help tea ---------- mbers grow technically
Client Communication

Serve as a client contact for all active projects
Provide weekly progress updates to clients within the project management system
Lead client meetings with confidence - able to speak to both technical details and project status
Handle scope negotiations to reach win/win outcomes that keep projects on time and on budget
Field inbound client requests, build technical requirements, scope, estimate, and get sign-off
Translate client needs into clear technical specs and user stories for the development team
Process & Reporting

Report project status, technical risks, and key metrics to the CEO on a regular cadence
Develop, maintain, and enforce the company process playbook for both development and project workflows
Establish and enforce development standards, version control practices, and QA procedures
Ensure process consistency across the entire team
Outcomes We Expect

Projects launch on time (5+ per month)
CEO is removed from day-to-day project operations, technical decisions, and employee management
Code quality and site performance are consistently high across all deliverables
Clients receive clear, professional communication throughout every project
Team is accountable, productive, technically sharp, and well-coordinated
Small projects are handled end-to-end without CEO involvement
Qualifications

4+ years of hands-on WordPress development experience (themes, plugins, custom builds, PHP, MySQL)
2+ years of Shopify development experience (Liquid, custom themes, app integrations)
2+ years of project management experience on website build projects
Strong front-end skills: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, responsive/mobile-first design
Experience translating Figma designs into pixel-perfect, responsive web pages
Expert-level proficiency with Elementor and Figma-to-Elementor workflow
Experience with RESTful APIs, JSON/XML, and third-party integrations
Experience managing remote/overseas development teams
Proven ability to conduct code reviews and enforce development standards
Strong understanding of branding and web design principles
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong organizational and time management skills
Software Expertise (Required)

WordPress / Elementor
Shopify / Liquid
ClickUp (project management)
Slack (team communication)
Figma (review designs, inspect specs, hand off to development)
Google Workspace / G Suite
Git / version control
Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
AI Workflow Knowledge
WooCommerce
Knowledge of SEO best practices
Cultural Fit

Takes ownership - carries their own bag
Growth mindset - always learning, always improving processes and code
Helps first - team-oriented, not ego-driven
Starts strong, finishes strong
Comfortable wearing many hats in a fast-paced, small-agency environment
Values honesty, integrity, and hard work
Logistics

Local (in-person + hybrid)
Must be available during Canadian business hours
Reports directly to the CEO
Education:


Bachelor's Degree (preferred)
Experience:


Agency: 2 years (required)
Language:


English (preferred)