CMS Implementation Engineer (Drupal & Wagtail) - Contractor

Company Description

Big challenges need bold thinkers.

If you're someone who sees problems as opportunities, you'll thrive here. RESPEC is 100% employee-owned, which means we take ownership of every challenge. Here, your ideas drive real solutions. Since 1969, we've tackled complex challenges in energy transition, infrastructure resilience, digital transformation, and sustainability.

At RESPEC, you'll work alongside clients to take on critical problems. Depending on your expertise, you might design infrastructure in remote locations, develop renewable energy solutions for global projects, or apply data-driven technology to improve mining and water systems.

We bring deep technical knowledge, real-world experience, and a commitment to work that matters. If you're looking for a place where your contributions have real impact, you'll fit right in.

We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters.

Job Description

RESPEC is seeking a CMS Implementation Specialist that will lead the end-to-end technical implementation of the new GeoInfo website (, working closely with RESPEC's project, product management, and design teams, an embedded Content Strategist, the agency's Product Manager, and the agency's Data Services and Security staff. This role transforms approved digital strategy, sitemaps, front-end templates, and structured content models into a robust, high-performance CMS implementation (leveraging Drupal and/or Wagtail) that meets the Q2 2027 launch milestone for L0-L1 and priority L2 content.

The CMS Implementation Specialist will configure CMS core structures, modules/packages, and publishing workflows; build out approved reusable templates and page models; execute automated and assisted migration of priority text, relational data, and static digital assets; and establish comprehensive redirect and navigational pathways between the legacy system and the new platform. This role also owns technical testing, defect resolution, launch readiness, and external systems integration.

Responsibilities:

• Implement approved, responsive CMS page models and structured content types using Drupal (Twig, custom modules, blocks) and Wagtail (StreamField, Page models, Django templates).
• Support the full structural build-out and taxonomy alignment of the website information architecture from Level 0 through Level 2 and beyond.
• Coordinate with the agency's technical, infrastructure, and security stakeholders to ensure all architecture decisions align with institutional compliance, accessibility, hosting, and security standards.
• Support the execution of priority content migration workflows in close alignment with the finalized Content Migration Plan.
• Lead the technical extraction, cleaning, and ingestion of legacy static assets-including technical PDF reports, scientific images, and downloadable datasets-into structured CMS media libraries.
• Implement robust URL routing, 301 redirect mappings, menu navigation, breadcrumbs, and cross-site transition pathways connecting legacy GeoInfo content to the new web environment.
• Lead and support technical testing, including template rendering, responsive UI, editorial workflows, access control permissions, search indexing, and launch-critical functionality.
• Support the technical integration of third-party institutional systems, APIs, and enterprise databases (e.g., HigherEd ERP / Ellucian Banner).
• Actively track, estimate, and document implementation deliverables, backlog stories, bugs, and future-phase technical debt using Jira.
• Deliver a fully tested, secure, and production-ready live website populated with validated, migrated Level 0 through Level 2 content by target deadlines.

Time Required

This is anticipated as a full-time contract role for the implementation-heavy phase of the project lifecycle. The role becomes most intensive once hosting, CMS selection/architecture, sitemaps, and design templates are signed off, remaining fully engaged through core development, migration, system integration, testing, and production deployment.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• 3-5+ years of demonstrable hands-on CMS development and technical implementation experience, with a track record of delivering multiple production website builds, custom module/model configurations, and large-scale data migrations.
• Hands-on development and implementation experience with modern enterprise CMS platforms, with direct proficiency in Drupal (PHP, Composer, Twig) and/or Wagtail (Python, Django).
• Deep technical understanding of modular structured content, reusable templates, atomic page components, custom field configurations, and multi-tier editorial publishing workflows.
• Demonstrated experience executing content migration pipelines, database transformation scripts, and digital asset migrations for extensive static repositories (PDFs, media files, datasets).
• Working knowledge of end-to-end web QA, functional and cross-browser testing, accessibility compliance (WCAG), redirect rule engines, and go-live deployment procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate smoothly across multi-disciplinary teams including software engineers, UI/UX designers, content strategists, project managers, and executive client stakeholders.
• Proven experience managing implementation sprints, tickets, pull requests, and bug backlogs using Jira or comparable agile project management tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an emphasis on creating clear technical documentation, architectural decision records (ADRs), and handoff guides.

Preferred:

• New Mexico and West Texas residents willing to travel on-site to Socorro, NM, up to 2 times during the project lifecycle.
• Direct experience engineering web solutions for Higher Education, scientific research organizations, geological surveys, or public-sector agencies.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.