Shopify Liquid Developer + Technical SEO, Defined Fix List

We are a Japanese luxury ceramics and housewares brand representing exceptional artisans from Arita and other historic Japanese craft regions. Our Shopify store sells highly considered, limited-production pieces, with individual products ranging from approximately ¥25,000 to ¥400,000+. We have completed a detailed technical and commercial audit of the site and already have a prioritized implementation plan. We are looking for an experienced Shopify Liquid developer who can execute that plan cleanly and precisely. This is primarily a development engagement. We do not need an SEO strategy, keyword research, a redesign, or a monthly marketing retainer. You will work exclusively on a duplicated, unpublished Shopify theme. Changes will be reviewed before anything is published. Phase 1: Shopify theme fixes, paid trial This will be the first engagement and the basis for continuing into the remaining work. Current issues include: * Fix a contact form displaying a literal missing translation string instead of the correct field label. * Fix four mega-menu collection tiles displaying Shopify’s default image placeholder despite collection images being assigned in Shopify admin. * Repair or cleanly remove a nonfunctional EN / JP language toggle. * Deduplicate a product packaging gallery currently showing six tiles for three unique images. * Remove product counts from collection headings and correct associated formatting. * Remove a duplicated global fallback description appearing beneath collection descriptions. * Make product dimension tables conditional by product type rather than universally displaying “Cup / Saucer” fields. * Replace a hard-coded related-products row with contextual product recommendations. Phase 2: Metafields and product architecture * Rebuild an existing edition metafield as a controlled vocabulary with four edition states, each rendering different customer-facing language. * Build this natively using Shopify metafields/metaobjects and Liquid, without an additional app. * Add a provenance block to product pages using fields such as artisan, kiln, year, edition, certificate number, and mark description. * Correct the product template so dimensions render from the appropriate per-product data rather than a shared reference. Phase 3: Technical SEO implementation We will provide the copy and URL mapping. You will handle implementation. Work includes: * Bulk-apply supplied SEO titles and meta descriptions to products and collections. * Rename several legacy/staging URLs and implement the appropriate 301 redirects. * Audit and repair Product JSON-LD, including offers, availability, and brand. * Implement appropriate Organization and FAQPage structured data. * Replace the current sitewide Open Graph fallback image and configure appropriate product OG images. * Replace placeholder editorial image alt text. * Improve internal linking between products, artisans, techniques, and relevant editorial content. Phase 4: Sold-out and waitlist experience Some products are unique, numbered, or produced in extremely small quantities. We need a clean sold-out state that removes ambiguity between “Add to Cart” and “Sold Out” and allows customers to register interest in the next release through our email platform. What is out of scope Please do not propose: * Keyword research * SEO/content strategy * Content writing * Link building * Monthly SEO retainers * Page-builder apps * SEO or schema apps for functionality Shopify can handle natively * A visual redesign We like the existing aesthetic. The objective is to finish the implementation and remove the technical issues undermining the experience. Requirements You should have: * Strong Shopify Liquid experience * Experience substantially modifying Shopify themes, not only configuring them * Strong HTML/CSS and working JavaScript knowledge * Experience with Shopify metafields and metaobjects * Experience implementing structured data and technical SEO fixes * Comfort with Shopify CLI, duplicated themes, previews, and version control * A disciplined approach to working on production ecommerce stores * Strong enough written English to work from a detailed specification and ask precise questions