If I was hiring someone for a senior/lead web developer job I would look for a history of increasing responsibility building web sites, especially something of

If I was hiring someone for a senior/lead web developer job I would look for a history of increasing responsibility building web sites, especially something of similar scale to what I'm working on. Domain expertise (i.e. experience in my business domain or something similar) would be a big plus. I would want the candidate to demonstrate a solid understanding of front-end, back-end, databases, security, scaling, and hosting. I would also expect a lead/senior candidate to have experience leading teams and projects, and working constructively with stakeholders. When I have interviewed for or pitched myself (I freelance doing mostly web development and systems admin) I have focused on my experience, domain expertise, and understanding of core web technologies. I can point to multiple web sites I have written from scratch or done significant work on, and I can give references from customers, former managers, and people I have led/managed. I would expect a senior person to have similar experience, portfolio, and references.