Java technical lead Jobs in Kitchener, ON

This position is open to applicants in the US and Canada.

About Our Company

Kanopi Studios is a Design, Development & Support Agency with a fully distributed team of people who are experts in Drupal & WordPress .

Our clients are mission-driven — and so are we. We design , build , and support websites that help their missions thrive.

We believe the people behind the work matter just as much as the work itself. That’s why we’re deeply committed to supporting our team’s growth, well-being, and success. When our people thrive, our clients do too — and together, we build a web that works better for everyone.

As Kanopi continues to grow, we’re excited to welcome a new WordPress Technical Lead (aka Senior Engineer II) to our team.

About the Role

Kanopi Studios is seeking a WordPress Technical Lead (aka Senior Engineer II) to join our collaborative, fun, and fully distributed team. In this leadership role, you’ll drive technical execution across client projects, mentor developers, shape architectural decisions, and ensure delivery excellence—all while getting to build alongside a talented team. This position reports to our WordPress Engineering Manager.

As a WordPress Technical Lead, you will combine hands-on development with team leadership and strategic planning. You’ll work directly with clients, project managers, and internal stakeholders to understand technical requirements and guide the project team toward successful outcomes. You’ll be responsible for estimating, architecting, coding, and mentoring—all while helping uphold Kanopi’s high standards of quality, collaboration, and inclusion.

Requirements

We are looking for candidates who have experience with the following :

• Leading the technical approach on WordPress projects and ensuring development is on track and aligned with client needs.
• Collaborating with UX, design, and PM teams during the discovery and planning phases.
• Building and configuring WordPress sites using modern development practices.
• Developing native Gutenberg blocks using React and building custom themes and plugins.
• Creating HTML templates and patterns optimized for full-site editing.
• Providing architectural guidance and mentoring to team members.
• Writing and reviewing code and technical documentation.
• Leading code peer reviews and encouraging team best practices.
• Meeting directly with clients to clarify requirements and discuss technical challenges and solutions.
• Managing the technical team's workload and offering continuity across phases of the project lifecycle.

About the compensation and work requirements

This is a full-time position. The salary range for this position is $92,050 - $111,900 - the range is broad, but it is commensurate with experience, aligned with current members of our team with similar experience, and may shift a bit depending on your geographic location. This is a 100% remote role, but you must live and be able to work in the US or Canada.

Now, let's talk about you!

We're looking for candidates who...

Nice-to-Haves

At Kanopi, we know that a diverse team makes us stronger, more creative, and more effective. We enthusiastically welcome applicants of all backgrounds, and we strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those from other underrepresented communities to apply.

Ready to apply?

If you think this post was written just for you, here’s what to do next :

About that cover letter… This is VERY important!

We’d love to hear what makes you a great fit for this role — and be sure to include your answer to this question : What’s your favorite piece of technology, and why?

What to expect after you apply :

We want to make sure we’re a great fit — for you and for us! Here’s what our process generally looks like :

We’ll explain each step more fully as you move through the process. We're excited to get to know you!

Please note - we try to make an effort to contact every applicant to let you know the status of your application, but we are human, so if you don’t hear from us, drop us a line!

Kanopi Studios is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require accommodations at any stage of the application process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Disclaimer Regarding the Use of AI : In the interest of fostering a fair and unbiased recruitment process, we utilize AI technology to assist in reviewing job applications. This includes anonymizing applications to mitigate potential bias and ensure a more equitable assessment of qualifications. We are committed to the continuous review and revision of our processes to ensure alignment with the fair treatment of applicants in addition to state, provincial, and federal law.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive range of health, professional, remote workspace, and other fun benefits for all full time US and Canadian employees. For more information, see the benefits section of our careers page.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by those assigned to this classification. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by those occupying this position. The job description and job functions described herein are subject to possible modification by Kanopi Studios in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

No agencies, recruiters or overseas applicants (for consideration, applicants must live in the US or Canada).