Intermediate - Senior Web Developer

Company Description

Meta Digital is one of the South Island's leading digital agencies, with over 25 years of building high-quality websites for clients who care about craft. We have a strong reputation for fantastic customer experience and up-front, honest communication.

Team culture is everything to us. It is why our clients choose to work with us, why our staff retention rate is so high, and why we continue to show up to work every day. There are a lot of agencies that do what we do, but we are successful because of our friendly attitudes and our desire to keep growing and learning.

We are a small, experienced digital team that builds and maintains high-quality WordPress sites for clients who care about craft. We move fast, take our work seriously, and trust the people we hire to own their projects end to end.

We are looking for a WordPress developer who knows their way around a modern codebase, communicates clearly, and takes pride in what they ship.

Eligibility Requirement

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. We are not in a position to sponsor a work visa for this role.

Role Description

This is a full-time on-site role for a Web Developer based in Christchurch. The Web Developer will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining web applications, ensuring seamless user experiences and robust performance. Daily tasks include working on front-end and back-end development, programming, and collaborating with the design and technical teams. The role involves contributing to innovative and high-quality digital projects in a dynamic and collaborative environment.

What You Will Be Doing

• Building and maintaining WordPress sites, from custom themes to complex plugin integrations
• Working directly with clients and internal stakeholders, so clear written and verbal communication is a must
• Owning your projects from brief to launch, with real autonomy over technical decisions
• Using WP CLI to manage, automate, and streamline development workflows
• Integrating AI tooling (including Claude) into development and content workflows
• Contributing to code standards, processes, and the overall quality of what we put out
• Handling multiple projects at the same time, staying organised and on top of the detail

What We Are Looking For

Must haves:

• 3 or more years of professional WordPress development experience
• A strong portfolio demonstrating a range of real client work (this will be looked at closely)
• Deep knowledge of modern WordPress development, including block themes, Full Site Editing, and the REST API
• Solid PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS skills
• Expertise in WP plugin integration (WooCommerce, WPML, membership plugins and more)
• Confidence with WP CLI for automation, migrations, and workflow management
• Experience working with AI tools, specifically Claude, in a development context
• Excellent communication skills: you will be client-facing and expected to write and speak clearly
• A high standard for your own work and strong attention to detail
• A positive attitude and the ability to work across multiple projects at the same time
• New Zealand citizen or permanent resident (we are not able to sponsor work visas)

Nice to haves:

• Familiarity with version control workflows (Git), staging pipelines, and deployment processes
• Knowledge of performance optimisation and Core Web Vitals
• Experience with Linux server management, DevOps, and cloud hosting providers such as Digital Ocean
• Experience in a small agency or consulting environment

What We Offer

• Genuine ownership and autonomy over your projects, no micromanagement
• A small, senior team where your opinion and expertise are valued
• Interesting, varied client work across a broad range of New Zealand businesses and organisations
• In-office environment in central Christchurch, with the potential for one day per week working from home once you are settled in
• Direct access to decision-makers and a short feedback loop
• A team culture built on trust, quality, and continuous improvement

How to Apply

Send us your CV, a link to your portfolio, and a short note on a project you are proud of and why. Applications without a portfolio will not be considered. We read every application and will be in touch either way.

Apply via LinkedIn or send directly to us. To find out more about our team and what it is like to work at Meta Digital, visit metadigital.co.nz/join-our-team/