Backup/Holiday Coverage WordPress Full Stack Developer

Experienced WordPress Full Stack Developer

Experienced WordPress Full Stack Developer Holiday & Backup Technical Coverage

Honeycomb Creative is an established Canadian web development and digital marketing agency specializing in custom WordPress websites, web applications, and long-term client partnerships.

We are looking for an experienced WordPress Full Stack Developer to provide backup technical coverage when members of our development team are unavailable due to vacations, holidays, illness, or other extended absences. This is a low-volume contractor retainer arrangement designed for an experienced developer who enjoys flexible work and is comfortable stepping in when technical issues require attention.

Think of this role as a technical safety net for our development team. Most of the time, there will be minimal active work required. The purpose of this position is to ensure Honeycomb Creative has a trusted technical resource available who understands our systems and can step in when our primary developers are unavailable.

Technical Skills

• WordPress development, including custom themes, plugins, and advanced customization.
• WooCommerce development, including customizations, integrations, and troubleshooting.
• PHP.
• HTML5 and CSS3.
• Advanced Custom Fields (ACF Pro).
• MySQL and MariaDB databases.
• REST APIs and third-party integrations.
• Git and GitHub workflows.
• Linux server administration and command-line tools.
• SSH access and remote server troubleshooting.
• Nginx and Apache web servers.
• Cloudflare.
• DNS management.
• Website security and performance optimization.

About the Role

The primary purpose of this position is to provide holiday and absence coverage for our internal development team.

You will not be expected to take on regular client projects or ongoing development work. Most months will require minimal involvement beyond maintaining familiarity with our systems and completing occasional small updates or technical tasks.

When coverage is required, you will be expected to:

• Investigate and resolve technical issues.
• Troubleshoot website, application, database, and server problems.
• Make necessary code changes or configuration updates.
• Help determine how existing functionality was built and the safest way to modify it.
• Provide continuity when our primary developers are unavailable.

Advance notice will be provided for scheduled vacations and extended absences. During these periods, we will require increased availability and responsiveness.

Development Experience Required

Although our websites are built using WordPress, they are not typical WordPress websites.

This is a development position, not a content management role. We are not looking for someone who only makes text changes, installs plugins, or performs basic website updates.

You must be comfortable:

• Reading and modifying existing code.
• Understanding how unfamiliar systems were built.
• Troubleshooting complex technical issues.
• Diagnosing problems across websites, applications, servers, and integrations.
• Making safe, well-considered changes to production systems.

Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills are essential.

Our Technology Environment

You will work with:

• WordPress and custom web applications.
• WooCommerce websites and custom e-commerce functionality.
• Advanced Custom Fields (ACF Pro).
• GitHub source control.
• Linux dedicated servers.
• Nginx and Apache.
• Cloudflare security and DNS services.
• Internal documentation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

You do not need to be an expert in every technology listed, but you must be comfortable learning existing systems and troubleshooting production environments.

Communication Skills

Strong English reading and writing skills are essential for this position.

You will be required to:

• Read and understand technical documentation, code comments, server logs, and client requirements.
• Write clear updates, explanations, and documentation.
• Communicate technical issues, solutions, and timelines effectively.
• Participate in remote team discussions and meetings.

Clear communication is critical when diagnosing issues and coordinating technical support remotely.

Availability & Communication

Honeycomb Creative uses Slack and email for communication.

During scheduled coverage periods, you will be expected to:

• Have Slack installed on your phone with notifications enabled.
• Monitor Slack and email during business hours.
• Respond within 15 minutes to confirm receipt of support requests. – Provide an estimated start time and expected completion timeframe. – Notify the team immediately if you are unable to complete a requested task within the expected timeframe.

You will also be expected to attend a minimum of one team meeting per month.

Retainer & Compensation

This position includes a monthly retainer of CAD $250.

The retainer compensates you for maintaining familiarity with Honeycomb Creative’s websites, applications, infrastructure, and development procedures so you are prepared to provide technical coverage when required.

The retainer is not intended to represent a fixed amount of monthly development work. Its purpose is to ensure you remain familiar with our systems and can respond effectively when coverage is needed.

The monthly retainer includes:

• Initial onboarding and setup required to access Honeycomb Creative systems.
• Account setup, access configuration, documentation review, and knowledge transfer.

Up to two hours per month of activities that maintain familiarity with our systems, including:

• Small website updates or technical changes.
• Testing and quality assurance.
• Documentation review.
• System familiarity and maintenance activities.
• Team meetings or technical discussions.

The primary purpose of this role is to provide backup technical coverage and troubleshooting support when internal developers are unavailable.

Any approved work beyond the included retainer activities will be compensated at an agreed hourly rate.

The retainer is paid on the first of each month in Canadian Dollars (CAD).

Payment methods:

• Canadian contractors: Interac e-Transfer.
• International contractors: PayPal.

Access & Security

Because this position involves access to client websites, source code, production servers, and internal systems, the successful applicant must be comfortable working with confidential information.

Access may include:

• SSH access to dedicated Linux servers.
• Development, staging, and production environments.
• Internal documentation and secure development resources.

A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) will be required before access is granted.

Professional references may be requested before providing access to production systems.

Location

• Preference will be given to applicants located in Canada and within approximately three hours of the Pacific Time Zone.
• Applicants outside this region are welcome to apply if they can reliably support communication during Honeycomb Creative’s normal business hours.

Who This Role is Perfect For

This position is ideal for an experienced developer who enjoys troubleshooting, solving technical problems, and providing backup support without committing to regular project work.

• An independent consultant looking for a small, reliable retainer relationship.
• A developer with availability outside existing commitments.
• An experienced developer who enjoys diagnosing complex technical issues.

This role is best suited for someone who is comfortable stepping into unfamiliar systems, understanding how they work, and determining the safest solution when problems arise.