Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Moodle Developer

🎯 Role Definition

A Moodle Developer is a specialized software engineer who serves as the technical architect and steward of an organization's Moodle Learning Management System (LMS). This role is pivotal in transforming a standard Moodle platform into a customized, feature-rich, and seamlessly integrated learning ecosystem. More than just a coder, the Moodle Developer bridges the gap between educational goals and technical execution. They work closely with instructional designers, system administrators, and business stakeholders to design, build, and maintain custom plugins, themes, and integrations that deliver engaging and effective online learning experiences. This position requires a deep expertise in PHP, the Moodle codebase, and web technologies, combined with a passion for creating solutions that empower learners and educators.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

PHP Developer
Full-Stack Web Developer
IT Support Specialist with a focus on web applications

Advancement To:

Senior Moodle Developer / LMS Architect
E-learning Team Lead or Manager
Education Technology (EdTech) Consultant

Lateral Moves:

Learning Experience (LX) Engineer
DevOps Engineer specializing in web application hosting

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, develop, test, and maintain robust, reusable, and high-performance custom Moodle plugins, including new activities, blocks, reports, and local plugins to extend the platform's core functionality.
Architect and implement bespoke Moodle themes and child themes that align with brand guidelines, enhance user experience (UX), and ensure responsive design across all devices.
Execute seamless integrations between Moodle and other critical enterprise systems, such as Student Information Systems (SIS), Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), single sign-on (SSO) solutions (SAML, OAuth2), and third-party content repositories using Moodle's web service APIs.
Conduct comprehensive troubleshooting and debugging of complex technical issues within the Moodle environment, from front-end display errors to back-end performance bottlenecks and database query optimization.
Manage the full lifecycle of Moodle platform upgrades, including planning, testing in development/staging environments, and executing production updates to ensure security and access to new features.
Write clean, well-documented, and standards-compliant code, primarily in PHP, JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3, while adhering to Moodle's specific coding standards and best practices.
Perform database administration tasks for the Moodle database (MySQL/PostgreSQL), including schema modifications, data migrations, query performance tuning, and ensuring data integrity.
Develop and consume RESTful and SOAP APIs to facilitate real-time data exchange and functionality between Moodle and external applications.
Implement and enforce robust security protocols, apply security patches in a timely manner, and conduct regular security audits to protect sensitive user data and system integrity.
Optimize the Moodle platform for performance and scalability, addressing issues related to server configuration, caching, database load, and code efficiency to support a large, active user base.
Create and maintain detailed technical documentation for custom code, system architecture, and integration points to ensure knowledge transfer and maintainability.
Collaborate directly with instructional designers and curriculum developers to understand their pedagogical needs and translate them into functional, effective technical solutions within the Moodle framework.
Ensure the platform adheres to accessibility standards, such as WCAG 2.1 AA, by auditing and modifying themes and plugins to be usable by individuals with disabilities.
Maintain version control for all custom code and configurations using Git, managing branching, merging, and deployment workflows across different environments (development, staging, production).
Provide expert-level technical support and guidance to site administrators and trainers, empowering them to effectively manage courses and users.
Proactively research and evaluate new Moodle features, third-party plugins, and emerging e-learning technologies to recommend improvements and innovations for the learning ecosystem.
Configure and manage Moodle's scheduled tasks, cron jobs, and event-driven notifications to ensure background processes run efficiently and reliably.
Lead data migration projects, including importing courses, users, and historical data from legacy systems or other LMS platforms into Moodle.
Develop custom reports and data visualizations by writing complex SQL queries against the Moodle database to provide stakeholders with actionable insights into learner engagement and course effectiveness.
Manage Moodle's multi-tenancy capabilities and course category structures to support various departments or client groups within a single installation.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer specific business questions about user behavior and learning outcomes.
Contribute to the organization's broader digital learning and data strategy by providing technical insights and feasibility assessments.
Collaborate with business units to translate abstract data and functionality needs into clear, actionable engineering requirements and user stories.
Participate in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospective ceremonies as part of an agile development team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert-Level PHP: Deep understanding of modern, object-oriented PHP, including experience with its application within the Moodle framework.
Moodle Plugin Development: Proven ability to develop and maintain various Moodle plugin types (e.g., mod, block, local, report, auth).
SQL & Database Management: High proficiency in writing complex SQL queries and managing databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL.
Front-End Technologies: Strong command of JavaScript (including jQuery/AJAX), HTML5, and CSS3 for theming and user interface development.
Moodle APIs & Web Services: In-depth knowledge of Moodle's internal APIs and external web service protocols (REST, SOAP) for integrations.
Version Control Systems: Mastery of Git for code management, including branching, merging, and pull requests.
Linux Server Administration: Familiarity with managing a LAMP/LEMP stack, including Apache/Nginx configuration, PHP settings, and cron jobs.
API Integration: Demonstrable experience integrating third-party systems via RESTful APIs and handling data formats like JSON and XML.
Web Accessibility (WCAG): Understanding of web accessibility standards and how to implement them in a web application.
E-learning Standards: Knowledge of standards like SCORM, LTI, and xAPI is a significant plus.

Soft Skills

Analytical Problem-Solving: A natural ability to diagnose complex technical problems methodically and devise effective solutions.
Clear Communication: The skill to explain technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Collaborative Team Player: A strong desire to work with others, share knowledge, and contribute to team success.
Meticulous Attention to Detail: A commitment to producing high-quality, bug-free, and well-documented code.
Self-Motivation & Time Management: The capacity to manage multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and work independently with minimal supervision.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience demonstrating expertise in software development.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Information Technology.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Computer Science
Information Technology
Software Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-7 years of professional web development experience, with a significant portion dedicated specifically to the Moodle platform.

Preferred:

A strong portfolio showcasing custom Moodle plugin and theme development projects. Verifiable experience with Moodle upgrades, performance tuning, and complex system integrations is highly desirable.