Lead Software Engineer (Fixed Project Contractor)

Remote

Role: Lead Software Engineer

Location: Remote 

Duration: Project-based contract preferred, estimated for a 10 week fixed term contract

Hours: Maximum of 40 hours/week

Statement of Purpose

The Wikimedia Foundation is looking for an experienced Software Engineer to support a project in the product department on a temporary basis for a period of 8-10 weeks. 

This role is an hourly paid position, with payments structured around pre-determined milestones to ensure clear expectations and progress tracking.

Scope of Work

The engineer will support our “New Engagement Experiments“ effort, reporting to product design management. You will collaborate with product design, communications, and other engineers – building and deploying software experiments that explore ways to invite more interaction and learning with Wikipedia content. The focus of this work will be a time limited ‘daily play’ web-based game, utilizing Wikipedia content.

Key responsibilities

  • Acting as a thought-partner on a small cross-functional team
  • Developing highly interactive experimental solutions for mobile web
  • Working independently with minimal engineering support
  • Using third-party and Wikimedia APIs
  • Staying informed about new technologies and platforms
  • Instrumenting components for monitoring and analysis
  • Recommending improvements to R&D infrastructure
  • Collaborating with design and engineering teams

The ideal candidate should have

  • 5-8+ years of professional software development experience
  • Experience with cross-functional teams and new product development
  • Ability to work in a self-driven, lean environment
  • Quick adaptability to new codebases and technologies
  • Experience integrating third-party API services
  • Mobile web  development skills, including frontend frameworks (Vue.js or React), as well as API development and integration.

Additional desired qualities include:

  • Strong belief in Wikimedia's principles of using technology ethically
  • Willingness to iterate quickly and pivot strategically
  • Background in mobile game development 
  • Clear communication skills in both synchronous and asynchronous channels
  • Cloud environment experience (preferred)
  • Open source contribution history (preferred)

Deliverables

Specific deliverables and timelines for these deliverables will be defined by the Project lead at the start of the contract. 

Outcome and Performance standards

This work will be overseen by a Design Manager, who will be responsible for reviewing the deliverables and ensuring they meet our standards.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. 

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization with staff members including contractors based 40+ countries*. Salaries at the Wikimedia Foundation are set in a way that is competitive, equitable, and consistent with our values and culture. The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is US$52/hour  to US$75/hour with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. We neither ask for nor take into consideration the salary history of applicants. The compensation for a successful applicant will be based on their skills, experience and location. 

*Please note that we are currently able to hire in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uruguay.  Our non-US employees are hired through a local third party Employer of Record (EOR). 

We periodically review this list to streamline to ensure alignment with our hiring requirements. 

All applicants can reach out to their recruiter to understand more about the specific pay range for their location during the interview process.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at recruiting@wikimedia.org or +1 (415) 839-6885.

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