EdSource Web Design & Development Manager

Web Design & Development Manager

EdSource is seeking a web development manager with design skills, technical ability and interest in journalism to join an award-winning team and lead the daily operations of EdSource.org. The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of EdSource’s website and technology stack, including front-end, back-end and server maintenance. Equally important, the web design & development manager will support reporters and collaborate with EdSource editors to ensure web content and graphics are published across multiple platforms with integrity and precision.

The role is interdisciplinary and collaborative, encompassing website management and content administration, as well as server maintenance and PHP/platform updates. In addition, the web design & development manager should have experience in visual design, website traffic analytics management and WordPress, serving as the point person to support the EdSource team with photos and audio/video content, podcasts, and any other digital/technical endeavors and tools. 

Attention to detail in all things production and distribution is a must. The successful candidate will be driven to hone technical skills, stay abreast of best practices in online news and be passionate about advancing EdSource’s digital presence across all platforms. Experience with interactive graphics and data journalism is preferred. 

While this role involves working in partnership with editorial staff to tell amazing digital stories, a core responsibility of the position is to ensure that EdSource’s online presence is stable, robust and uninterrupted. The development manager must be comfortable working on deadline, responding rapidly to web requests, managing vendors and being proactive in offering support to colleagues. Solid news judgment, especially as it pertains to the selection of images; interest in California’s education system and experience working for a news media organization is a plus. 

Founded in 1977, EdSource is an award-winning independent, nonprofit organization with a long track record of reporting on important education issues. While its primary focus is on California, EdSource covers issues within a national context. 

The development manager will join an influential and growing organization recognized as one of the most authoritative sources of education reporting in a state with the nation’s largest system of public education. 

General Responsibilities

• Collaborate with editors, reporters and contractors to create and support the creation of web projects, including interactive data visualizations, comprehensive databases and full-fledged news apps. 
• Ensure EdSource.org is regularly updated and content feels fresh, including reviewing the home page on a daily basis, alerting editors to any errors or problems with site content, and ensuring the site’s taxonomy and the assignment of topics and tags stories is optimal. 
• Troubleshoot any server issues, PHP bugs and anything else that may interfere with the effective functioning of the EdSource.org site. 
• Develop and experiment with new and different ways to tell stories online.
• Help manage EdSource’s media library and ensure fresh, high-quality images to illustrate stories. 
• Directly assist in the production, editing and layout of content, ensuring all HTML is standards compliant.
• Be responsible for quality assurance on our site. Ensure the integrity of design across platforms and device formats through publication and distribution, troubleshooting CSS display issues. 
• Manage EdSource’s WordPress CMS, including user administration, ensuring system is up-to-date, and offering proactive and rapid-response website maintenance, as needed.
• Be the primary resource for EdSource’s large and custom WordPress setup, administering and assisting with templates, dashboards, custom fields and scripts as well as fixing bugs. 
• Oversee vendor accounts, including web hosting, digital products, and procurement of electronics and technology. 
• Create professional-quality graphics for marketing purposes, as well as mockups for new site features or templates.
• Provide support and training to staff, as needed, and ensure that website functionality and tools are well documented.
• Collect data and provide reports and analysis related to traffic, website trends, web server analytics, Google analytics and social networking media usage. 
• Troubleshoot display problems and server issues.
• Manage the EdSource staging site, use GitHub for version control.
• Maintain and update the EdSource Wiki. Document changes to the site, provide training and support to staff on new features. 
• Support EdSource’s website redesign and transition from the WordPress classic editor to the block editor, including providing support and training to staff, documenting changed processes in the Wiki, and ensuring content is transitioned seamlessly. 
• Provide support on social media outreach when needed. 

Required skills and experience

• Strong design fundamentals in page layout, typography, and graphics; must be able to create visuals that have a clean and professional aesthetic using the Adobe suite.
• Ability to work with our web host to troubleshoot and resolve site problems, including addressing PHP errors that might threaten the site. 
• Proficient with WordPress administration, including content authoring, user roles, taxonomies, plugins, templating systems and media management. Able to work with both the classic and block editor.
• Strong written communication skills, with excellent spelling and grammar. Ability to make technical or design topics clear to non-technical colleagues and create documentation.
• Self-starter and self-motivated leader with excellent time management skills.
• Experience customizing WordPress using PHP/MySQL. 
• Some experience with web server administration, back-end architecture and Unix.

Preferred skills and experience

• Experience working in a newsroom.
• Back-up social media support on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and other platforms.
• Familiarity with Google Analytics 4.
• Ability to work with data for investigative journalism, using SQL, R or other programming languages and/or dataviz tools and platforms. 
• Interest in education or education journalism. 

EdSource offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a range of medical plans, a retirement savings plan, generous vacation leave and paid holidays, as well as professional development opportunities. The hiring  range for this position, which can be based in California or remote, is $80,000 – $120,000.  The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on a candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills and experience, among other factors.

To apply, send a resume, a cover letter that includes links to past projects and your online portfolio, GitHub and social media account profiles to [email protected]. Please include the job title in the subject line and, in the body of the email, how you heard about this opportunity (job post, referral etc.)

EdSource is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds, all races, colors, origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran statuses, sexual orientations, and marital statuses are strongly  encouraged to apply.