Wanted: Web services consultant

by Alexandra Samuel – January 1, 2007 - 6:02pm

Social Signal is offering an unusual opportunity to come in on the ground floor of a business with the experience, reputation and credentials to go sky-high. If your enthusiasm for technology is matched only by your passion for social change, you'll find that the joy of working with kindred spirits can be matched by the thrill of helping communities use the Internet in ways they never imagined.

WHO WE ARE: Social Signal puts the web to work for social change, helping organizations turn online communities into a powerful force for progress. We have extensive experience in the non-profit, public and private sectors, and a large network of local, national and international colleagues and clients that you'll be working with on a regular basis. While you expand your professional network and skills, we also hope you'll enjoy being part of our personal network of technology leaders and community advocates in Vancouver and abroad.

WHO WE NEED: We're looking for a progressive, tech-friendly person whose passion for social change is matched only by a fascination with technology. This sixth member of our team will have a hands-on role in developing and implementing online community projects for our diverse range of clients. We don’t need a programmer, but we do need someone who enjoys working with computers and is a quick learner. We can help you learn the tech skills you need for the job; you need to come equipped with your own communications savvy, political smarts, and love of new tech challenges.

WHAT YOU'LL DO: You'll work closely with our team of strategists to develop and implement innovative online communities. You’ll work with a lead strategist to develop community plans that support a client’s mission or brand, and then you’ll assume primary responsibility for implementation. You’ll configure web sites and blogs using content management systems and blogging software; you’ll also create site documentation and assist in training and supporting site users. You’ll liaise with our visual design and custom programming partners to ensure that their work is completed on time and to specifications. Whether you’re setting up a blog commenting system or creating a page for a new community contest, you’ll draw on your tech skills, communications instincts and political smarts to ensure that every implementation decision supports the site’s core mission and is successfully executed.

Specific responsibilities include:

• configuring and troubleshooting web sites for socially-oriented online communities (you don't need to be a programmer or web designer, but you do need to enjoy learning new software programs or web tools)
• advising on site strategy and design as part of a development team
• researching, writing and/or copy editing blog posts and online community contentwriting how-to guides to help community members use advanced online tools with ease and confidence
• identifying and exploring new web sites, tools and strategies

WHO YOU ARE: You enjoy working with technology, and want your work to have social value. You like knowing that the work you've done each day has made a real difference – to your colleagues, your clients, and the world. If you’ve got a free evening you’re torn between spending it online checking out a new site you’ve heard about, or heading out to meet your friends at a community gathering or demonstration.

You're passionate about social change, and your community or activist history shows it. Maybe you're not a programmer, but you're as psyched as we are about the web's ability to make that change happen: your idea of excitement is mastering a great new online task management tool, discovering a smart progressive web site or writing a particularly sharp blog post.

This is a full-time entry-level position. Maybe you haven’t worked in technology before – or maybe you’ve been working in technology, but kept your day job separate from your political or community commitments. This job is your chance to bring it all together.

If you like nothing more than learning how to use a new piece of software –- except maybe learning the nuances of a complex social issue; if you see your computer as your voice in the world – the way you can communicate your views with a pithy blog post or clever video; if you think it sounds fun to spend a whole day geeking out on your computer –-as long as your work has a social impact; if you’re the tech troubleshooter to all your friends – the one who keeps their political and artistic projects up and running online – then we want to hear from you.

HOW TO APPLY: Please e-mail a résumé, cover letter and salary expectations to hiring [at] socialsignal [dot] com. Tell us why you’d like to work for Social Signal, and please describe your relevant skills and professional or volunteer experiences. We want to hear about your community, advocacy or public service experiences as much as about your work experience and technology skills. We're particularly interested in hearing about your:

Skills:

• tech skills (Mac/Windows/Linux, software programs you know, web tools you use)
• solid writing and communication skills
• personal organization and time management

Experience:

• technology work (paid or volunteer) for community organizations, socially-oriented businesses, or government agencies
• projects where you have developed or managed a web site or blog
• professional or personal projects that have required you to learn a new software tool or technical skill
• situations where you’ve resolved a technology challenge
• situations where you’ve been the primary tech support for colleagues or friends
• writing for work or fun, on a regular basis, possibly on a blog
• volunteer work for community organizations or causes
• situations where you've worked independently with minimal supervision
• situations where you've gone the extra mile to get the job done

Interests:

• commmunity groups, projects or issues you're involved in
• web sites you like or web tools you're excited about

Bonus points for:

• having your own blog
• demonstrated knowledge of Drupal, WordPress, PHP, HTML or CSS
• knowledge of one or more scripting or programming languages
• a personal take on the relative virtues of open source and proprietary software

Compensation will be commensurate with skills and experience. Please note that this is an entry-level position.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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