Conservancy Seeks Systems Analyst / Software Architect for Six-Month Consulting Position

August 26, 2013

Based in Brooklyn, NY, USA, Software Freedom Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fiscal sponsor organization for Open Source and Free Software projects, offering a variety of services to these projects.

Conservancy recently raised funds to begin work on an Open Source and Free Software non-profit accounting system, specifically tuned to the needs of fiscal sponsors (but we seek to make the system useful to all non-profits eventually).

In the first phase of this project, Conservancy seeks the talent of an experienced systems analyst and software designer to complete a six-month contract project (with the possibility of extension).

In the first six months, the right candidate should be prepared to accomplish the following goals:

Coordinate with Conservancy in the authorship of clear use-cases (and tests cases, where applicable) related to non-profit accounting and fiscal sponsorship work.
Coordinate and discuss with the Open Source and Free Software community the plans for the project and assist in the management of relationships with a coalition of organizations interested in using the software.
Evaluate existing Open Source and Free Software account software codebases to determine their suitability, robustness, and adaptability for this project. Assist the organization in selecting the best possible codebase from all those available.
Assist in the drafting of a topologically-sorted series of discrete software development tasks that must be completed for the project to succeed, that can be assigned to independent developers and/or utilized as part of bounty and/or crowd-funding programs.

This opportunity will allow the right candidate to serve an instrumental role in the launching of an important Open Source and Free Software development project which has already been endorsed by many key Open Source and Free Software non-profit organizations.

Successful candidates will have a proven track record of software project management, design, and analysis experience, specifically in Open Source and Free Software. This is not an entry-level position: we need someone with substantial Free Software project experience and the ability to be productive immediately, working directly with the Conservancy's management team to complete this six-month effort within a very limited budget. Excellent (near-native-speaker level) reading, writing and speaking skills in English are a must.

This is a temporary, six-month, hourly contractor position for approximately 40 hours/week. Conservancy is open to considering the same candidate to continue on in the later phases of the project, following a full performance evaluation at the six-month mark.

Conservancy is located in Brooklyn, NY. Preference will be given to local candidates who can meet with us frequently at in-person meetings; however, Conservancy remains open to candidates worldwide who are prepared to work during US/Eastern business hours and have frequent phone calls and IRC discussions with staff.

Note that Conservancy is a non-profit charity and its hourly contract rates are not commensurate with similar positions in for-profit industry. Hourly rate is negotiable, but successful candidates must be prepared to accept a “low bono” rate to help a charity whose mission is to promote and improve Open Source and Free Software.

How to apply

Applications will be accepted by email only, sent to <software-contractor@sfconservancy.org>. Applications should consist of a cover letter, a resume or CV, and a publicly available portfolio of your work in Open Source and Free Software design and development. All materials must be submitted in plain text or PDF format (or, with regard to the portfolio, point us to websites that gracefully degrade without Javascript support). Applications that include documents in proprietary formats (for example, Microsoft Word .doc format) will be immediately rejected without consideration.

Applications must be received by 18:00 on Friday 13 September 2013, but please apply early, as interviews will be on a rolling basis. An immediate start date is preferred once the right candidate is found.