NowPublic careers

• Deputy News Director

  NowPublic.com has an immediate need for a highly motivated Deputy News Director. The successful candidate will report to the News Director in a full-time position based in downtown Vancouver, BC providing support to the editorial team worldwide.

  Under the supervision of the News Director and the Chief Marketing Officer, and working with NowPublic’s team of Regional Editors and the Contributor Relations team, the Deputy News Director has a significant role in helping to shape the Company’s image and future.
  Major responsibilities of the Deputy News Director position are:

  • Initiating and managing changes and additions to site editorial strategy, content and workflow, as well as editorial procedures.
  • Assist in management of existing staffing structures and individual roles and responsibilities within the content team. Assessing areas of duplication and identification of editorial functions that are not presently fulfilled.
  • Assist in implementation of a strategic community and content direction that results in a high level of user engagement as evidenced by a growing number of unique visitors, page views and time spent on the site.
  • Ensuring that site editorial and community features stay aligned with immediate consumer needs and scientific evidence and trends.
  • Working actively within a team of editors, writers, and community professionals; Being aware of developing, breaking, and continuing news stories that are appropriate for posting on NowPublic.com.
  • Forging strong collaborative relationships with and recruiting potential and existing citizen and mobile journalists. Building a network of contributors who will provide excellent news coverage for local readers of nowPublic.com
  • Gathering news dispatches from commercial and non-professional sources
  • Monitoring locally-based social networks and identifying potential news stories
  • Identifying future events and designing news campaigns around them.
  • Staying alert for technological and societal changes which may have an impact on the viability and success of NowPublic.com
  • Performing all reasonable tasks assigned to you by the News Director with efficiency, timelines, and creativity

  Anticipated compensation package includes:

  * Commensuratewith experience

  * Eligible for NowPublic stock option program

  * Eligible for NowPublic bonus program

  please contact jobs*at*nowpublic.com with your resume and a quick summary of your experience with NowPublic (brand new, existing and past members all welcome!)

  June 12th, 2008 · No comments
• Senior Developer / Lead Architect

  Description:
  Senior developers are responsible for participating in the design, development, implementation, testing, quality assurance, and maintenance of all layers and aspects of our products and systems. This position has significant hands-on coding responsibilities, as well as leadership responsibilities, and requires a strong background in computer science and web development with knowledge of the full software development life cycle.

  Responsibilities:
  . Help collaborate on and develop comprehensive functional specifications and work estimates based on these specifications.
  . Work with the development and product teams to design, develop and test applications according to specifications.
  . Contribute creative ideas to the product development pipeline.
  . Assist system administration team in the installation and implementation of servers and in systems planning, monitoring, and support.
  . Support and troubleshoot systems as required, optimizing performance, resolving production problems, and providing timely status updates.
  . Help develop and maintain coding standards and best practices, and provide suggestions for application and process improvement.
  . Help build a strong and effective development group and mentor development resources by setting the example for all development resources to follow and by performing code reviews to ensure best practices are met, coding standards are followed, and that the teams’ code is efficient and clean.
  . Use the NowPublic web site, tools, and systems on a regular basis, contributing to the community and providing feedback on the workflow and processes.

  Experience:
  . This position requires strong problem-solving skills and a strong working knowledge of web technologies, preferably web 2.0-type applications.
  . Experience building highly scalable / performance optimized code a strong plus.
  . We are looking to build a team with complementary skills, so you need not be an expert in all web technologies, but you must know PHP cold have experience with some of the following: Drupal, JavaScript, AJAX, SQL (we use Postgres), HTML / XHTML / DHTML, CSS, FireFox extensions, Explorer plug-ins, SVN, Linux, Perl, Flash/ActionScript, Flash Light/Mobile, C/C++, Java

  Anticipated compensation package includes:

  • Comensurate with experience

  • Eligible for NowPublic stock option program

  • Eligible for NowPublic bonus program.

  March 7th, 2008 · No comments
• VP Operations/Director of Finance

  The Challenge:

  To efficiently and effectively manage the operations and financial processes of a rapidly growing company in IT start up world.  Working in conjunction with, and as an integral member of a dynamic management team, you will bring an entrepreneurial and practical approach, understanding the inter-dependence of each business unit/department.

