WordPress & DigitalOcean Specialist Needed | Server, PHP, GitHub & Staging Setup

We're looking for an experienced WordPress, PHP and Linux/DevOps specialist to help modernise and optimise the infrastructure behind Creative Minds, a UK-based creative arts organisation. Our website is custom-built on WordPress, hosted on a DigitalOcean Droplet, and includes artist profiles, dashboards, event bookings, Stripe Connect payments and several bespoke plugins. The project will involve: - DigitalOcean: Recover SSH/root access, review security, investigate storage usage and upgrade Droplet capacity. - Website upgrades: Update PHP, WordPress and plugins, ensuring compatibility with existing custom functionality. - GitHub: Retrieve and organise our complete custom source code in a private repository. - Staging: Establish a secure staging environment for testing changes before deploying to the live website. - Stripe: Review and resolve any existing Stripe Connect, booking and payout integration issues. - Performance & security: Optimise the server and website, establish reliable backups and address vulnerabilities. - Deployment: Configure a safe GitHub-to-staging-to-production workflow with rollback capabilities. - Handover: Provide documentation and guidance so we can manage future website improvements more independently. The website is currently live, so minimising downtime and protecting existing functionality are essential. We're seeking someone with strong experience in DigitalOcean, Ubuntu, custom WordPress/PHP development, GitHub, Stripe Connect and staging environments. This is a one-off project with potential for ongoing support. Please share your relevant experience, examples of similar work and an indicative cost. A detailed scope can be provided to shortlisted candidates.