Developer, NPR Library

Description

Overview:
A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. NPR listeners value information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide.

The NPR Library is looking for a talented, forward-thinking developer to join our award-winning team of knowledge managers, researchers, product owners, and digital innovators.  The successful candidate will lead development efforts in NPR’s Library by improving existing content lifecycle systems, strengthening preservation workflows, and increasing the value of NPR assets through syndication to third parties.  S/he will contribute to an atmosphere of continuous innovation by helping meet the evolving challenges of a cutting edge media organization.

Essential Duties Include:

• Establish and implement improvements to NPR Library digital asset management systems and syndication workflows using knowledge of standard and emerging tools of web application development.
• Use Agile principles to respond to evolving business needs.
• Comfort with public speaking when required to obtain resources and show our work.

Our developer is primarily responsible for contributing to the creation, modification, and implementation of custom web applications sponsored by NPR’s Library.  Responsibilities also include assisting in the daily operations and maintenance of all of Library systems and workflows.

What we are looking for:

• Passion for standards-based web development and polyglot programming.
• Understanding of collection tools that support the information needs of journalists and decision makers.
• Vigor for crafting well-tested, well-documented and elegantly structured code.
• Comfortable working on the front-end, the back-end, and all points in between.
• Easily translates big picture concerns to the project at hand.
• Passion for digital assets, standards, preservation workflows, metadata, and how to leverage them.
• Master troubleshooter and skilled communicator who keeps stakeholders informed and projects moving forward.
• Obsession with software scalability.
• Honesty, friendly attitude and good sense of humor.

We are looking for a talented and knowledgeable full stack web developer -- a person passionate about polyglot programming, web technologies, database development, RESTful APIs, Responsive Design -- often things that have not reached mainstream, yet. We are looking for a person who both learns fast, but can also figure things out independently and show us better ways for building complex, highly scalable systems.

Qualifications:
Required:

• Fluency in LAMP stack: Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP.
• Fluency in writing functional Javascript code, not limited to jQuery programming.
• Fluency in HTML5/CSS3, including media queries and Responsive Web Design techniques.
• Extensive experience working with content-management systems.
• Ability to work in Unix command-line over SSH terminal. Experience working with a version control system (Git preferred).
• Experience working on a team to improve a product or process.

Bonus Points For:

• Demonstrated experience in application development in a research environment to preserve digital assets within a repository structure.
• Experience with time-based file formats and preservation challenges, with specific work experience applying principles of OAIS.
• Experience curating, managing, and migrating digital collections, and troubleshooting workflows day-to-day.
• Experience establishing a digital preservation repository.
• Significant contributions to open-source projects.
• Addiction to writing code in Test-Driven Development style.
• Familiarity with basic taxonomy principles.

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.  All applications must include a resume and cover letter to be considered.

If you apply for this job, here's what you can expect in our interview process. If you’re checking out technical or digital roles, here are some additional things you should consider about what you’ll experience at NPR.

NPR offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package including health and wellness benefits, retirement, and work/life balance programs, as well as opportunities for career growth and development. NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Keep up with us on Social Media on: Twitter @NPRLibrary and @NPRjobs, Facebook at This Is NPR, YouTube at NPR Life - as well as #NPRlife for 'behind the scenes' tweets from our colleagues.