Back End Web Developer
Marketing & Communication
Description
JOB SUMMARY: The Back End Web Developer of the Gustavus Adolphus College Marketing & Communications team is responsible for the architecture, development and long-term health of the systems that power the college's external-facing digital presence. Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing, this role focuses on Drupal back end development, systems integration and the technical infrastructure that enables the marketing, enrollment and communications functions of the institution to operate effectively.
This role will work closely with the Gustavus internal IT department (Gustavus Technology Services) which manages institutional infrastructure, hosting environments, network security and enterprise systems. The Back End Web Developer works in close, regular coordination with GTS on server environments, security protocols, platform updates and technical standards, and is expected to serve as a collaborative bridge between the MarCom team's development needs and GTS's institutional IT responsibilities.
Experience in or genuine affinity for higher education environments is essential; this role sits at the intersection of technical depth and institutional context.
This is a hybrid position with a flexible mix of on-campus and remote work. On-campus presence is expected for key team meetings, collaborative sprints and launch moments; remote flexibility supports focused development work.
Employment Status: Full-Time (1.0 FTE), Exempt (Salaried), Benefits Eligible
Salary Range: $55,000-70,000 annually
How to apply: Continue here or visit https://gustavus.edu/jobs/ to complete the online application and submit a resume. A cover letter is optional. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
***Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position**
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
Drupal Back End Development
- Architect, develop and maintain custom Drupal modules, content types, fields, views, and back end configurations that support the college's marketing and communications workflows.
- Lead Drupal version upgrades in partnership with hosting partners, migrations and major platform initiatives, ensuring minimal disruption to marketing operations and content editor experience.
- Oversee Drupal site architecture decisions including module selection, creation and database structure; with a focus on scalability, maintainability and editorial usability.
- Manage Drupal security updates, performance optimization, and caching strategies (Varnish, Redis, or similar) in close coordination with Gustavus Technology Services.
- Maintain development environments, staging workflows and deployment pipelines using Composer, Drush, Git/Bitbucket, and CI/CD tooling.
- Provide code review and technical guidance for front end development work as it intersects with back end architecture.
- Manage external web hosting and development partners.
Systems Integration & Marketing Technology
- Develop and maintain integrations between Drupal and the college's marketing technology stack, including the enrollment CRM (Slate) and third-party APIs.
- Support implementation and maintenance of marketing automation workflows and data pipelines that connect web behavior to enrollment and advancement systems.
- Ensure data integrity and security across integrated platforms, with attention to compliance requirements and relevant privacy regulations.
- Partner with Gustavus Technology Services (GTS) on infrastructure decisions, server environments, hosting configuration and security protocols; act as the primary technical liaison between the MarCom development team and GTS on web platform and integration matters.
- Coordinate with Gustavus Technology Services (GTS) on institutional data governance, privacy compliance and access management as they apply to marketing technology systems and integrations.
Performance, Reliability & Technical Oversight
- Conduct regular back end audits of the college's digital properties, identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities and technical debt.
- Working to maintain fast, reliable experiences for all users across device types and connection speeds.
- Manage database optimization (MySQL or PostgreSQL) and ensure efficient query performance within Drupal environments.
- Document system architecture, integration logic and development standards to support team continuity and institutional knowledge.
Collaboration & Team Support
- Work closely with the Chief Marketing Officer to execute the team's digital technology roadmap and contribute to the evaluation of new platforms and tools.
- Partner with the Front End Web Developer on full-stack initiatives, providing back end architecture that supports front end flexibility and performance.
- Maintain a strong, productive working relationship with Gustavus Technology Services; communicating clearly about shared platform responsibilities, escalating infrastructure or security needs appropriately and representing MarCom's development requirements in cross-functional technical discussions.
- Train and support team members on Drupal best practices, development workflows and tooling.
- Communicate technical constraints, recommendations and progress clearly to non-technical colleagues across marketing, enrollment and academic departments.
Prerequisites
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related field; equivalent professional experience considered.
- 5+ years of professional web development experience, with at least 3 years of back end Drupal development (Drupal 9 or 10 required).
- Experience working in higher education, nonprofit or another complex institutional environment strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience working alongside a central IT or technology services team; comfortable navigating shared infrastructure ownership, escalation paths and cross-functional technical governance.
- Deep proficiency in Drupal back end development: custom module development, content architecture, Views, services, hooks and event subscribers.
- Strong command of PHP and object-oriented programming principles; familiarity with Symfony components as used in Drupal 9/10.
- Proficiency with Drupal tooling: Composer, Drush, Git-based version control, and local development environments (DDEV or Lando).
- Experience with database management and optimization for Drupal environments (MySQL, PostgreSQL).
- Familiarity with Drupal caching strategies and performance optimization techniques (Varnish, Redis, Memcached, or similar).
- Experience developing and maintaining third-party API integrations and RESTful web services within Drupal.
- Working knowledge of web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) and security best practices in Drupal environments.
- Understanding of higher education marketing challenges, including student recruitment communications, alumni engagement and multi-department content governance.
- Experience with or strong working knowledge of enrollment CRM platforms (Slate preferred) and their integration with web systems.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Drupal multi-site architecture and complex organizational deployments.
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks in Drupal development contexts.
- Experience with email marketing platform integrations (Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Mailchimp, or similar).
- Knowledge of marketing attribution modeling and multi-touch campaign analysis.
- Drupal certification or equivalent demonstrated expertise.
- Experience with cloud hosting environments (Acquia, Pantheon, or similar managed Drupal hosting platforms).
Schedule & Work Environment
This is a hybrid position, with a mix of on-campus work and flexibility for remote work. Specific hybrid arrangements are established in coordination with the supervisor and subject to departmental needs.
Benefits
Gustavus offers competitive and comprehensive benefits which include:
- Medical insurance (which includes access to Nice Healthcare) as well as dental, vision, and life insurance
- Workplace accommodations for physical or mental health concerns
- Onsite health services
- Free parking, exercise classes, and use of library and athletic facilities
- Paid parental leave
- Employer contribution to retirement savings plan (after one year of employment)
- Tuition scholarships for dependents
- Tuition benefit plan for employees and spouse
- 13 paid Holidays + generous PTO plan
Gustavus Adolphus College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status in its education or employment programs or activities.
Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the nation's leading private liberal arts colleges serving approximately 1,800 students. The College aspires to be a community of persons from diverse backgrounds who respect and affirm the dignity of all people. Known for its strong science, writing, music, athletics, study-away, and service-learning programs, Gustavus is located on a scenic 340-acre hill in St. Peter, Minnesota only one hour southwest of the Twin Cities.
Contact
Kim Frisch |
[email protected] | 507-933-7683
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026
To apply, visit https://gustavus.edu/employment/job/2424
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