Web Developer
A LITTLE ABOUT US
Public Accountability Initiative (PAI) is a young nonprofit organization currently building a website called Little Sister, a structured wiki of information about powerful people and groups, and the relationships between them. We often describe it as an involuntary Facebook for powerful people.
We're looking for an experienced and fast-learning PHP developer for a full-time position in our tight and hardworking development team. In addition to technical competence, you will ideally understand the political analysis at the foundation of our project and its relevance to social action and community empowerment.
Pay is generous and commensurate with experience. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
A LITTLE ABOUT YOU
- Mastery of object-oriented programming in PHP 5
- Highly fluent in SQL and database normalization
- 1+ years experience using MVC frameworks
- Comfort using regular expressions
- Comfort using Linux all the time
- Discipline in documenting your work
- Ability to separate internet hype from substance
ALSO VERY HELPFUL
- Comfort using Subversion
- Experience using a Javascript framework such as Prototype, Dojo, or YUI
- Experience contributing to an open source software project
- Familiarity with RDF, OWL, and other semantic technologies
- A degree in Computer Science or a deep interest in issues of information and computation
- Some background in social justice work
- Strong electronic research skills
- Strong math skills
- Strong design sense
LOCATION
Strong preference will be given to developers located in the SF Bay Area, NYC, or Buffalo, though well-qualified applicants elsewhere will certainly be considered.
PLEASE APPLY
Send your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the project to jobs@littlesis.org. We're planning to fill the position by July 31, so act now.
MORE ABOUT LITTLE SISTER
At its core, Little Sister offers interlinked profiles of powerful people and organizations in the public and private sectors. Profiles detail a wealth of information vital to any investigation of the ways power and money guide the formulation of public policy, from board memberships to campaign contributions, old school ties to government contracts. Little Sister integrates and cross-references a wide range of data currently scattered across print and electronic resources that are disconnected and often difficult to find.
In the future, in addition to a rich catalog of profiles, Little Sister will provide users with sophisticated tools for searching, exploring, and analyzing the network of data at their disposal. Little Sister will allow users to map social networks, meticulously follow the money, and highlight relationships overlooked in breaking news stories.
Core data sets will be maintained by the site's developers, but most fields in Little Sister's database will be open to contribution and editing, while keeping the process of revision transparent and accountable. The overall breadth and detail of Little Sister's data will rely on an active and collaborative user community.
MORE ABOUT PAI
The Public Accountability Initiative (PAI), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is a nonpartisan research and educational organization focused on corporate and government accountability. Our mission is to facilitate and produce investigative research that supports strategic community action and empowers citizens to hold their leaders accountable.
PAI was formed in early 2008 by a group of academics, public interest lawyers, researchers, and web developers affiliated with leading universities and major social change organizations. In previous years, members of PAI's staff and board have collaborated on high-profile campaigns and generated original accountability research that has appeared on the front pages of the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and other major media outlets.