Technical Director

HelpGood seeks a purpose-driven Technical Director to oversee our marketing agency’s client web development projects and our internal IT efforts. This role reports to the CEO. This position is remote work from home, but we can only consider candidates who currently reside in Los Angeles County.

We’re looking for a Tech Director who is creative, a flexible thinker, a clear communicator, and a helpful team player who can guide technical and non-technical team members. You have a proven track record working in an agency/consulting environment, servicing multiple concurrent clients. You have a blend of technical chops and people skills — you can think big picture and decide on the optimal tech architecture and also be heads down and code. This position will take a lead role on multiple client engagements so you will need to be detail focused and effective at project management to stay on track.

Primary Job Responsibilities

Client Web Development Projects – strategy, development, and management with the goal of delivering web projects that are usable, efficient, secure, and performance-optimized, on time and on budget.

• Help clients determine the tech strategy for their web dev projects – whether a new site build, a redesign, or other project.
• Determine the plan for hosting/servers/DNS/etc.
• Determine how to respond to client project requests.
• Assemble the project team, leveraging internal resources, freelance developers, and/or subcontractors. Note, as a boutique agency, there are frequent ad-hoc client tech related tasks so you will need to manage client priorities and expectations.
• Build/engineer/code, front and back end website development – for smaller projects you will be responsible for actual development work.
• Migrate content migrations from existing websites.
• Create and update fast, responsive websites using best practices.
• Integrate third-party tools, APIs, and apps – e.g. Google Tag Manager and other SEO and marketing tags, CRM, fundraising platforms, forms and automations.
• Source, screen, and oversee external developer teams and any internal developers.
• Interact with external and internal third party resources
• Track projects via asana and time via Harvest, providing regular status calls with clients.
• Provide status updates to HelpGood management.

Internal IT Projects – strategy and ongoing management of HelpGood’s IT related needs.

• Develop HelpGood’s IT infrastructure and tools plans and continually assess as agency grows across multiple offices and remote work.
• Oversight and planning related to systems and hardware administration.
• Benchmark against other similar agencies.
• Source, screen, and oversee any third party IT related contractors.
• Manage and configure productivity, collaboration, and project management software (e.g. Google Workspace, Asana, password storage tools).
• Manage hosting/servers/DNS/etc. for internal and client websites on multiple platforms.
• Respond to and mitigate security and uptime incidents quickly.

Qualifications

Bachelors and/or Masters degree in computer science.

At least 5 years of web development experience.

Deep expertise and significant experience in:

• WordPress development required, including custom theme development.
• Block Editor / Gutenberg theme development for future builds.
• HTML/CSS/JS to create layouts without the use of page builders or other plugins. Plugin development is a plus.
• Javascript, from vanilla JS to modern frameworks.
• CSS frameworks such as UIKit (preferred), tailwind, or other.
• Web accessibility, WCAG standards.
• Development workflows, git, deployment.

Understanding of:

• IA, UX, and graphic design principles.
• Adobe suite products (especially Photoshop and InDesign, and now Figma).
• Bonus skills in Salesforce, MailChimp, Constant Contact, Salsa Labs, Blackbaud, Network for Good, Give Lively, Classy, Pardot, Hubspot, and Stripe.

IT expertise:

• Background managing IT infrastructure, system administration, and DevOps.
• Familiarity with hosting solutions like AWS or Pantheon.
• Experience with digital collaboration tools like Google Workspace, Asana, and Slack.

Soft skills:

• Professional maturity. Driven, self-starter who takes ownership of tasks.
• Ability to communicate through written and verbal means.
• Friendly and engaging style and demeanor.
• Strong interest in social issues.
• You must be able to work in the United States and you must be a resident of Los Angeles County.

Salary Range

• $90-$110,000 per year.

Benefits

• Company Subsidized Health Benefits for Employee
• Medical plan options (POS, EPO, HMO) through Aetna. HelpGood subsidizes 55-75%.
• Dental plan options (DMO and PPO through Aetna or a PPO through MetLife). HelpGood subsidizes 40-100%.
• Vision plan options through Aetna. HelpGood subsidizes at 100%.
• Medical Plus Plans – HelpGood offers these plans, but each plan may have additional employee fees.
• Health Advocate EAP membership
• One Medical On-Demand Primary Care Membership
• Teladoc Virtual Health
• Talkspace Online Mental Health Therapy
• Company-Sponsored Ancillary Benefit Plans via via MetLife – premiums covered at 100% by HelpGood
• $10,000 Term Life Insurance
• $10,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Ancillary Benefit Plans
• 401(k) Safe Harbor plan with a nonelective contribution of 3% of your eligible compensation for the Plan Year (regardless of whether you elect to contribute), after 90 calendar days of employment.
• HSA – Depending on your medical plan selection
• FSA
• Voluntary, employee-paid benefits Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Commuter benefits – up to $280 per year for public transit and for parking
• Wellness Perk Plans
• $15/month in ClassPass
• For NYC, based employees, 50% contribution on Citi Bike membership.

About HelpGood

HelpGood is a full-service marketing and communications agency focused on advancing social good. As a certified B Corp, we help nonprofits, foundations and purpose-driven organizations make a lasting social impact. HelpGood’s offices are in Los Angeles and NYC.

We’ve worked with leading organizations across a variety of social causes and campaigns including animal welfare, diversity and inclusion, the environment, education, human rights, physical and mental health, social justice, and women’s rights. Our clients include leading local and national nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, philanthropists and corporate social responsibility teams like the Ad Council, UCLA and UCSF, the ADL, United Way, Planned Parenthood, data.org, DisabilityIN, NYU, Valor, Housing Works, Animal League America, and the longest-running public service campaign in history, Smokey Bear.

Our Commitment To Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

HelpGood believes that we produce better outcomes when there is a diversity of voices, people and experiences involved in doing the work. We hope you share those values and would help to continually cultivate your curiosity in the world and in others both at work and outside of work as most of our work is focused on creating a more equitable, inclusive and safe world for all.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,000.00 – $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

COVID-19 considerations:
Based on our client requirements, all staff are to be double vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 and adhere to national and local public health guidelines.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Los Angeles, CA 90036: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• Front-end development: 5 years (Required)
• Git: 5 years (Required)
• WordPress: 5 years (Required)
• JavaScript: 5 years (Required)
• HTML5: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Los Angeles, CA 90036