Drupal developers use their coding skills to create websites for companies and individuals. They may either have expertise in backend or frontend development, or both, and each requires a different set of skills. Frontend Drupal developers design working themes that are effective, visually appealing, and intuitive. They work closely with backend developers and customers, so must have good communication and collaborative skills. Backend Drupal developers are responsible for the design and implementation of new features and functionality to enhance the website’s performance and availability. They work with front-end developers and customers as well, and need solid interpersonal skills.
Drupal developers should be fluent with HTML5/XHTML and CSS and have a good working knowledge of PHP, JavaScript, and jQuery. They must be technically sound and able to convert comprehensive layouts and wireframes into working HTML pages. Drupal developers are expert coders, using PHP to make everything functional and clean for the user. Essential skills for Drupal developers include critical thinking, problem-solving, and in-depth knowledge of PHP and the Drupal framework.
Sample job description #1
Under direction from the Web Engineering Manager and the Associate Director of Web Communications, the Web Front-End Developer works collaboratively with a team of design and development professionals to design, develop, and enhance a continuously evolving web portfolio with a focus on the presentation layer of the stack and developing the end-user experience.
Job responsibilities
- Analyzes project requirements and proposes solutions utilizing standardized design methodologies. Creates design documents, mock-ups, and proof of concept systems as necessary
- Produces and maintains comprehensive, usable documentation per project
- Trains colleagues and end-users in aspects of application usage. Assists with the training and orientation of business users
- Contributes to the development of the team’s internal toolkit and software packages/modules
- Analyzes project requirements and proposes solutions utilizing standardized design methodologies. Creates mock-ups and proof of concept systems as necessary
- Provides input to the group on technical issues, concepts, and mockups to help advance the shared web vision for all clients. Undertakes critique and direction, takes part in relevant discussions and team client meetings
- Establishes and maintains a comprehensive understanding of the frontend architecture of the team’s portfolio
- Works with stakeholders to execute technical & business objectives for the WCM’s web properties. Collaborates with web designers, web developers & content editors to build high-quality, secure, standards-compliant web applications/sites & experiences
- Prioritizes, tracks, and documents feature requests, enhancements, and bugs. Communicates frequently with project teams to maintain situational awareness
- Conducts software testing and release activities
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree in related field
Experience
- BS in Computer Science or related area of study. Equivalent work experience may be substituted for degree
- 2+ years of experience implementing frontend web/mobile
- Experience implementing frontend integrations with backend services via RESTful web service APIs.experiences/components
- Experience implementing modular user interfaces on an application framework/platform (e.g. Drupal, Symfony, ExpressJS, React, Ionic)
- Experience developing and delivering a web/mobile application
- Experience in application development methodologies, including documenting data flows, user workflows, understanding backend APIs, and building functional prototypes
- Experience collaborating with colleagues at different levels and disciplines in an organization including backend developers, business analysts, project managers, system administrators, designers, marketing professionals, etc.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Expertise in a scripting language – Javascript or PHP
- Proficiency in object-oriented programming
- Proficiency in consuming RESTful web service APIs
- Expertise in a web application platform or framework (e.g. Drupal/Symfony/ExpressJS/React/Ionic)
- Expertise in a front-end Javascript framework (e.g. jQuery, Angular, React)
- Proficiency in version control using Git
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with individuals from any level in an organization
- Proven ability to work independently and under minimal direction but as an effective team player
- Capacity to work collaboratively in small teams
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills
- Ability to estimate work, organize, plan, and schedule multiple projects simultaneously
Sample job description #2
We are looking for a passionate experienced Full Stack Drupal Developer to develop and maintain our Marketing website properties to support ongoing marketing initiatives. You’ll harness your back-end and front-end skills to build scalable solutions that will help bring in the highest quality leads to our marketing and sales pipelines.
Responsibilities
- Develop new web pages, web page templates, and modules for our marketing website within the Drupal CMS environment
- Integrate and customize third-party tools and services to support marketing initiatives
- Write clean, functional code on both the front-end and back-end
- Follow Drupal coding standards and best practices
- Collaborate with other teammates who are both remote and co-located in our San Francisco, Atlanta, and Edinburgh offices
- Work effectively within a team environment, to regularly solicit and act on feedback, focus on root causes, and continually strive to improve
- Advocate and lead-by-example best practices for code quality in architecture and design, maintainability, performance, and scalability
- Lead on promoting just-right solutions to build for the future while also avoiding costly premature optimizations
Required skills
- Experience developing modules and templates in Drupal 8/9
- Experience in Drupal 8/9 site building and configuration
- Experience building and consuming various APIs
- Strong working experience with version/source control, Git or equivalent
- Solid knowledge of web development best practices in relation to web security and accessibility to create high performance websites/pages
- Excellent collaboration, organization, and teamwork skills
- Strong analytical, debugging and problem-solving skills
- Keen attention to detail
- Crisp written and verbal communication skills
Education and experience
- Degree in Computer Science or relevant field, or equivalent experience
- Experience with SaaS product development, Tailwind CSS, Storybook and Acquia hosting environments
- Involved with the Drupal community and contributions
- Experience with rapid-prototyping and validating assumptions using qualitative and quantitative methods is preferred
Physical requirements
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times
Sample job description #3
Our client is looking for a Drupal Developer responsible for front-end development and theming. This position requires a combination of programming skills and aesthetics (understanding element arrangements on the screen, the color and font choices, and so on). The ideal candidate will have hands on experience working with content management systems and 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 required.
Skills
- Strong experience building web applications in Drupal 7/8/9, PHP 7/8, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Hands on understanding of front-end frameworks such as React is preferred
- 5+ years of experience in hands on web application development, with experience creating custom Drupal modules
- Experience with Drupal backend development, including custom module development
- Proficiency in SQL and relational databases such as mySQL, Postgres, etc.
- Proficiency in using Version Control System such as Git or SVN
- Experience with Docker and CI/CD tools such as Travis, Jenkins, GitHub, etc.
- Familiarity with Scrum software development framework
Qualifications
- Experience w/ migrations from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8/9 is preferred but not required.
- Experience with cloud platforms, such as AW
- Through understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle (Requirements, Design, Development, Testing) and exposure to Agile or iterative SDLCs
Average salary and compensation
The average salary for a Drupal developer is $103,000 in the United States. Position salary will vary based on experience, education, company size, industry, and market.
| Location | Salary Low | Salary High |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, Arizona | $102,450 | $138,600 |
| Los Angeles, California | $115,550 | $156,350 |
| Denver, Colorado | $96,300 | $130,300 |
| Washington, DC | $117,300 | $158,700 |
| Miami, Florida | $95,850 | $129,700 |
| Orlando, Florida | $88,450 | $119,650 |
| Tampa, Florida | $89,300 | $120,800 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $93,700 | $126,750 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $107,700 | $145,700 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $116,450 | $157,550 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota | $92,800 | $125,550 |
| New York City, New York | $122,550 | $165,850 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $99,800 | $135,050 |
| Dallas, Texas | $97,200 | $131,500 |
| Houston, Texas | $96,300 | $130,300 |
| Seattle, Washington | $112,100 | $151,600 |
| National Average | $87,550 | $118,450 |
Sample interview questions
- Can you explain what Drupal is?
- What would you consider to be the reasons for Drupal being the most powerful CMS compared to other systems?
- What would you consider to be the key features of Drupal?
- How would caching work in Drupal?
- What does PDO mean in the context of Drupal, and how does it apply within the framework?
- What PHP do you know? Which would you consider to be the most popular within the framework?
- What is DRUSH?
- When would you use distributions?
