The Narwhal - Job Posting

Web Developer, Canada

 About The Narwhal

The Narwhal is an award-winning online magazine that publishes in-depth and investigative journalism about the natural world in Canada.

Think of us as part newsroom, part non-profit and part startup. As a non-profit, reader-funded news organization, our goal isn’t to sell advertising or to please corporate bigwigs — it’s to bring evidence-based news and analysis to the surface for our readers. We’re part of a revolution in public-interest journalism that is reinvigorating the relationship between readers and the journalists who work on their behalf — and we want you to join us.The storytellers in any society hold tremendous power. At The Narwhal, we recognize that this power represents both a privilege and a responsibility and we aim to use this power for the public good. The Narwhal is working to build an inclusive and equitable team that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage applications from communities traditionally underrepresented in this field. 

About the role

Location: Remote across Canada; we have offices in Victoria, Vancouver and Toronto 

Hours: Flexible, 37.5 hours/week, including on-call work as needed

Salary: $80,000-$86,666 FTE

Type: Full-time, permanent 

These are exciting times at The Narwhal and we are seeking our very first in-house Web Developer to join our small but mighty team. In this role, you’ll be at the heart of our digital operations, helping create an engaging, user-friendly online experience that showcases our storytelling and supports our goal of converting readers into members or donors. Reporting to our Director of Audience, you’ll work closely with our editorial and audience teams to develop innovative tools, improve site performance and ensure The Narwhal’s award-winning digital presentation shines as one of the most beautiful and effective websites in the journalism world.

Responsibilities

• Develop and test new tools to improve how readers interact with our stories.

• Collaborate with the editorial team to design and implement custom storytelling experiences, including interactive news apps, investigative features and multimedia integrations.

• Ensure our site is fast, secure and optimized for search engines by managing plugin updates, improving page speed and implementing best practices for SEO and security (e.g., exploring tools like SecureDrop).

• Create and iterate on WordPress integrations and editorial tools (e.g., custom templates, parallax effects, audio embeds, etc.).

• Lead key site redesign projects, including our homepage and donation pages, ensuring they’re optimized for user experience and aligned with our mission to convert visitors into loyal supporters.

• Work with external contractors and ad agencies to ensure data flows seamlessly between our site and tools like GA4, Google Ads and MailChimp.

• Stay up to date on AI and web technology advancements, exploring innovative ways to integrate these into our workflows or user-facing experiences.

• Ensure stories are easily adaptable for platforms like Apple News or other distribution channels.

• Collaborate with the audience team to run A/B tests on calls-to-action, page designs and donation workflows, continuously improving based on user data and feedback. 

Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in front-end web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and back-end technologies (PHP, WordPress).

• Experience working with content management systems (WordPress preferred), with a focus on custom development, plugins and site infrastructure maintenance.

• Demonstrated ability to develop responsive, high-performance websites focusing on page speed, SEO and security best practices.

• Experience designing custom story experiences (interactive features, visual storytelling) for a digital media outlet or similar.

• Familiarity with analytics tools like Google Analytics (GA4), and experience working with third-party APIs to create custom functionalities.

• Familiarity with data collection and analysis using R, Python or another language.

• Strong interest in emerging web technologies, including AI, and how they can be applied to user experience and editorial workflows.

• A collaborative mindset with a willingness to experiment and iterate based on user data and audience insights.

• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and respectful representation in storytelling.

We offer the following benefits

• Group health, vision and dental benefits, a health spending account and Employee Assistance Program after three months

• A flexible workplace with a vibrant, collaborative culture

• Work-from-home stipend or an opportunity to work from a shared office

• RRSP contributions after three months

• 20 vacation days per year, plus your birthday off

• 10 personal days per year

• Organization-wide holiday shutdown in December

• Professional development opportunities 

• Two-month top-up program for EI-protected leaves (eligible after one year of employment)

Benefits are subject to change at any time at the discretion of The Narwhal.

When it comes to compensation, research shows wide disparities in how candidates negotiate, which is partially responsible for wage gaps between groups of people. At The Narwhal we have a transparent and competitive salary grid for our entire team. We developed this approach because we wanted to remove the guesswork around compensation and put everyone on an equal footing. The salary range you see posted is based on our grid and applies equally to everyone, ensuring fairness and transparency across the board.

The Narwhal is working to build an inclusive and equitable team that reflects the communities we serve. People who identify as being from marginalized communities, including Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people identifying as 2SLGBTQIA+, and people from low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Disability-related accommodations are available for candidates taking part in our hiring process. We will ask candidates selected for an interview about any accessibility needs ahead of the scheduled interview.

What to expect

• Selected candidates will be invited to a first-round interview by the end of October. Following that, there will be a paid test assignment, and selected candidates will be invited to a second interview 

• Candidates will meet a mix of team members during the interview process 

• The hiring committee will consist of two to three interviewers in each session

• All interviews will be conducted online via Zoom

• The ideal start date for this position is Jan. 13, 2025