Accountabilities: The Colgate University ITS team is seeking a collaborative, creative thinker who is motivated to build, modernize, and support our web presence. This position is responsible for providing support and optimizing the user experience for Colgate's web content management systems and other Colgate websites, which includes building new websites, enhancing existing websites, developing custom templates and add-ons, creating custom modules, and front-end development. Additionally, this…
position is accountable for maintaining expertise in emergent AI technologies that intersect with existing web technologies and protocols and guiding their adoption and implementation. The successful candidate will have a solid knowledge of Drupal web development. Experience with Lando and GitHub is helpful as well. This position is responsible for regular Drupal maintenance and for maintaining its security and performance within our hosting environment. WordPress management experience is helpful, as this position will provide occasional support for our Domain of One's Own environment. The Developer will work closely with colleagues in Communications and ITS to assess the impact of new AI technology developments to ensure Colgate maintains a strong web presence. Responsibilities: Web Development & Operations: Lead the full lifecycle of web development—from theme customization to module development and API integrations, ensuring all work aligns with Colgate's branding, security, and WCAG accessibility standards. Own the deployment pipeline, performing routine maintenance, core/contributed module updates, and security patches. Establish and manage performance baselines with tools such as New Relic and Web Core Vitals, recommend and implement optimization strategies, and participate in developing contingency plans, including reliable backup and restore procedures. Collaboration: Collaborate closely with the Communications team to translate stakeholder feedback and usability data into iterative design enhancements. Work closely with campus partners to gather requirements and provide technical consultation for existing and new websites and other Colgate systems. Compliance: Monitor and maintain compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ( WCAG ) and other web accessibility standards. Acquire and maintain technical knowledge of accessible technologies through reading, self-paced training, computer-based training, or video-based training, courses, seminars, and other methods as necessary. AI Integration & Emerging Technologies: Embrace current and emerging AI web technologies to participate in our AI SEO strategy. Additional responsibilities: Act as the primary point of contact for efficiently identifying, diagnosing, and resolving Drupal-related bugs and other errors. Design, create, and manage database structures in the development, testing, and production website environments. Lead assigned projects and actively participate in them. Work with others, including team members, to meet task deadlines and communicate about the project status. Create, maintain, and provide technical documentation for web platforms and related systems. Architect enterprise web content management solutions, including data, display, and information architecture. Participate in professional development and networking opportunities, such as attending regional or national conferences, workshops, and specialized training sessions. Act as the web team's technical point of contact for external consultants, collaborating on large-scale projects. Perform other related duties and projects as assigned. Professional Experience/Qualifications: Five or more years of experience with Drupal management and development. Demonstrated experience working in modern Javascript frameworks such as React WordPress management experience. Experience with GitHub, MariaDB (or other RDBMS ), PHP , HTML , CSS , and JavaScript. Demonstrated expertise with AI/ML tools and frameworks. Working knowledge of relational database systems within a LAMP stack; ability to create and manage database structures as needed for development and troubleshooting. Effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills. Proven excellence in client contact and ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to constituents with a variety of technical backgrounds. Understanding of modern web accessibility standards ( WCAG ). A continuous learning mindset with a passion for staying updated on the latest web development trends, AI technologies, and best practices. Demonstrated understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the academic, cultural, and social diversity in the Colgate University community. Preferred Qualifications: Experience evaluating and correcting WCAG compliance. Certifications: Acquia Certified Drupal Developer / Cloud Engineer. IAAP Web Accessibility Certification ( CPACC or WAS ). Certifications or verified coursework in AI/ML application development. Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a closely related field, or equivalent additional professional experience in essential duties and responsibilities. Master's degree preferred. Other Information: Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position. EEO Statement: The University recognizes that equal employment opportunity can only be achieved through demonstrated leadership. It is the Policy of the University to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and train employees on the basis of skills and experience, capacity to do the job, and valid job qualifications without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.