About the Role
WooCommerce is seeking an experienced Plugin Developer to join our extensions team on a contract basis. You will be responsible for building, maintaining, and enhancing WooCommerce extensions that power hundreds of thousands of online stores worldwide. This role offers the opportunity to work on high-visibility plugins that directly impact the ecommerce experience for merchants and their customers, handling everything from payment gateway integrations to shipping calculators and inventory management tools.
As a contract Plugin Developer, you will work closely with our full-time engineering team to deliver polished, performant, and secure WordPress plugins. You will participate in sprint planning, code reviews, and architectural discussions while maintaining the independence and flexibility that comes with contract work. This engagement is initially scoped for 6 months with the possibility of extension or conversion to a full-time role based on performance and mutual fit.
Responsibilities
- Develop new WooCommerce extensions from concept to release, following WooCommerce coding standards and plugin architecture patterns
- Maintain and improve existing WooCommerce plugins, including bug fixes, feature enhancements, and compatibility updates for new WordPress and WooCommerce releases
- Implement payment gateway integrations, ensuring PCI compliance and secure handling of sensitive transaction data
- Build custom admin interfaces using React and the WooCommerce Admin framework for extension settings and reporting
- Write comprehensive unit tests and integration tests using PHPUnit and the WooCommerce testing framework
- Create and maintain developer documentation, including inline code documentation, README files, and API references
- Debug and resolve complex issues involving interactions between multiple plugins, themes, and hosting environments
- Optimize plugin performance by profiling database queries, reducing HTTP requests, and implementing caching strategies
- Ensure all extensions meet WordPress.org plugin directory guidelines and pass automated review checks
Requirements
- 5+ years of professional WordPress plugin development experience with published plugins on WordPress.org or the WooCommerce Marketplace
- Expert proficiency in PHP 7.4+ with strong object-oriented programming skills and familiarity with design patterns
- Solid JavaScript skills including experience with vanilla JS, jQuery, and modern frameworks (React preferred)
- Deep understanding of the WooCommerce codebase, including its hook system, data stores, CRUD classes, and REST API
- Experience building payment integrations with providers such as Stripe, PayPal, or Square
- Strong knowledge of WordPress database schema, custom tables, and WP_Query optimization
- Familiarity with WordPress plugin security best practices, including input sanitization, output escaping, nonce verification, and capability checks
- Experience with Git-based workflows, pull request reviews, and continuous integration pipelines
- Ability to work independently, manage your own time, and communicate progress effectively in a remote, async environment
Nice to Have
- Experience with WooCommerce Blocks and the block-based checkout
- Familiarity with WooCommerce Subscriptions, Memberships, or Bookings plugins
- Knowledge of ecommerce platforms beyond WooCommerce (Shopify, Magento) for competitive awareness
- Experience with WordPress multisite and network-activated plugin considerations
- Contributions to WooCommerce core or other Automattic open-source projects
- Understanding of GDPR, CCPA, and other data privacy regulations as they apply to ecommerce
Benefits
- Competitive hourly rate of $90 - $120 USD, based on experience and expertise
- Fully remote work with flexible scheduling — set your own hours within reasonable overlap with the team
- Initial 6-month contract with strong potential for renewal or full-time conversion
- Access to WooCommerce development resources, staging environments, and premium plugin licenses for testing
- Opportunity to work on plugins used by millions of online stores globally
- Invitation to participate in team meetups and WooCommerce community events
- Direct collaboration with some of the most experienced WooCommerce and WordPress engineers in the ecosystem
- Professional growth through exposure to enterprise-scale ecommerce challenges and solutions
How to Apply
Click "Apply Now" and submit your resume along with links to at least two WordPress plugins you have developed or significantly contributed to. We strongly prefer candidates who can share public code samples or a GitHub profile demonstrating their WordPress development skills. In your application, please include your availability (hours per week), your preferred hourly rate within the stated range, and a brief description of the most complex WooCommerce extension you have built.
Our evaluation process includes a portfolio review, a technical interview focused on WordPress and WooCommerce architecture, and a short paid trial task that simulates real work you would do in this role. We aim to complete the hiring process within three weeks of your initial application.