  The VP Operations/Director of Finance is responsible for the management and supervision of the operational, HR and accounting processes, preparation of month end financial statements and working paper files, analysis of financial results, management reporting, budgeting and forecasting, and liaison with external auditors. This role reports directly to the CEO.

  Key Activities:

  ·        In conjunction with the CEO, participate in development of the strategic vision of the company.
  ·        Prepare reports and develop business practice promoting company growth and development, including financial analyses, operational systems review and staffing recommendations.
  ·        Plan and ensure optimum use of resources, and administer and monitor use against budget.
  ·        Develop strong internal financial controls
  ·        Oversee monthly reporting and analyses of operations, financial performance, and commissions process, ensuring accuracy
  ·        Monitor the operational effectiveness of all departments to resolve physical, technical and operational challenges as they arise.
  ·        In collaboration with department management, monitor and direct recruitment, selection, motivation, training, assessment, discipline and retention of staff.
  ·        Provide leadership and actively foster a consistent and a positive work environment

  Our expectation is that your background will include the following:

  ·        A minimum of 8 to 10 years in a progressively complex management role with demonstrated success in financial roles and the ability to analyze business issues, while offering strategic solutions. 5+ years in a senior role.
  ·        Post- secondary education in a relevant business discipline, preferably an accounting designation (CA, CMA, CGA).
  ·        Exceptional and effective communications skills (oral and written) with an entrepreneurial approach.

  ** As the Vice President of Operations/Director of Finance, this position contributes to the company’s growth strategy by participating in all financial aspects of the company. Experience in internet start-ups is a big advantage.

  February 27th, 2008 · No comments
• Internships Available

  Internship in Community Relations and Content Support

  We are looking for talented individuals with interest in news media, marketing and business communications to engage with NowPublic contributors and locate newsworthy multimedia content for the site.

  Key responsibilities:
  - Recruit citizen and mobile journalists on the web for NowPublic.com
  - Source multimedia footage for use on NowPublic.com
  - Work on breaking and continuing news stories
  - Build a network of contributors to provide first-rate news coverage

  The ideal candidate will have:
  - Good written and oral communication skills
  - An eye for newsworthy photos and video
  - An understanding of online technologies
  - Marketing or business communications background
  - A pro-active and flexible approach

  For dates and schedules or for more information, please contact nbillard*at*nowpublic.com with your internship goals, educational background and any history you have with news, social media, web 2.0 or internet start-up.

  This is an ongoing opportunity.

  February 26th, 2008 · No comments
• Intermediate Designer

  NowPublic.com is currently looking for an intermediate designer to work on user interface design and the development of collateral elements that create the public face of NowPublic.com. Your primary responsibility will be to work under the guidance of the Design Director and Product Development team to create comps and navigation elements for nowpublic.com.
  We are looking to build a team of enthusiastic people comfortable working in the exciting environment of a start up company. We are looking for people with complementary skills, and backgrounds. The successful applicant need not be an expert in newsgathering per say, but a sincere interest in the role of the media and social networks in our culture is essential.
  As an Intermediate Designer, you will be provided the opportunity to participate in the design, development, implementation, testing, quality assurance, and maintenance of all aspects of the user interface experience of the NowPublic site. This position has significant hands-on design responsibilities, and requires a strong understanding of both technical and creative aspects of print and web design.

  This is a full-time position located in Vancouver, Canada. To apply please send your resume, references, and samples of your work by Noon (PST) Friday February 22, 2008 to nbillard@nowpublic.com

  Responsibilities:
  - Work under the guidance of the Design Director and Product Development team to create comps, technical specifications and navigation elements for NowPublic website.
  - Contribute creative ideas to the process of interface development based on knowledge of the current state of web 2.0 approaches to creating platforms for user-generated content.
  - Work with the marketing teams to design, develop and produce collateral corporate materials such as presentations and corporate identity elements.
  - Help develop and maintain the corporate design guidelines practices, and provide suggestions for application and process improvement.
  - Help develop and maintain content management standards and best practices, and provide suggestions for application and process improvement.
  - Use the NowPublic web site, tools, and systems on a regular basis, contributing to the community and providing feedback on the workflow and processes.
  - Other duties as assigned.

