Technology Designer/Developer
Job Description
Chalkbeat, the growing nonprofit news organization telling the story of education in America, seeks a designer/developer to join the product team.
Chalkbeat’s product team is predominantly responsible for our technology — the CMS, chalkbeat.org, analytics, and visual storytelling. But we’re also responsible for providing support for editorial and revenue initiatives that require product thinking, such as newsletters, investigative projects, and membership. That support comes in many forms and degrees, from envisioning strategy to tactical execution. As the designer/developer, you’ll have the opportunity to work on both large-scale product design — like our website and newsletters — and help us find innovative ways to create engaging storytelling. You will have a high degree of autonomy and trust in your expertise. This position will report to the Director of Product.
Who are you?
- You have a proven track record of solving complex design challenges, and have an online portfolio to demonstrate your experience with real work examples.
- You value user experience and have strong communication skills, deftly connecting design decisions to the organization’s goals.
- You are highly organized and enthusiastic about building systems that are easy to scale and adapt to new features.
- You are curious, seeking out new ideas and skills to continuously inform your work.
- You are passionate about supporting a new journalism model and contributing to sustainable local news coverage with a focus on education.
What background and skills do you have?
- A solid foundation in design thinking, user experience principles, and UI design
- A background in visual design with an appreciation for the finer arts of typography, layouts, and spacing
- 4+ years work experience, ideally in web design, UX/UI design, or frontend development
- Fluency in HTML and modern CSS (including SCSS/SASS), and a working knowledge of modern JavaScript
- An understanding of accessibility requirements and best practices
- Experience or interest working remotely or with remote team members
We don’t expect you to check all of these boxes, and we also know you’ll bring interesting skills and experiences that we haven’t thought of. Whether you identify as a designer or a developer — or both — we want to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
This position is remote and reports to a manager in Austin, Texas. If you prefer to work in an office, you’re welcome to join us in one of Chalkbeat’s bureaus in Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Memphis, or New York City.
This is a full-time position with benefits. Chalkbeat offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, and a generous benefits package, including a paid winter recess from December 26-31.
About Chalkbeat
Chalkbeat is the nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. We are mission-driven journalists who believe that an independent local press is vital to ensuring that education improves. Currently in seven locations and growing, we seek to provide deep local coverage of education policy and practice that informs decisions and actions, leading to better schools. Read more about our mission and values.
