Lead Web/Interface Designer

Don't be wooed by the big firms — come to a place where your talents are appreciated, your voice is heard, and your code has an impact. If you can answer the following 5 questions with an empathic "heck, yeah!" then please, send an email right now (well, actually, look through the job specs, then send that email).

  1. Does the Internet cower before your design & webdev prowess?
  2. Are you a huge fan of the Daily Show & Colbert Report?
  3. Is your hatred for cubicles exceeded only by your desire to make the web a better place?
  4. Do you love the Venture Brothers (or at least promise to watch an episode after we lend you the DVDs)?
  5. Would you like to, on occasion, go to fun conferences in far-off cities like Chicago, London, & New York?

If you've answered yes to the above, congratulations! You're our kind of UI & Web Design expert, and we can't wait to meet you.

Now, on to the serious parts...

The Gist of what we need

SEOmoz is looking for a web developer to work in that very-important middle ground between designer and developer. We're seeking someone who is comfortable taking sliced up work from a designer and wiring it up with our backend code provided by a developer. We're seeking someone who knows the aspects of web design (HTML, CSS & Javascript), but also feels comfortable writing and reading code such as PHP or Ruby at the presentation layer.

Requirements:

  • Ability to work at least 35 hours on site in our University District Offices
  • Ability to put in a bit of extra time nights/weekends (from anywhere) when crises arise (avg 40-50 hours per week total)
  • Can work independently with little direct supervision
  • Gel well with the 13 SEOmoz crew members
  • Maintain project timelines and meet all project deadlines
  • Willingness to tackle unfamiliar problems and take the time to discover "best practice" solutions

Not Required:

  • College degree
  • 10+ years of experience (seriously, the Internet has been around for 13 years total)
  • Suits or ties
  • Using Windows


Qualifications:

  • Strong understanding of solid UI principals and techniques
  • Demonstrated excellence in all things web design and development
  • Strong knowledge of HTML, xHTML, CSS & Javascript
  • Ability to read & write PHP and/or Ruby code, with strong knowledgeable of if/else, loops, objects & variables.
  • Understands MVC architecture like the back of their hand
  • Ability to hand code without the help of WYSIWYG editor (no Dreamweaver!)
  • Demonstrated history of skill advancement & strong desire to learn
  • Excellent communication skills, both written & verbal
  • Strong sense of usability & web design (i.e. you've memorized Don't Make Me Think)

Bonus Round:

(if you meet any or all of these, you're even more perfect than we imagined!)

  • Advanced knowledge of PHP or Ruby
  • Familiarity with CakePHP, Rails or other MVC frameworks
  • Experience/ability in writing complex regular expressions to scrape data
  • Apache/Linux server familiarity & maintainence (SysAdmin abilities)
  • Familiarity with RSS/XML standards
  • Web application testing and/or Subversion (SVN) experience (this is a huge plus)
  • Moderate to Advanced Flash or Actionscript skills
  • Experience building web-based tools & applications
  • Database design & optimization experience


Compensation

First Three Months (trial, contract period):

  • $4,100 per month (two paychecks) for the first 3 months
  • Paid as a contractor - you take care of your taxes
  • Optional health benefits - you can buy in for ~$200/month (price depends on all sorts of healthcare industry requirements)
  • Paid parking at our offices in the University District or bus pass
  • Awesome people to hang out with
  • Vacation and sick days TBD (as they arise)
  • Relocation packages available, depending on criteria

Full-time position (if we decide, and you agree, that SEOmoz is the place for you):

  • $65,000 annual after the 3 month trial period (+ benefits, etc.)
  • Paid as an employee (we take out and manage all your taxes)
  • Full health and dental benefits through Regence / Blue Shield (they're awesome)
  • Paid TV/Cable Internet at home (we need you knowledgeable on pop culture and the web, both)
  • Student loan repayment compensation options (TBD)
  • Paid parking or monthly bus pass
  • Even more awesome people to hang out with (we'll introduce you to Chuck who lives in the back closet and is totally cool, but doesn't come out much)
  • For conferences or other travel, all expenses are covered and a per diem for incidental expenditures provided
  • Ownership stake options (after 1 year)
  • Opportunities for raises (at least once per year)
  • 4-5 weeks paid vacation/sick days per annum
  • End of year cash bonuses (although, technically, they're in check format)

Good Luck

We know that applying for jobs can be tough, frustrating and even, on occasion, soul-crushingly depressing on occasion. We empathize, and we hope that your search leads you to something truly excellent.