  Experience:
  - This position requires strong problem-solving skills and a strong working knowledge of graphic design technologies, in particular the Adobe CS+ Suite of applications.
  - Understanding of the constraints and opportunities of Web 2.0 Design Languages. High level knowledge of HTML and CSS a must, Java Script, or Ajax a plus.
  - Familiarity with current social networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube is essential.
  - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, fluency in English a must.
  - Exceptional creative problem solving and analysis capabilities, pixel-perfect attention to detail.
  - Ability to work under tight schedules across multiple projects simultaneously.
  - A sincere interest in the role of the media in our culture and creating a platform for collaborative content is required.

  
  Anticipated compensation package includes:
  - Salary commensurate with experience + benefits
  - Eligible for NowPublic stock option program
  - Eligible for NowPublic bonus program.

  February 14th, 2008 · No comments
• User Interface Engineer / Front End Developer

  NowPublic.com is currently looking for a talented and experienced User Interface Engineer to lead our front end development. The User Interface Engineer will be involved in all phases of UI development from requirement analysis through design, development, testing, final delivery and maintenance. You will interact with the entire team from Product Managers to Designers and Developers, as well as End Users to provide ongoing improvements to the user experience, performance, and maintainability of the site.
  You are responsible for translating visual designs into standards-compliant web pages using the latest front web technologies and integrating these components with our Drupal based platform. You will be relied upon as the guru or ‘go to’ person for all things front end, so this position requires mastery of rich internet application development techniques, and the desire to evangelize best practices to our team of software engineers.
  This is a technical / development role, but you need to possess a keen eye for IA, design, and usability. You need to be a strong conceptual thinker and creative problem solver who understands and can articulate what makes sites successful along with the skills and a self-starter attitude that will enable you to hit the ground running and start contributing right away.

  This is a full-time position reporting to the Director of Development. To apply please send your resume, references, and samples of your work to uidev@nowpublic.com.
  Responsibilities

  • Transform mockups (comps) into hand coded accessible and standards-compliant templates that display correctly in all modern browsers.
  •  Integrate your templates with our Drupal 5 based platform.
  • Quality Assurance and Testing.
  •  Help develop and maintain coding standards and best practices, and provide suggestions for application and process improvement.
  •  Use the NowPublic web site, tools, and systems, contributing to the community and providing feedback on the workflow and processes.
  •  Other duties as assigned.

  Experience

  • Extensive experience with the following technologies: CSS, advanced JavaScript, JQuery, etc. all the Web 2.0 design techniques and Search Engine Optimization.
  • Deep understanding of browsers, platforms, compatibility, accessibility, and usability issues.
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge of PHP and MySQL
  • Experience using tools like firebug and yslow
  • Knowledge of the latest web trends, particularly concerning communities, social networks, and personal publishing.
  • Exceptional creative problem solving and analysis capabilities, pixel perfect attention to detail.
  • Ability to work under tight schedules across multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  Compensation:
  Anticipated compensation package includes:

  • Salary commensurate with experience + benefits
  • Eligible for NowPublic stock option program
  • Eligible for NowPublic bonus program

  February 4th, 2008 · No comments
• Developer

  Job Description
  As a Developer you will also be responsible for participating in the design, development, implementation, testing, quality assurance, and maintenance of all layers and aspects of our products and systems. This position has significant hands-on coding responsibilities, as well as leadership responsibilities, and requires a strong background in computer science and web development with knowledge of the full software development life cycle.

  This is a full-time position reporting to the Director of Development. To apply please send your resume, references, and samples of your work to devjobs@nowpublic.com
  Responsibilities

  1. Help collaborate on and develop comprehensive functional specifications and work estimates.
  2. Work with the development and product teams to design, develop and test applications.
  3. Support and troubleshoot systems as required, optimizing performance, resolving production problems, and providing timely status updates.
  4. Help develop and maintain coding standards and best practices, and provide suggestions for application and process improvement.
  5. Help build a strong and effective development group and mentor development resources.
  6. Use the NowPublic web site, tools, and systems, contributing to the community and providing feedback on the workflow and processes.
  7. Other duties as assigned.

  Experience

  1. Experience building highly scalable (performance optimized) code.
  2. Extensive experience with the following technologies: PHP, SQL.
  3. Intermediate to advanced experience with the following technologies: CSS, JavaScript, JQuery.
  4. Knowledge of the latest web trends, particularly concerning communities, social networks, and personal publishing.
  5. Exceptional creative problem solving and analysis capabilities, pixel perfect attention to detail.
  6. Ability to work under tight schedules across multiple projects simultaneously.
  7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  Compensation
  Anticipated compensation package includes:
  -Salary commensurate with experience + benefits
  -Eligible for NowPublic stock option program
  -Eligible for NowPublic bonus program.

