Unlike other software engineering skills that solely require expertise in a particular language, the Drupal world is complex with multiple facets. There are three main areas of expertise in the Drupal world: site building, backend/module development, and theming. The skills required for each are quite different. Depending on your needs, you may be looking for a candidate with one, two, or all three of these areas of expertise.
Drupal is an open source content management platform powering millions of websites and applications around the world. It’s built, used, and supported by an active and diverse community of people internationally.
Unlike other software engineering skills that solely require expertise in a particular language, the Drupal world is complex with multiple facets. There are two distinct types of developers and expertise in the Drupal world:
backend / module development
theming / front-end development
The skills required for each are quite different. Depending on your needs, you may be looking for a candidate with one or both of these areas of expertise.
This article therefore provides you with a job descriptions for both front-end and back-end Drupal developers that can be adapted or integrated to help you write an effective job advertisement that attracts qualified candidates who match your specific criteria.
Drupal Developer - Job Description and Ad Template
Copy this template, and modify it as your own:
Company Introduction
{{Write a short and catchy paragraph about your company. Make sure to provide information about the company’s culture, perks, and benefits. Mention office hours, remote working possibilities, and everything else you think of that makes your company interesting.}}
Job Description
{{If you are looking for front-end Drupal developer}}
We are looking for a Drupal Developer responsible for front-end development and theming. This position requires a combination of programming skills (PHP, HTML, CSS, JS, etc.) and aesthetics (understanding element arrangements on the screen, the color and font choices, and so on). The best candidates have a strong understanding of industry trends and content management systems. Experience with responsive and adaptive design is strongly preferred. In addition, an understanding of the entire web development process, including design, development and deployment, with some back-end knowledge, is preferred.
{{If you are looking for back-end Drupal developer}
We are looking for a Drupal Developer primarily responsible for back-end/module development.
Responsibilities
{{If you are looking for front-end Drupal developer}}
Responsible for helping formulate an effective, responsive design and turning it into a working theme. Work closely with back-end developers and customers to ensure an effective, visually appealing, and intuitive implementation. {{Add other responsibilities here that are relevant.}}
{{If you are looking for back-end Drupal developer}
Responsible for designing and implementing new features and functionality, establishing and guiding the website’s architecture, ensuring high-performance and availability, and managing all technical aspects of the CMS. Work closely with front-end developers and customers to ensure an effective, visually appealing, and intuitive implementation. {{Add other responsibilities here that are relevant.}}
Skills and Qualifications
{{If you are looking for front-end Drupal developer}}
Experience building user interfaces for websites and/or web applications
Extremely fluent with HTML5/XHTML and CSS
Experience working with PHP, JavaScript, and jQuery
Ability to write JavaScript with and without the use of frameworks such as jQuery
Experience designing and developing responsive design websites
Comfortable working with debugging tools like Firebug, Chrome inspector, etc.
Ability to understand CSS changes to have consistent style across platforms and browsers
Ability to convert comprehensive layout and wireframes into working HTML pages
{{Make sure to mention frameworks, libraries, or any other technology related to your development stack}}
{{List education level or certification you require}}
{{If you are looking for back-end Drupal developer}
Experience developing web solutions in Drupal and PHP implementations in a LAMP environment
Ability to architect enterprise Drupal solutions including data, display, and information architecture
Advanced site-building experience including deep familiarity with Drupal modules such as CTools, Views, and Panels
Experience creating custom Drupal modules
Experience building responsive websites using Drupal CMS, HTML/HTML5, CSS/CSS3, and JavaScript/jQuery
Knowledge of PHP, PHP files and theme functions, and knowledge of the Drupal theme layer
Through understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle (e.g. Requirements, Design, Development, Testing) and exposure to Agile or iterative SDLCs.
{{Make sure to mention frameworks, libraries, or any other technology related to your development stack}}
{{List education level or certification you require}}
Toptal is a marketplace for top Drupal experts and coders. CEOs, CTOs, and management at top companies and start-ups work with Toptal Drupal freelancers to augment their development teams for Drupal development, app development, web development, and other software development projects to achieve their business needs.
VietnamExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since July 6, 2016
With over a decade of experience behind him, Richard is a seasoned software engineer and manager—leading engineering and product teams to build multiple products in payment and eCommerce fields. He recently has served as the head of engineering for GO VIET, an Uber-like platform, and as a CTO of a fintech that he co-founded. Richard also has a solid CS background, so he’s passionate about software system architecture and cloud computing.
United StatesExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since November 18, 2015
Stephen has been a software engineer for over 30 years. From developing software for the Unix platform in the 1980's to producing enterprise-level financial and eCommerce software on PHP, JS, and the C language family, he prides himself on being meticulous and developing high quality software. He is a dedicated, efficient individual and a great communicator, and looks forward to contributing valuable skills to your project!
BulgariaExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since March 20, 2017
Vasil is a senior front-end developer with experience in building modern, fluid websites, and single-page applications with the most used frameworks. Working for a large US finance company as a lead developer has also given him the overall big picture of all the processes—not only development but also management and planning. His preferred working methodology is Agile.
CanadaExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since December 10, 2019
Gledsley is a front-end developer with a decade of experience working with FIFA, Bayer, ArcelorMittal, Casillero del Diablo, Gallo Family, Barefoot, Cinzano, and Honda. While he specializes in WordPress and Drupal—most recently focusing on Vue.js and React—he’s worked with a range of platforms, frameworks, and libraries. Gledsley is very detail-oriented, which puts him in good stead for pixel-perfect builds, semantic HTML, UX, and SEO projects.
FranceExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since June 15, 2018
PiwEL is a senior full-stack web developer who easily adapts to any technology required for clients' projects. He thoroughly understands the requirements for web applications and provides the best infrastructures to allow for safe and fast growth and scaling. He has experience working in-house for large companies and as a consultant for a variety of organizations. He communicates well, prefers Agile methods, and has worked in teams of all sizes.
SlovakiaExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since January 18, 2017
Frantisek is a detail-oriented website and web application developer with a decade of experience delivering solutions, ranging from small microsites to big portals, including corporate intranets. He has been building Drupal-powered sites since version 4.7.
United Arab EmiratesExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since October 30, 2019
Fahad has been developing software since 2003, gaining expertise in LAMP and, more specifically, WordPress. He has also worked with Zend and Symphony framework and is currently focusing on Go and Python. Fahad has provided solutions using a number of JavaScript technologies including Node.js, Angular, React, Ionic, and Flutter.
NetherlandsExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since June 8, 2017
Sander is a developer who's currently living in the wonderful city of Eindhoven. He's been building websites since he was 14 years old, and at the time it was just a hobby, but over the years, he's worked for several companies and has gotten a significant amount of professional experience with website development.
BrazilExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since August 2, 2019
Rafael is a PHP developer with over three years of experience in Drupal CMS projects for companies worldwide, such as Saint-Gobain and Doctors Without Borders. He specializes in developing back-end code, container-based infrastructures, and systems integration through APIs. Rafael strives for quality at all times, in both work and communication.
SpainExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since July 31, 2019
Enrique is a skilled DevOps engineer with more than 12 years of hands-on experience supporting, automating, and optimizing critical deployments in cloud services (AWS and GCE). He's currently focused on developing container solutions using Kubernetes and automation using Ansible. Enrique is a firm believer in always using Terraform to maintain infra versions and is a big fan of the capabilities of Node.js and Ruby code.
RomaniaExpert Drupal Developer at Toptal Since August 9, 2018
Flaviu has over eight years of architecting and developing web applications using PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. He also has extensive knowledge developing mobile applications for both iOS and Android using hybrid technologies such as ionic. He worked with both startups and enterprise clients and also started his own startup and developed his own product (SaaS) that's being used by more than four businesses and expanding.