Situation Publishing Front-End Developer

Are you a client-side developer with a passion for both modernisation and gracefully handling legacy code? Situation Publishing, owner of The Register, is seeking a Front-End Developer to join our team.

About the Role

As a Front-End Developer at Situation Publishing, you'll take ownership of software projects throughout their lifecycle, from inception to implementation. Your responsibilities will span diverse areas, including collaborating with our business teams, crafting designs, coding, and rigorous testing. Expect to work on new projects, refactor legacy code, and contribute to bug fixes.

With our expanding readership and evolving revenue streams, there's a steady stream of work. Your mission will be to create carefully crafted and tested code that ensures our website remains fast and user-friendly. Join us in maintaining our business profitability while delivering exceptional free content to our dedicated readers.

Candidate Qualities

This position is an excellent fit for someone who is passionate about continuous improvement while maintaining a pragmatic approach when dealing with tight deadlines and intricate legacy code. As an integral part of our small, multi-talented team, the ideal candidate possesses knowledge, adaptability, and a thirst for learning.

Required Qualifications

The following are some things that we consider to be very important for the role because without them you are likely to struggle.

  • Expertise in JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
  • Familiarity with modern front-end development tools, frameworks, and best practices.
  • Working knowledge of CSS preprocessors like SASS.
  • Solid understanding of web design principles, data-driven design, user and A/B testing, and responsive design.
  • Proficiency in SEO and analytics.
  • Effective communication and listening skills.
  • Proficient written and verbal English.
  • Excellent reading comprehension and attention to detail.
  • Strong familiarity with version control software, including Git.
  • Legal authorisation to work in your country of residence.

Desirable Qualifications

While not mandatory, experience in any of the following areas will be beneficial:

  • Familiarity with templating systems such as Template::Toolkit or Text::Xslate.
  • Some exposure to front-end libraries, such as Svelte.
  • Working knowledge of Apache and nginx.
  • Experience with Linux, specifically Debian stable.

Our Team and Tech Stack

Our tech team is a tight-knit, distributed group with a focus on autonomy. We believe in producing excellent work without relying on flashy buzzwords or cloud solutions. We are not averse to either, but if you're looking to fill your CV with trendy buzzwords, look elsewhere.

Our site is built from scratch using Template::Toolkit, Text::Xslate, Server Side Includes, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Perl. We have a strong desire to modernise some of our stack and development processes, but we must also work on a daily basis with code that dates back twenty-plus years. Our tech stack leans heavily towards open source technologies, featuring Debian, Apache HTTP Server, Nginx, Exim, Redis, Apache Kafka, MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and custom tools developed in Perl, Bash, HTML, CSS, and JS. We use Git for version control.

Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication is key. You'll be comfortable liaising with the wider team and business using email, phone, instant messaging, and online document tools like Google Docs.

Interested?

If this exciting role aligns with your skills and aspirations, we encourage you to apply. Send your CV to tech.recruitment@theregister.com along with a cover letter detailing why you'd like to join our team and the unique strengths you'd bring to our organisation. Be sure to include:

  • Your gross salary/annual compensation expectations.
  • Brief responses to these questions:
    • What can make software hard to test?
    • Explain one thing that you most dislike about JavaScript.

If your CV and cover letter resonate with us, we'll request you to complete a brief test before scheduling an initial interview via Google Meet.

Join us at Situation Publishing and be part of an innovative, forward-thinking team.

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