Drupal Backend Engineer, (1099 Contractor)

Drupal Backend Engineer (1099 Contractor)

The Consultant, Engineering & Technical Services collaborates with cross-functional Agile teams to deliver high-quality, secure, and maintainable systems for a federal health care platform serving approximately 11 million monthly users. Leveraging strong Drupal 11 backend expertise, this role builds and maintains custom modules, APIs, and configurations that power resilient, scalable digital services.

The successful candidate pairs technical proficiency with a clear understanding of the mission context, translating requirements into secure, performant solutions while upholding engineering best practices. This position requires candidates to obtain and maintain a federal Public Trust clearance and satisfy all CMS residency requirements

Your Responsibilities in this Role:

• Design, develop, and maintain Drupal 11 custom modules, APIs, and configurations that support high-quality, scalable web services
• Review and contribute to merge requests, ensuring code quality, security, and adherence to development standards
• Identify and remediate security vulnerabilities and performance issues within codebases
• Develop code collaboratively within Git repositories using forks, branching workflows, and conflict resolution best practices
• Manage and maintain DDEV Docker-based local development environments
• Write and execute Cypress and PHPUnit tests; document implementation and testing steps within tickets
• Apply efficient debugging practices using tools such as Xdebug to accelerate development and maintain code integrity
• Contribute to Drupal 11 frontend development tasks, including theming and Twig templating, as needed
• Communicate and demo Drupal concepts and technical solutions clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences
• Participate fully in Agile ceremonies and support sprint delivery within a remote team environment

Project Skill and Experience Requirements

• 5+ years of Drupal development experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of Drupal 11 concepts, architectures, APIs, and commonly used contributed modules.
• Experience developing Drupal 11 custom modules
• Demonstrated ability to recognize and resolve security and performance issues in code
• Demonstrated experience with Gitflow workflows, Git conflict resolution, creating merge requests, and reviewing merge requests
• Experience working in and managing DDEV Docker-based local development environments
• Proficiency with efficient debugging practices (e.g., Xdebug)
• Comfortable writing Cypress and PHPUnit tests
• Some familiarity with Drupal 11 frontend development (theming, Twig)
• Comfortable writing implementation and testing steps for tickets
• Strong communication skills; comfortable demoing Drupal concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences
• Proven experience working remotely in team environments, both collaboratively and independently
• Proficiency with VS Code or PHPStorm, Jira, Confluence, Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams
• Drupal.org username required
• Ability to obtain and maintain Public Trust clearance

Nice to have:

• Experience with GitHub Copilot; efficient usage and ability to review AI-generated code
• "Contrib first" mindset; appreciation for open-source community engagement and generalizing custom code for contribution
• Examples of community-contributed (preferred) or custom Drupal 10/11 code

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer or during meetings.
• Must be able to travel occasionally to client sites or company meetings, which may involve driving or flying.
• Ability to communicate effectively via phone, email, and in-person, requiring clear speech, listening, and written communication skills.
• Ability to move within an office environment, including reaching for files, using office equipment, and occasional light lifting (up to 10 pounds).

Life at Fearless

We're a digital integration consultancy on a mission to build a better tomorrow. At Fearless, we combine technology, people, and organizational development to solve meaningful problems. Through iterative development, we deliver smart, user-friendly solutions that make technology work better-for everyone.

But great technology is only part of the story. What truly sets Fearless apart is our Purple Culture and our commitment to building meaningful partnerships with the people who help us deliver exceptional results.

What Makes Us Purple?

Whether you're a team member, contractor, or partner, our Purple Culture influences how we collaborate, communicate, and solve problems together.

Being Purple means you:

• Contribute to work that creates meaningful impact
• Collaborate with people who value curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Bring your expertise to challenging and rewarding projects
• Work with transparency, trust, and mutual respect
• Help create solutions that improve the lives of the people who use them
• Join a community committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging

We're proud to be an equal opportunity organization. We believe diverse perspectives make us stronger, and we welcome individuals from all backgrounds, experiences, and identities.

Compensation & Engagement Details

Fearless is committed to offering competitive contract rates that reflect the expertise, experience, and value our independent contractors bring to client engagements.Final rates are determined based on experience, qualifications, project requirements, and market considerations.

This position is structured as an independent contractor (1099) engagement and is not eligible for employee compensation programs or benefits.

Why Partner with Fearless?

When you partner with Fearless, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Contribute to mission-driven work that delivers meaningful outcomes
• Collaborate alongside experienced professionals across technology, delivery, design, and organizational development
• Apply your expertise to impactful client engagements
• Build relationships with a values-driven organization committed to excellence
• Work with a team that values autonomy, accountability, and results
• While independent contractors are not eligible for employee benefits, we strive to create strong partnerships that support successful outcomes for both our clients and our contractor community.

Independent Contractor Requirements

To engage with Fearless as an independent contractor, the following documentation must be provided prior to the start of work:

• Completed Form W-9
• Proof of General Liability Insurance
• Certificate of Insurance (COI)
• Compliance with any project-specific customer requirements, including background checks or security clearances, when applicable

Additional documentation may be required depending on the nature of the engagement.

Reasonable Accommodations

Fearless is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants and candidates with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the application or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Department at hr@fearless.tech.

So, What's Next?

We've refined our engagement process to ensure alignment between Fearless, our clients, and our contractor partners.

If there's mutual alignment, we'll reach out to begin the interview and evaluation process. Depending on the role or project, the process may vary slightly, but typically includes:

1. Introductory Conversation

We'll connect to:

• Learn more about your experience and expertise
• Discuss project requirements and expectations
• Review rate expectations and engagement details
• Answer any questions about Fearless and the opportunity

2. Skills Assessment (If Applicable)

For some engagements, we'll ask you to complete a role-specific assessment or work sample to better understand your capabilities and approach.

3. Skills & Business Fit Conversation

This conversation allows us to:

• Discuss relevant experience and project examples
• Explore your approach to problem-solving and collaboration
• Ensure alignment between your expertise and the engagement's needs
• Some engagements may also require customer interviews, background checks, or security clearance verification based on project requirements.

Where You Can Partner with Fearless

At Fearless, we're proud to partner with talented independent contractors across the United States. We are currently able to engage 1099 contractors residing in all 50 states. For contractors who may be interested in future full-time employment opportunities with Fearless, please note that our current W-2 employment footprint includes the following states:

Alabama, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

While contractor engagements are available nationwide, eligibility for future W-2 opportunities is contingent upon residing in one of our approved employment states at the time of consideration.

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