Description

Position at Consumer Tech

The Opportunity:

CNET Group is looking for an accomplished Lead WordPress VIP Engineer with hands-on experience developing, deploying, and maintaining high-traffic, enterprise-level websites on the WordPress VIP platform. Proven expertise in high-performance optimization, strict security compliance, scalable infrastructure management, and complex third-party system integrations. You’re motivated by curiosity, driven to grow your skills, and eager to contribute to high-impact websites used by millions.

As a Lead Software Engineer, you will help evolve and maintain the platforms that power CNET and its network of high-traffic, content-rich sites. Your work will span modern JavaScript frameworks and enterprise WordPress, building performant and SEO friendly experiences for millions of readers each month.

You’ll develop new features through custom Gutenberg blocks, enhance existing Vue/Nuxt codebases, and collaborate across teams to improve platform performance, stability, and maintainability. This role suits an engineer who’s as comfortable diving into legacy systems as they are experimenting with modern tooling.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement a decoupled architecture for front-end presentation layers using React and the WordPress REST API to achieve superior scalability and faster iteration cycles.
• Participate in and contribute to code reviews, offering constructive feedback and identifying potential code inconsistencies.
• Develop robust, secure, and scalable integrations with critical third-party services, including e-commerce platforms and subscription management systems.
• Design and Architect complex, custom WordPress themes and plugins for deployment on the WordPress VIP platform, prioritizing performance, maintainability, and security.

Job Qualifications:

• 6+ years of professional experience in full-stack web development, with a significant focus on the WordPress ecosystem.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects from conception through deployment.
• Deep experience with modern WordPress development, including:
• Demonstrable expertise with the WordPress VIP platform (or similar enterprise WordPress hosting/standards).

• Expert-level proficiency in PHP (modern object-oriented) and MySQL.
• Strong experience developing with the WordPress REST API and/or GraphQL for decoupled/headless architectures (e.g., using React or Vue.js).
• Deep understanding of caching layers (object caching, full page caching, CDNs) and tools like New Relic, Prometheus, or Grafana for performance monitoring.
• Using Timber/Twig for templating and Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) for theme development.
• Experience with WordPress Multisite environments at scale.
• Experience with Gutenberg block development (both static and dynamic).
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills in complex, distributed systems.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and  UX/UI Designers to translate business requirements and designs into technical specifications and scalable implementations.
• Contribute to technical documentation and architecture diagrams for developed solutions
• Proficiency with Git and experience defining or managing CI/CD pipelines.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex infrastructure, application, and database issues in high-pressure, production environments.
• Proven experience writing and maintaining automated test suites using frameworks such as PHPUnit (for PHP/WordPress backend logic).
• Familiarity with Agile development practices and the ability to break down work into deliverable units
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, emphasizing effective cross-team collaboration.

About CNET Group:

CNET Group, a division of Ziff Davis, is the world's leading technology and consumer electronics media brand, with a mission to empower people with the knowledge they need to make smart buying decisions. It is a trusted global marketplace that connects technology buyers and sellers with the most actionable and precise intent data. We are uniquely positioned to offer tech brands unmatched visibility into accounts and buyers that are truly in-market, by leveraging our scale, quality and diversity of data. With unparalleled access to the world’s most influential technology buyers through a combination of first-party (Community, Tools, Editorial) and data, CNET Group is a leader in demand based, intelligent, omnichannel marketing.

About Ziff Davis:

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and martech.

Today, Ziff Davis is focused on seven key verticals – Technology, Connectivity, Shopping, Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Cybersecurity and Marketing Technology.  Its brands include IGN, Mashable, RetailMeNot, PCMag, Humble Bundle, Spiceworks, Ookla (Speedtest), RootMetrics, Everyday Health, BabyCenter, Moz, iContact and Vipre Security.

Our Benefits:

CNET Group offers competitive salaries in addition to robust, health and wellness-focused benefits, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as life and disability benefits. Our employees enjoy Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), a 401(k) with company match, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

We are committed to work-life balance with Flexible Time Off, Volunteer Time Off, and paid holidays. We offer family building and caregiving support and generous Family Care and Parental leave, when you need it.  We also provide Fitness Reimbursement and access to wellness programs, ensuring our team stays healthy both physically and mentally.

At Ziff Davis, we remain dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. We offer Employee Resource Groups, company-sponsored events, and regular opportunities for professional growth through educational support, mentorship programs, and career development resources. Our employees are recognized and celebrated through employee engagement programs and recognition awards.

If you're seeking a dynamic and collaborative work environment where you can see the direct impact of your performance and thrive both personally and professionally, then Ziff Davis CNET Group is the place for you.

Ziff Davis is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  At Ziff Davis, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has always been about fairness, equal​ opportunity, and belonging.​ DEI enables us to attract and retain the best talent, regardless of background or circumstances, while​ enabling our thousands of employees worldwide to thrive​.