WordPress Developer Needed

We need a developer to build a custom WordPress site for a client. The project includes creating a responsive design, setting up core site functionality, and ensuring the site is easy to manage. You will work with our team to deliver a polished, user-friendly website that meets the client’s needs. Experience with WordPress development and clear communication are important for this role. This is a part-time, ongoing hourly role. Expect it to run heavier in the first few weeks while we fix current issues, then taper to lighter maintenance. What We Need Help With • Diagnosing current load speed bottlenecks (frontend + backend) • Optimizing our Kinsta hosting configuration for WordPress performance • Improving Core Web Vitals and overall page load times • Making sure caching, compression, graphics on the page, and code within best practices • Ongoing technical maintenance and proactive performance monitoring Tools & Experience Required • Strong hands-on experience with Kinsta-hosted WordPress sites (or equivalent premium managed WP hosting) • Real server-level performance tuning — comfortable going beyond plugin settings • Elementor • WP Rocket (or the judgment to tell us if it's still the right caching layer alongside Kinsta's native caching) • Rank Math SEO • Cloudflare (DNS/CDN/security) • Comfortable auditing and improving an existing setup, not just building new sites from scratch What Success Looks Like • Faster load times across key pages • Stable performance during traffic spikes • Clear communication and proactive recommendations • Reliable ongoing backend support Ideal Candidate • Strong English communication • Proven track record optimizing WordPress sites on premium managed hosting (Kinsta experience is a strong plus) • Comfortable working directly with server/hosting settings, not just WordPress plugins • Can clearly explain what they're doing and why • Available for several hours of overlap with US Eastern business hours for calls and collaboration