Lead Software Engineer (SEO)

Summary:

We’d love you to join our growing product development team whose mission is to create people-centric software experiences that empower our local news and digital partners. True to our purpose, we help small teams play big! Be part of a digital media landscape amid rapid change; our team is at the center of a new content, marketing, operations, and revenue-sustainable experience that puts product, people and performance first. You will be the technical leader in SEO working across our newsroom and product teams to optimize our website and web applications for search engines and performance, ensuring a fast, efficient, and engaging user experience. This will improve our search presence and content relevancy across the many US media markets in our portfolio such as the Chicago Tribune, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the New York Daily News, the Denver Post, the San Jose Mercury News, and the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

As a technical leader and member of the broader Product Development team, you will contribute to a culture that prioritizes continuous learning, autonomous decision making, agility, and pragmatism. Accelerate your career at a company that offers substantial personal and professional growth opportunities via a hands-on learning approach and a flexible working style. 

You'll be a technical leader, driving SEO improvements and mentoring other engineers to enhance our search presence in diverse US media markets. Candidates must possess a strong understanding of SEO principles, Core Web Vitals and be able to identify technical SEO deficiencies using standard analytics tools. The candidate should be an expert on front-end development technologies with a proven track record of driving website performance improvements. They will be able to identify, plan, prioritize, and execute technical SEO recommendations with the product development and analytics team, within an Agile framework. 

This is a remote role, however candidates must reside in CO, FL, MA, MN, OH, PA, or TX

What you will do:

• Establish a comprehensive technical approach and strategy to securing best-in-class search results

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers on SEO and web performance best practices

• Collaborate with developers, designers, and content creators to ensure website projects adhere to SEO and performance standards

• Participate in code reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure code quality and performance

• Conduct comprehensive SEO audits to identify technical issues, content gaps, and opportunities for improvement

• Create user stories, code and prototypes that improve and enhance content, page structures, rank and other drivers of search performance. Implement performance optimization techniques, such as code splitting, lazy loading, image optimization, and caching

• Analyze and optimize Core Web Vitals performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and Chrome DevTools. Utilize SEO tools (e.g., Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush) to monitor website performance and identify areas for improvement

• Contribute to the development and implementation of website performance monitoring and reporting processes

• Keep the organization up to date on the latest SEO trends, algorithms, and best practices

• Proactively identify and troubleshoot website performance issues

• Document solutions, processes, and best practices related to SEO and web performance

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of internal documentation and knowledge bases

What you will bring:

• 5+ years of experience in web development with a focus on SEO and performance optimization

• BS in Computer Science/Engineering, completion of an intense software engineering curriculum (bootcamp)

• Strong understanding of front-end technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React

• Experience with PHP and WordPress development

• Proficiency in using Git for version control

• Familiarity with server-side performance optimization techniques

• Experience with SEO and CWV analysis tools

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; able to influence without authority and build enthusiasm for a shared vision

• Proven ability to mentor other engineers

• Ability to clearly articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Proactive and solution-oriented approach to problem-solving

• Ability to identify and diagnose performance bottlenecks

• Experience working with Jira or similar project management tools

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively

• Strong attention to detail, commitment to quality, and strong analytical skills

Bonus Points:

• Experience with website accessibility (WCAG) guidelines

• Familiarity with server-side rendering (SSR) and other performance optimization techniques

• Experience with A/B testing and data analysis

• Experience in news and publishing

Benefits and Compensation:

The salary range is $130,000 - $135,000. This role is eligible for a bonus based on performance. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to geographic location, education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, the Company offers eligible employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, 401k, as well as paid time off and select paid holidays (all benefits are based on eligibility). Please click the following link for more detailed information: https://mybensite.com/mng

Who we are:
 

MediaNews Group is a leading local news provider and digital marketing partner, with a 175+ year history dedicated to delivering impactful journalism and advertising that informs, inspires, and engages readers across diverse, local communities. With a portfolio of 77 daily and over 150 weekly publications nationwide, our products reach 47.2 million readers monthly with essential local news and information, including through brands such as: The Denver Post, San Jose's The Mercury News, Boston Herald, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, The Orange County Register, and more. The Product & Technology team's mission is to create people-centric digital technology that empower our local news and partners by putting people, product, and performance first. Our team builds product experiences across MediaNews Group's entire digital portfolio, including local news publications and the Adtaxi digital marketing agency. At MediaNews Group, you’ll join a team that values expertise, continuous learning, and autonomy, while embracing business agility through decentralized decision-making and scaled agile principles.

“3x Built In Best Places to Work Winner - 2023, 2024 & 2025”

EEO Statement:

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

How To Apply:

• Please submit an online application along with your resume for this position here https://myworkdaycenter.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/MNG/job/Denver-Colorado/Lead-Software-Engineer--SEO-_R2370.

Closing Date:

• Continuous recruitment until the position is filled

Conditions of Employment: 

• A full pre-employment background check will be conducted as part of the selection process. Must be willing to submit and pass the necessary required checks

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