Dates: April-May 2019

Location: Providence, RI

Compensation: $2,500-$4,500, based on experience and qualifications

Terms: Contract

The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (Public Lab) is a community--supported by a 501(c)(3) non-profit--which develops and applies open-source tools to environmental exploration and investigation. By democratizing inexpensive and accessible Do-It-Yourself techniques, Public Lab creates a collaborative network of practitioners who actively re-imagine the human relationship with the environment.

Position Summary

We are looking for a code fellow to work in our Providence office for a term of 6-8 weeks (depending on hours) at approximately 20 hours per week to assist in the upgrading and expansion of the MapKnitter website, which assists communities in creating maps of environmental issues using aerial photos. The fellowship position will be part of a team of 6+ developers from around the world.

MapKnitter.org is a Ruby on Rails website with:

• A Bootstrap interface
• The Leaflet JavaScript mapping library
• Open source code available at https://github.com/publiclab/mapknitter

Public Lab's open code community (https://code.publiclab.org) is a diverse, global group of contributors who are committed to respect and mutual support, and to code and community practices which support newcomers. Our goal is to develop and maintain software that supports environmental monitoring and online collaboration in the broader Public Lab community. Our Code of Conduct can be found at https://publiclab.org/conduct.

Responsibilities will include:

• Setup of a local development copy of the MapKnitter software
• Installing and testing gem upgrades from https://github.com/publiclab/mapknitter/labels/dependencies
• Helping to coordinate upgrades with project team members; cooperatively reading and reviewing code
• Identifying and listing UI issues related to MapKnitter upgrades as the project develops
• Assisting in Rails version upgrades
• Designing and building tests for MapKnitter's automated test suite

For context, see our overall project plan: https://github.com/publiclab/mapknitter/issues/300

Candidates should have experience with the following, although we can provide some support and training:

• HTML/CSS and JavaScript
• familiarity with Ruby on Rails
• git/Github workflow

We also ask that candidates have:

• The ability to balance multiple competing tasks and requests, and enjoyment from efficiently working toward goals and deadlines
• A desire for and fulfillment from working on a team, but also an ability to work independently on job tasks
• Incredible interpersonal skills, demonstrating great communication, kindness, respect, and patience within our collaborative work environment
• An enjoyment of problem solving and the ability to put this to use in areas where project operations could be improved
• Willingness to work remotely with some colleagues

Application process

Step 1: Please claim and complete one "first-timers-only" issue from the MapKnitter open source project: https://github.com/publiclab/mapknitter/labels/pvd. Our code welcoming program supports newcomers in making their first contribution, and you'll be compensated for your time with a $50 stipend upon completion. This compensation is only available for fellowship applicants from the Providence, RI area, and applicants will need to show that they have successfully installed the application on their computer.

Step 2: Upload your application materials to the following form by March 22. No phone calls please.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19co7ngHIRQzOhcmAfC-MONvozyNUg83TdHgYIpVbTvY/edit

Application materials:

• a paragraph describing your interest in the project
• an example of non-Public Lab Rails application work (your own project or a contribution towards a project) on GitHub or a similar site
• a link to your GitHub profile page or equivalent (GitLab, etc)
• a link to the completed first-timers-only issue from Step 1

Public Lab is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse, multicultural work environment. We encourage people with different ability sets, people of color, and people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities to apply.