  February 4th, 2008 · No comments
• Regional Editors - US, Australia, China, India, South Africa and the UK

  NowPublic is seeking editors based in the following countries to establish and develop news coverage of their respective geographic regions:
  USA (based in the Eastern Region), Australia, China, India, South Africa and the UK.

  We are recruiting talent and energy to develop interesting and innovative story ideas for each country and region. You will engage existing and potential contributors to NowPublic in the following ways:

  Key responsibilities:
  - Identify and develop regionally-focused news stories for NowPublic.com
  - Build a network of citizen and mobile journalists in the region who will provide first-rate coverage of breaking and continuing news stories
  - Source multimedia footage for use on NowPublic.com
  - Identify future events and design news campaigns around them
  - Liaise with external partners and act as a regional ambassador for NowPublic

  The ideal candidate should have:
  - In-depth knowledge of the country and wider region, and newsworthy issues
  - A strong network of local and regional contacts
  - A firm understanding of new media, online communities and Web 2.0 technologies
  - Two years’ journalistic or writing experience
  - High-level of written and spoken English
  - Good inter-personal and communication skills
  - A pro-active and flexible approach
  - Computer and high-speed internet connection

  Compensation: Based upon experience and location. Please respond with salary expectations, understanding that these are full-time contract positions. Telecommuting will be necessary.

  Applications: due by February 25th, 2008, with subject title ‘Regional Editor’, including your resume and samples of your work. Please send by e-mail to: nbillard@nowpublic.com

  We look forward to hearing from you!

  January 22nd, 2008 · No comments
• Sports Editor

  NowPublic is seeking an editor to run its Sports news channel.

  We are recruiting talent and energy to develop interesting and innovative story ideas for international Sports news coverage. You will engage existing and potential contributors to NowPublic in the following ways:

  Key responsibilities:
  - Identify and develop Sports news stories for NowPublic.com
  - Build a network of citizen and mobile journalists on the web and around the world who will provide first-rate Sports news coverage
  - Source multimedia footage for use on NowPublic stories
  - Identify future sporting events and design news campaigns around them
  - Liaise with external partners and act as an ambassador for NowPublic

  The ideal candidate should have:
  - In-depth knowledge of a wide range of sports
  - A strong network of contacts in the sporting arena
  - Two years’ journalistic or writing experience
  - A firm understanding of new media, online communities and Web 2.0 technologies
  - Excellent inter-personal and communication skills
  - A pro-active and flexible approach

  Compensation: Based upon experience and location. Please respond with salary expectations, understanding that this is a full-time position.

  Location: The successful candidate will ideally be based in NowPublic’s Vancouver, Canada offices, but this is open to negotiation.

  Applications: due by February 1st, 2008, with subject title ‘Sports Editor’, including your resume and samples of your work. Please send by e-mail to: nbillard@nowpublic.com

  We look forward to hearing from you!

  January 21st, 2008 · No comments
• Community Relations and Content Specialist

  NowPublic is seeking a community relations and content specialist to join its Vancouver team.

  We are recruiting a talented individual to engage with existing and potential contributors to NowPublic.com. You will also develop interesting and innovative news story ideas for the site.

  Key responsibilities:
  - Identify and recruit citizen and mobile journalists on the web for NowPublic.com
  - Build a network of contributors to provide first-rate news coverage
  - Source multimedia footage for use on NowPublic.com
  - Develop breaking and continuing news stories
  - Identify future events and design news campaigns around them

  The ideal candidate will have:
  - A flair for writing
  - An eye for engaging news stories
  - A firm understanding of new media, online communities and Web 2.0 technologies
  - Excellent inter-personal and communication skills
  - A pro-active and flexible approach

  Compensation: This is a full-time position; salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Please forward your salary expectations with your resume.

  Location: The successful candidate will be based in NowPublic’s Vancouver, British Columbia offices.

  Applications: due by February 1st, 2008, with subject title ‘Community and Content’, including your resume and samples of your work. Please send by e-mail to: nbillard@nowpublic.com

  We look forward to hearing from you!

  January 21st, 2008 · No comments