Attention Talented Ruby on Rails Coders,
My new client is an exciting startup in the SF Bay area which has just closed on VC funding and is actively seeking to hire a hands-on CTO and several senior-level RoR coders with 3+ years of experience. They are a web and mobile platform solution allowing artists to sell digital content directly to the consumer. They have already established multiple well-known music celebrities as members and are rapidly acquiring more. The position offers competitive salary, benefits, and pre-IPO stock options.
The preference is for people to work onsite -- not telecommuters or remote workers. Also, contractors are not being sought unless they are willing to work in a full-time role. These guidelines may change over time, as well.
**Specific experience with streaming digital content is a definite plus.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
The CTO will lead the successful execution of the company’s business mission through development, deployment and expansion of mobile and web presence, requiring envisioning company services as a mobile web business, leading implementation of web and mobile applications and planning for risk and growth.
Responsibilities Strategy & Planning
• Identify opportunities and risks for delivering company’s services as a mobile web-based business, including identification of competitive services, opportunities for innovation, and assessment of marketplace obstacles and technical hurdles.
• Identify relevant technology trends and evolving social behavior
• Evaluate and identify appropriate technology platforms (web application frameworks and deployment stack)
• Identify, prioritize development initiatives and set timetable for evaluation, development, and deployment of all mobile web-based services.
• Establish governance processes to ensure objectives are achieved, risks managed appropriately and resources used responsibly.
• Assess and recommend technologies supporting company’s organizational needs.
• Establish governance process meeting government, partner, and company
expectations for customer information privacy.
• Communicate company’s technology strategy to investors, management, staff,
partners, customers, and stakeholders.
• Provide executive coaching to CEO to assist with strategic direction, support and operation of the company and assist with fund-raising.
Implementation & Deployment
• Participate in creating a profile and uploading creative content as a part of the company community.
• Participate in selection and registration of company’s web site domain names, including any related-but-unused domains (competition, typo-squatting, etc.).
• Establish email service for company (in absence of a system administrator).
• Select and set up a software revision control system and repository and web-based internal communications systems, such as a wiki, blog, Chat room, project management, and bug-tracking systems (in absence of a system administrator).
• Collaborate with founders and customers to develop user stories and specifications that describe implementation of the Company’s services as a web application.
• Collaborate with User Experience Designer, et al, to prepare prototype of mobile web application.
• Participate in selection of graphic designer who will create the company corporate identity and design the web application’s look and feel.
• Select and manage staff or vendors who design web pages using CSS and XHTML conforming to web standards.
• Select or define Company’s software development methodology.
• Review and establish current best practices for selected mobile web framework and
initial architecture for application of any additional mobile extensions of the product.
• Establish, supervise, and set goals for software development process and methodology.
• Conduct code reviews and conformance testing
• Establish and supervise a quality assurance process, including integration and system testing.
• Select, deploy, and monitor performance profiling tools and procedures.
• Review, approve and manage development release process.
• Monitor and review any application performance failures in staging or production.
• Establish and monitor Analytics to measure site traffic and usage from business perspective.
• Support marketing process by implementing technical requirements for Internet marketing and search engine optimization.
• Establish customer service and support, with particular responsibility for web-based services and establish a process to integrate customer service and support software engineering.
Operational Management
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology standards, industry trends, emerging technologies, and software development best practices (conferences, peers’ blogs, etc).
• Define and communicate company values and standards for acquiring or developing systems, equipment, or software.
• Ensure maintenance of technology standards and best practices.
• Share knowledge, mentor, and educate company’s investors, management, staff, partners, customers, and stakeholders with regard to technological vision, opportunities, and challenges.
• Ensure company technical problems are resolved in a timely and cost- effective manner.
• Develop, track, and control annual operating and capital budgets for purchasing, staffing, and operations.
• Supervise recruitment, training, retention, and organization of all development staff
• Establish standards of performance and monitor conformance for staff (through performance review) and vendors (through service level agreements).
• Promote company’s goals by developing policies for sharing software code, technological innovation, business processes, and other IP.
• Contribute to open source software development, standardization of technologies, and best practices by collaborating with peers outside company, releasing code, presenting at conferences, and writing for publication (online or offline).
Position Requirements:
Formal Education & Certification
• University degree in the field of computer science, or equivalent. An advanced degree is a plus.
Knowledge & Experience (“Must Haves”)
• At least 8 years’ experience managing web application development.
• At least 5 years’ experience with startup companies.
• Demonstrated ability to envision web-based services that meet consumer needs and/or solve business problems.
• Hands-on experience coding in more than one currently popular web application framework.
• Familiarity with more than one software development methodology.
• Ability to discern user requirements and develop specifications.
• Has contributed to one or more open source projects.
• Skill with CSS, XHTML, one or more Javascript frameworks, MySQL, Ruby on Rails (RoR) and AJAX.
• Familiar with Cloud based hosting and servers.
• Knowledge of web standards.
• Experience with UNIX system administration and web server configuration.
• Knowledge of Internet protocols and RFC standards, database
management systems, and revision control systems.
• Familiarity with technical requirements of Internet marketing and search engine optimization.
• Familiarity with information security vulnerabilities and risk management.
• Familiarity with consumer privacy and payments industry compliance requirements.
• Exposure to business theory, business process development, governance processes, management, budgeting, and administrative operations.
#2) Multiple Positions for Senior RoR Coders with 3+ years of experience:
Responsibilities:
• Design, develop and support the code and architecture that power several APIs for Company's development of new Ruby on Rails Apps to support the growth and
development of expansion.
• Developer considers themselves a full stack developer and is able to take on projects that include back end development, infrastructure setup & configuration, and front end development.
Requires Experience with:
• Javascript, Linux, Rails 3.0.10, MySQL
• Content streaming servers such as Wowza and have worked or at least have experience with cloud based server/hosting
• Ability to work with Designers to place design elements with mobile platforms
IF you are interested in these opportunities, please send a resume with cover letter explaining why you are a good fit, and for which position. Referrals, suggestions and unrelated resume submissions are always welcomed.
Best Regards,
Nicholas Meyler
GM/President, Technology
Wingate Dunross, Inc.
ph (818)597-3200 ext. 211
nickm@wdsearch.com