AI / Headless Website Developer

We are moving client websites from WordPress to headless and building new sites with Claude. These are live business websites that rely on their search rankings, leads and tracking. We need an experienced developer who can move them safely, launch new sites quickly and look after them once they are live. Must-Have Experience We will only consider candidates who meet all of these requirements: • You have personally migrated live websites from WordPress or another CMS to a headless stack. • You kept rankings, traffic, forms and tracking intact through those migrations and can show the results. • You have strong hands-on WordPress experience, including themes, plugins, page builders, custom fields, databases, hosting, migrations and troubleshooting. • You can manage domains and DNS without losing email or causing downtime. • You use Claude Code, Cursor or similar tools daily on real client work. • You have maintained headless sites after launch, including hosting, security and updates. • You can work US hours and your spoken and written English is fluent and clear. You will speak directly with clients and our team. Technical Skills Headless Development • Next.js (App Router), React and TypeScript • Sanity, Payload or a similar headless CMS, including content modeling, editor setup, live preview and user roles • SSG, SSR, ISR and on-demand revalidation • REST and GraphQL APIs, webhooks and server-side form handling • Tailwind CSS, Git, GitHub and preview deployments AI Development • Advanced use of Claude Code, including CLAUDE.md files, skills, reusable prompts, subagents and MCP servers • Connecting AI tools to a CMS through MCP so that content and pages can be created and updated safely • Using scripts and AI to move content in bulk, then checking the output for errors • Using brand guidelines, design references and competitor research so that sites don't look AI-generated • Reviewing every AI change for bugs, security problems and code you can't explain • Keeping client data, passwords and API keys protected when using AI tools • Keeping up with new AI tools and knowing when they are worth using on client work WordPress and Migration • Moving content, media, SEO data and custom fields out of WordPress, ACF, Yoast or Rank Math • Working with Elementor, Divi, WPBakery, Gravity Forms and similar tools • Using WP-CLI, the WordPress REST API and WPGraphQL • Working with SiteGround, WP Engine, GoDaddy and Cloudflare • Moving DNS while protecting MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records • Planning launches with low-risk cutovers, backups and a rollback plan SEO and Tracking • Full crawl comparisons before and after launch using Screaming Frog or a similar tool • URL mapping, 301 redirects at scale, canonicals, sitemaps, robots rules and noindex tags • Schema, internal links, image URLs, 404 monitoring and redirect chains • Core Web Vitals, including LCP, INP and CLS • Making pages easy for search engines and AI search tools to crawl and understand • GA4, GTM, Google Search Console, call tracking, conversion events and UTM tracking • CRM connections, form notifications and spam protection Hosting, Security and Maintenance • Vercel, Cloudflare or similar platforms • Secure environment variables, limited user access, SSL, security headers and WAF rules • Applying Next.js and dependency security updates quickly • Backups for code, content and media • Uptime, error, performance and form monitoring What You'll Do • Audit each WordPress site and create a clear migration plan. • Migrate websites without losing content, rankings, leads or tracking. • Build production-ready sites from Claude concepts, Figma files and Markdown or HTML mockups. • Deliver straightforward builds in under 20 hours. • Build reusable starter projects, components, prompts and skill files for our team. • Test every site on mobile and major browsers before launch. • Monitor rankings, indexing, traffic, forms and conversions after launch and fix issues quickly. • Work with our SEO, design, project and reporting teams, and train the SEO team on the stack. Handover and Ongoing Support Every site must be handed over properly. You will: • Keep code and accounts under company or client ownership, never personal accounts. • Document the stack, hosting, DNS, access, deployment, integrations and common fixes. • Make sure non-developers can update content safely. • Host each site in a secure, reliable environment with backups and monitoring in place. • Maintain the site after launch and protect its SEO, speed and lead flow. How We Work You will be expected to manage your own work, spot problems early and give clear updates. If something breaks, we expect you to explain what happened, why it happened and how you will prevent it. We move quickly, but we don't cut corners on security or quality. How to Apply Please send: 1 Two or three live sites you migrated to headless, including the original CMS and new stack 2 Exactly what you handled yourself on each project 3 Before-and-after results for traffic, rankings or Core Web Vitals 4 One example of how you used Claude Code or a similar tool on a real project 5 One example of a migration problem and how you fixed it 6 A short Loom video introducing yourself and walking through one project Shortlisted candidates will complete a short practical test. Applications without a live migration example will not be considered.