Web Engineering Manager
No salary listed
Senior
Bachelor's
Nashville, TN, USA
In Person
Software EngineeringFull-Stack Engineering
About the job
Requirements
- A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or commensurate experience, is required.
- A minimum of five years of professional full-stack web development experience is required, including significant back-end work with PHP and MySQL, front-end HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks or libraries.
- Deep experience with WordPress development, including custom themes, plugins, and the WordPress REST API, is required.
- Proficiency with modern JavaScript, including at least one framework such as React, and experience consuming APIs from decoupled front ends, is required.
- Experience integrating third-party APIs and services into web applications is required.
- Working knowledge of web application security, performance optimization, and accessibility standards is required.
- Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring developers, through direct supervision, team lead responsibilities, or sustained mentorship, is required.
- Ability to manage multiple deadline-driven projects independently while balancing competing priorities is required.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical audiences are required.
Responsibilities
- Architect, design, and develop web applications and custom software solutions supporting university objectives, with primary ownership of front-end and back-end development and systems integration.
- Support the ongoing modernization of the university’s WordPress platform.
- Develop custom WordPress solutions, including page builder modules, theme templates, and third-party integrations.
- Design and optimize database schemas, queries, and data processing within web applications to support performance, maintenance, and reporting functionality.
- Integrate external software libraries, APIs, AI platforms, and third-party services into new and existing applications.
- Maintain and incrementally improve legacy PHP/MySQL applications and WordPress codebases while planning their migration to upgraded or new systems, tools, and environments.
- Troubleshoot and resolve application-level defects, security vulnerabilities, and performance issues.
- Lead adoption of AI-assisted development practices across the team, including AI coding tools, workflow automation, and evaluation of emerging capabilities.
- Design and build emerging technology features into web products, such as intelligent search, chat interfaces, and automated workflows, and recommend applications that improve user experience and operational efficiency.
- Directly supervise a small team, including assigning work, setting priorities, providing performance feedback, and supporting professional growth.
- Provide technical mentorship and code review, ensuring adherence to development standards, accessibility requirements, and security best practices.
- Coordinate the work of external development vendors on assigned projects.
- Participate in hiring and onboarding for development positions in collaboration with leadership.
- Foster innovation, continuous improvement, collaboration, and professional growth within the team.
- Serve as the department’s technical liaison to central IT for hosting, security, proxy server requests, and infrastructure needs, and lead website migrations in coordination with central IT.
- Collaborate with UX/UI designers, product stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to design, build, test, and deploy new digital experiences.
- Provide advanced technical support and consultation to university clients, serving as the escalation point for complex web application issues.
- Document system architecture, technical specifications, and operational procedures for solutions the team builds and maintains.
- Support the Web Engineering and Ops Lead on strategic initiatives and special projects, and contribute to departmental planning.
- Communicate with faculty, students, staff, leadership, alumni, vendors, and external partners, and maintain confidentiality for embargoed or restricted projects and data.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience implementing headless or decoupled WordPress architectures and tools.
- Hands-on experience with AI development tools, schema, JSON-LD, and building AI-powered application features.
- Experience working within a shared services environment where infrastructure is managed by a central IT organization.
- Experience in higher education or a similarly complex, multi-stakeholder organization.
About the company
Vanderbilt University operates as a private research institution that provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to over 11,000 students. The university functions by integrating classroom instruction with active research initiatives, allowing students and faculty to collaborate on projects across various fields such as information technology, athletics, and the arts. Unlike many large public institutions, Vanderbilt maintains a smaller student body and emphasizes a community-driven environment where diversity of thought and culture is central to the learning process. The university distinguishes itself by operating at a "global crossroads," focusing on a multidisciplinary approach that encourages employees and students to apply their expertise to real-world challenges. Vanderbilt’s goal is to foster a center for growth and discovery where individuals can expand their knowledge and contribute to societal improvements through education and research.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
$86.7M
Headquarters
Nashville, Tennessee
Founded
N/A
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Dare to Grow closed June 30, 2026 with $4.5 billion in gifts.
- FY26 invention disclosures reached 267, up 16 percent year over year.
- Christopher Scolese now leads the Vanderbilt Institute for Innovations Beyond Earth.
What critics are saying
- Provost C. Cybele Raver departs in October 2026, forcing a national search.
- San Francisco campus launches in 2027 only after regulatory approvals.
- A March 2026 ERISA lawsuit targets Vanderbilt and VUMC retirement oversight.
What makes Vanderbilt University unique
- Vanderbilt opened a New York City campus in August 2026.
- Nashville approved its 40-acre Innovation Neighborhood on September 1, 2026.
- The College of Connected Computing and quantum campus deepen its research moat.
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Benefits
- Hybrid Work Options