Lead Developer

Established 14 years ago, Somar Digital is a proven and trusted supplier agency for Not for Profits, Government Agencies, Crown entities and the Private Sector.

We have extensive experience and a huge passion for working with and for organisations that genuinely want to add value, support and help New Zealand communities. Clients such as Cancer Society NZ, Citizens Advice Bureau, Plunket NZ, Women’s Refuge, Save the Children and Metlink all choose to work with us because of our high care factor.

These are all high profile, high stake clients, where they rely on Somar Digital's unparalleled service to consistently deliver, maintain and support their website assets, providing seamless customer and digital experiences and best practice accessibility standards which are built around a mobile first approach.

As such, we are looking for a very special person to join our team.

Who are we looking for?

We’re seeking a very talented Full Stack Lead Developer to join our hard-working Wellington team to deliver award-winning web development services. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead our dev teams and work with our clients - both new and existing, ensuring we're delivering quality outcomes for them.

What's important to us?

You're a natural leader and positive influencer of people, understanding the importance of collaboratively bringing people along the journey of professional growth and change.

You’ll have a great work ethic and a ‘go get em’ attitude, with the ability to roll your sleeves up and get things done. It goes without saying you're super smart but for us, your ability to confidently and comfortably communicate well with others is just as important.

You will need to have at least 7 years experience with PHP and MySQL based applications, PHP frameworks and Content Management Systems; extensive Silverstripe expertise is a must; great experience with HTML, CSS, Javascript - including frameworks like Vue.js and versioning software such as Git.

You are able to think on your feet and find creative solutions. You’ll be accurate and driven but at the same time flexible and nimble. You show genuine care for the welfare of others, especially our clients and their customers whom we aim to wow and delight.

We’re looking for that special someone with a passion for new technology, pushing the boundaries and a willingness to develop good client management and strong leadership, communication and socialisation skills. Knowledge of or experience in Agile development methodologies would stand you in good stead.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with other business leaders to facilitate the decision-making process both inside and outside of the team
• Advocating, updating, and developing the technical direction of the projects
• Strong communication skills that translate the ideas of business leaders and end users into technical requirements that the development team understands and implements
• Lead, coach, mentor and monitor all Somar Digital developers in the art of great code
• Identify user and system requirements for new websites and applications
• Work with PHP and MySQL based applications, PHP frameworks and Content Management Systems (SilverStripe), HTML, CSS, and Javascript Frameworks (including Vue.js) and versioning software (i.e. Git)
• Work with our wide range of clients on support requests as well as bespoke projects
• Understand client needs and know how to create the tools to manage them
• Understand, adhere and communicate all coding standards
• Prioritise multiple tasks effectively
• Understand technical and functional design requirements, code and test technical solutions
• Design technical solutions in collaboration with other developers on time and on budget
• Work on new product features, enhancement to existing features and customer migration

What's in it for you to come work with us here at Somar Digital?!

• You get to work with and for awesome clients who make massive meaningful improvements to our lives here in NZ. For example the re-launched Cancer Society website now supports sufferers through their cancer journey way more effectively than previously, ensuring key information is easy to access and find. It feels awesome our team helped make that happen!
• You get to work with a team of passionate people who genuinely care about delivering great outcomes for our clients and making a real difference
• We've invested in a fabulous office that is decked out with our people's needs in mind
• We are all looked after with amazing employee benefits including:
  • 5% Employer superannuation contribution
  • $750 annual Healthy Living Benefit Allowance
  • 5 weeks leave after 2 years
  • Weekly Team Food
  • Staff Monthly Lunch
  • Staff Friday Food & Drinks from 4pm
  • Staff $1k Training Allowance
• You'll have fun! Somar Digital is not a stuffy, pretentious agency. We provide a relaxed environment where people can feel safe to be themselves and not be judged for it. We are a diverse bunch of peeps from all walks of life and are proud of it
• We believe we're better when working together, so whilst we offer 1 day WFH a week, we're looking for someone who really thrives on in person collaboration.

If Somar Digital sounds like a place you would like to explore working for, then we would LOVE to hear from you.

Please note, applications will be reviewed as soon as they come in and candidates with the right skillset will be invited to interview straight away.

Employer questions

Your application will include the following questions:

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in New Zealand?
• Which of the following programming languages are you experienced in?
• How many years' experience do you have in a DevOps role?
• Do you have experience leading agile teams?