Head of Engineering – Hands-on, WordPress, PHP

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Malta.

📋 Description

• Take charge of the technical vision and engineering standards, emphasizing operational growth and the long-term sustainability of the codebase.

• Lead and mentor a dynamic team of developers, serving as a player-coach who is actively involved in daily coding tasks.

• Establish the long-term technical strategy and platform direction to effectively support unique websites.

• Manage the core architecture for our backend PHP services, APIs, integrations, and essential WordPress platforms.

• Ensure optimal performance across all websites by employing smart caching strategies, database optimization, and efficient system layers.

• Direct the creation of fast, custom WordPress themes, plugins, and frameworks designed for rapid feature deployment.

• Integrate tracking, analytics, attribution, and SEO systems directly into our website ecosystem to foster business growth.

• Convert business and marketing requirements into agile, scalable technical solutions prioritizing speed-to-market.

• Proactively identify system bottlenecks and redesign the platform architecture to facilitate seamless operations.

• Set and uphold pragmatic code quality, modern PHP 8+ engineering standards, and best practices in web development.

• Mentor team engineers to enhance their technical abilities and problem-solving skills.

• Transform vaguely defined marketing features into actionable, structured tasks for the development team.

• Address daily technical and implementation inquiries directly, minimizing the need for escalation.

⛳️ Requirements

• Hands-on Technical Leadership: Demonstrated experience in leading small development teams while maintaining a strong technical focus and proximity to the code.

• Deep WordPress & PHP Expertise: Advanced knowledge of PHP 8+, WordPress core internals, custom plugin/theme development, and performance enhancement.

• A Pragmatic, Product-First Mindset: You prioritize delivering business value and maintainable systems over creating overly complex infrastructures.

• High-Growth Agility: Proven experience thriving in fast-paced, feature-driven environments where speed-to-market is crucial for competitive advantage.

• Exceptional Communication: Ability to directly engage with non-technical stakeholders, translate business needs, and guide developers without requiring escalation.

• Preferred Experience: Familiarity with lead generation, affiliate marketing, SEO-focused website networks, or digital publishing settings.

• Experience managing large, multi-site WordPress ecosystems or portfolios comprising 20+ distinct websites.

• Proficient with analytics, tracking scripts, and attribution systems.

• Background in refactoring or rebuilding complex legacy WordPress codebases.

🏝️ Benefits

• Ownership & Impact: Assume complete responsibility for the technical foundation of a multi-vertical lead generation business, directly influencing scalability, performance, and growth across the platform.

• Growth Opportunity: Become part of a rapidly growing digital business where your contributions will directly support expansion in products, traffic, and systems.

• Flexibility: Enjoy a remote working environment or join us at our office in Malta.

• Competitive Compensation: We provide competitive compensation packages, with opportunities for performance-based incentives.