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Caleb Zahnd

Director of Web Development | Senior WordPress / PHP Architect | Technical Leadership

Profile

Senior web developer and technical leader with 25+ years of experience building, scaling, and maintaining complex web platforms in agency and client-services environments. Deep expertise in WordPress back-end architecture, custom theme and plugin development, DevOps workflows, performance optimization, and long-term platform sustainability. Currently serving as Director of Web Development at 829 Studios, with a strong preference for hands-on technical leadership, ownership of architecture decisions, and mentoring developers through practical, real-world problem solving. Experienced across the full lifecycle of web projects, from discovery and technical planning through launch and ongoing support.

Core Expertise

  • WordPress full-stack development (custom themes, plugins, integrations)
  • PHP architecture and application design
  • Technical ownership of full-site builds
  • Performance optimization, security hardening, and scalability
  • DevOps workflows, CI/CD, and deployment strategy
  • Technical documentation and client training
  • Agency-based, multi-project delivery
  • Mentorship, code review, and technical guidance
  • Accessibility-minded and standards-based development

Work History

Director of Web Development
829 Studios
Boston, Massachusetts (Remote)
October 2022 – Present
  • Lead and scale a multidisciplinary web development department responsible for 40+ annual website launches and long-term client support.
  • Define and oversee technical strategy for WordPress-centric builds, balancing performance, accessibility, scalability, and delivery timelines.
  • Serve as senior technical authority for complex WordPress architectures, custom plugin development, and platform-level decisions.
  • Act as oversight and ongoing steward of Propel, 829’s proprietary WordPress framework focused on consistency, maintainability, and developer experience.
  • Partner closely with design, strategy, production, and client services leadership to ensure technical execution aligns with creative and business goals.
  • Establish and uphold development standards, documentation, and deployment workflows across teams.
  • Mentor team leads and developers through architectural guidance, code review, and hands-on problem solving.
Senior Technical Solutions Architect
829 Studios
Boston, Massachusetts (Remote)
May 2019 – October 2022
  • Served as lead developer on custom WordPress projects, owning technical implementation from discovery through launch and post-launch support.
  • Built and maintained custom WordPress themes and plugins using modern best practices, with a strong emphasis on clean PHP architecture and long-term maintainability.
  • Developed flexible content architectures using custom post types, taxonomies, and block-based editing (ACF and Gutenberg).
  • Translated design and strategy into responsive, accessible, and performant WordPress implementations.
  • Led site migrations, rebuilds, and deployments while preserving SEO, performance, and content integrity.
  • Integrated WordPress with third-party platforms and APIs, including CRMs, analytics, and marketing
    tools.
  • Collaborated closely with designers, project managers, and account teams to scope solutions, estimate work, and communicate technical tradeoffs.
  • Supported DevOps workflows including version control, staging environments, and deployment coordination.
Front End Lead / Technical Solutions Architect
MMGY Global
Kansas City, Missouri (Hybrid Remote)
April 2014 – May 2019
  • Served as both a hands-on, full-time developer and technical lead, contributing directly to front-end and application code while overseeing technical direction and delivery.
  • Led the ideation, technical planning, and implementation of client digital solutions across MMGY Global’s full portfolio of web properties.
  • Acted as primary technical owner on client engagements, leading architecture decisions and participating in all major client-facing technical discussions.
  • Built and maintained production code for complex websites and applications, with the majority of projects implemented in Drupal, Umbraco, and Sitecore, and selective use of WordPress where appropriate.
  • Led front-end architecture and implementation across platforms, ensuring responsive, accessible, and performant experiences across a wide range of devices.
  • Delivered immersive and award-winning digital experiences for clients in the travel, hospitality, and entertainment industries.
  • Supported and implemented digital marketing and experiential initiatives, including native mobile applications, interactive displays, kiosks, and non-traditional digital experiences.
  • Managed and collaborated with local and remote teams using Agile workflows, leveraging the Atlassian Suite (JIRA, Confluence, Bitbucket) for planning, documentation, bug tracking, version
    control, and deployments.

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