Drupal Developer | CollegeHoops.net

The Job:
I'm looking for someone who rightfully considers themselves to be a top drupal developer to do extensive work on collegehoopsnet.com/collegehoops.net.

The site:
CHN is a college basketball site that is known for having the BEST content in our realm, but unfortunately we currently have a SECOND RATE site. This needs to change. Now.

The site is currently a mix of static html pages (like the front page) and a drupal section. I'm looking for the developer that will take our site fully to the top of the Drupal universe using the best practices possible.

You:
We're looking for someone who understands the needs of the readers/users of a media content site, that will help substantially improve the functionality and usability of the site (both for the readers and the writers/editors).

I am NOT looking for theming work to be done as we have someone who will handle this down the line.

Understand that there is already a core site in place, that is functional, but I am looking to take our site to the next level. You need to prove to me that you are the person who I will be able to trust in coming months to do this. Prove this by showing EXTENSIVE references or a quality portfolio. I'm not looking for someone to merely install modules or update the site to 6.1, this is for a serious programmer looking to DELVE into a new project.

Preferably, you have a strong understanding of the structure of college sports and sports websites. (Being a sports fan wouldn't hurt either).

Rate:
I'm looking to pay an hourly rate that is commensurate to your skill. Depending on the scope of your involvement, this project may end up including dozens of hours of work and I have a budget into 5 figures to get this taken care of appropriately. However, my target is to complete this project at about $5-6,000.

Timeframe:
Ideally, I'm looking for someone who can get going on this project as quickly as possible. The new updated site needs to be fully functional by the beginning of the 2008-09 college season, if not sooner.

Opportunity:
CHN might not be the largest site in the world, but we are respected in our community and amongst brand advertisers that have included ESPN, Adidas, Nike, and GM amongst others.

Do a quick search on Google News for "collegehoops.net" to see some of the dozens of national newspaper and official college athletic sites that have referenced CHN in recent weeks. The point being that this could be a very nice addition to your CV.

Besides the rebuild, due to the nature of drupal and the evolution of the web (and college sports), there are always tweeks and updates down the line that I need help on, so once we get going.. there is the possibility of a long-term relationship here.

Please:
Please send your resume/portfolio/references to shawn@collegehoops.net . Include your hourly rate when contacting me. I'm not looking for the cheapest alternative but the best.

I'm located in Northern Jersey. I look forward to working with you!

Shawn Siegel
shawn@collegehoops.net