Principal Developer / Engineering Lead (Remote, Part-time, Stipended) - ReliefWeb | New Day Jobs (Yangon, Myanmar)

NOTE: This role is remote. There is an on-site option if you are based in Berlin.

About Boxtribute

Boxtribute is an open-source, non-profit web application, which makes it easy for organisations to source, store and distribute donated goods to people in need in a fair and dignified way.

As a nonprofit (KVK number: 76346536 0000), we are committed to providing access to as many humanitarian actors who need our product as possible at the lowest possible cost, so that it is easier for these organizations to deliver on the great responsibility they bear. Boxtribute is already being used in 6 countries across Europe and the Middle East, including in the field in and . We have ambitious plans to grow to support 25+ operations next year.

Our team is a diverse group of volunteers brought together by a belief that we can and should make a positive impact in the world with the skills we have. Most of us have spent time working in refugee camps in Greece. If you haven’t, don’t worry, but it’s something we can definitely help connect you to if that’s an experience you’re interested in.

What will be my main responsibilities?

Boxtribute is starting a new pilot program with the aim to help people in need, such as refugees and long-term unemployed people, transition back into the workforce. We plan to do this by placing eligible graduates of nonprofit coding schools into a work-study program where they can learn how to work in a professional environment while continuing to refine their skills. We are looking for an experienced engineering lead who would act as both a technical mentor to program participants and the lead developer for the product.

This person would have the opportunity to participate in the co-designing the program, and eventually be responsible for establishing and upholding a culture of engineering excellence. They would have the active support of our Head of Product (Roanna) and Senior Advisor, Technology (James) for architecture decisions, and would be supported by both our Head of Product and the Head of Operations (Hans) for team onboarding and management.

In this context, some of the tasks you’ll be expected to manage include:

• Familiarizing yourself with the existing code base, using that knowledge to assist the team in sizing up the work then breaking it down into manageable chunks
• Engaging in product development conversations in order to come to good technical decisions, with a demonstrated ability to evaluate, understand and clearly articulate the impact of those decisions
• Establishing and upholding best practices of modern software development methodologies (Agile, TDD)
• Help the rest of the development team when they are blocked, and helping them learn independent problem solving skills.

Why work with us?

This is a great opportunity for an experienced software developer who wants both more flexibility in the schedule for family, personal growth, or health reasons to still apply their skills in making a positive contribution to the world.

Tech for Good: Use your valuable skills to contribute to a product that has real impact in a world of increasing humanitarian crises. We are

Open Source: We support organizations making an impact, but we never shut anyone out! Our software is fully open-source on Github.

Great people: We have experienced startup founders including an ex-Amazonian, who have decided to put the experience they’ve had building amazing products, running systems at scale, and operating in fast-paced, high growth environments to work in the humanitarian sector. We believe in making sure that we keep ourselves honest about what impact we’re having in the space, while also making sure that each person gets the growth and development they’re looking for.

Collaborative decision making: You will always know what you’re building, why, and how that makes a difference to the people on the ground. With many people on the board having either contributed directly to the first prototype, or having worked in technical teams for many years, you can be sure that your contributions will be treated with thoughtful consideration.

Career: Grow your experience working in distributed, multicultural teams.

How We Work

We are an international, all-remote team We deploy using a scaled approach. We rely on Slack, Trello, and regular calls to make things come together :)

Our technology stack

Our partners currently work off of our legacy PHP application. However, we have started the process of planning and building out a new progressive web app based on Python/Flask and ReactJS, which would eventually fully replace the PHP app. The technical design and build-out of this new app is the main initiative that your software development efforts would be contributing to.

We use modern continuous delivery methods, and try to use the best tools for the job, with an eye for the sustainability of our project and financial constraints.

• [New App] Python/Flask on the back-end, ReactJS on the front-end
• A GraphQL API powered by MySQL / Peewee ORM for the data layer
• Google App Engine and Cloud SQL to host for minimal operational overhead
• CircleCI for continuous integration
• Cypress for browser-based testing
• Sentry and Google Stackdriver for error monitoring & tracing
• GitHub, Trello and Slack for collaboration

About You

You’ll be motivated by our goal, and have some experience leading diverse engineering teams. Working with a volunteer engineering team will provide some unique challenges and hopefully some fresh perspectives! Hopefully you have:

• 5+ years experience in software development, including 18+ months of experience with ReactJS or other modern front-end capable of creating a progressive web app
• Prior experience in Python, preferably in data analysis and/or web development environments
• A successful track record of working with test-driven development (TDD) in an agile environment and shipping production-ready code at a high velocity;
• A solid understanding about how to tool code for maintainability and scale, while simultaneously being able to make intelligent trade-offs with time to market
• A strong knowledge of modern approaches to web application architecture, including API design and integration
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills;
• A demonstrated ability to coach and mentor while sustaining a positive relationship with junior team members
• High comfort level in working with a diverse, remote, and dynamic/fluctuating team

Bonus

• BSc. in Computer Science or a related field, or similar coursework and credentials
• Prior experience with Apollo GraphQL, PHP, relational database modeling
• Proficiency in API security frameworks, token management and user access control including OAuth, JWT, etc
• Familiarity with common web development tools like Docker and Github;
• Prior experience as a tech lead, or strong recommendations from the same
• Prior experience working or volunteering in the field on humanitarian aid and/or on the refugee and displaced persons crisis
• Prior experience working in a remote team

How much time do I need to commit?

We are looking for someone who can commit 20+ hours a week for at least 3 months, best case 6 months or longer. We will offer an initial stipend of up to €1000 / month, with an option to expand/increase depending on the state of our funding applications.