The Company
Diaspora Global (DG) is an eCommerce and eMarketing startup. DG is dedicated to serving the needs of Kenyans in the diaspora and providing a marketing channel for local vendors targeting the diaspora.
The Position
The web developer will be responsible for continuous development and enhancement of DG’s existing website and development of other websites for the Diaspora Group of companies. In addition, they will be responsible for training and leading a team of web development interns in creating custom web solutions for DG clients. They will be expected to develop complex systems within short time spans, occasionally overnight if dictated by business needs, hence requiring excellent skills and ability to put in whatever hours necessary to get the work done and done very well. They will be involved in full life cycle development process and interface with clients, gather requirements, coding and development, support and maintenance. This position is so critical to the success of Diaspora Global that in addition to typical remuneration, we will offer the successful candidate an equity stake in Company.
The Person
Because we are a start up company, the ideal person for this position will need much more than being a good developer. The person needs to be entrepreneurial and have a burning desire to be part of building something unique. If you are comfortable working in a developer team of a large bureaucratic or established company, this position is not for you. You must be able to withstand pressure and respond quickly to ad hoc business needs. The ideal person for this position is someone who has a natural urge to stay on a problem or a development challenge, day in day out, until it is satisfactorily resolved and gets a thrill out of creating solutions and making things work. Capacity to working long hours and turning around projects quickly is critical. As a start-up company, we have a lot of applications and products to develop, necessitating very long working hours over the next 6 to 9 months. The average team member is putting in a 70 hour work week. Honestly, do not even consider applying if you are not prepared to spend a significant amount of your time over the next 6 to 9 months working with a small team to develop cutting edge solutions. The ideal person for this position is not someone looking for just a job; it is someone looking for a highly rewarding challenge. 9am to 5pm schedule workers need not apply.
Required skills/abilities
- Bachelors degree/Diploma in Computer Science or computer related with bias to web technology
- Minimum 2 years experience in an active development environment using PHP
- Solid LAMP (Linux,Apache, MySQL, PHP) skills
- HTML, JavaScript (with libraries such as jQuery, YUI, Prototype), CSS, Ajax
- Object Oriented Programming skills
- Excellent aptitude and strong passion for IT and web technology
- Strong back end development skills
- Sharp, driven, entrepreneurial, strong communication skills
- Ability to train interns
Desired skills(added advantage):
- Linux administration
- PHP5 Frameworks (eg Zend, Zoop, Cake)
- Advanced OOP skills
- User interface development, graphics
- Alternative technologies (eg ASP.NET, SQL Server)
- Version Control Systems
- Content Management Systems (e.g. Joomla, Drupal, Django)
- Ability to lead a development team
- Knowledge of designing and managing web development projects
Past work
In order to qualify, candidates must give urls of at least 2 websites that are currently hosted which they either developed fully or worked on, providing sufficient proof.
Selection Process
The selection process will involve a theory and practical test. This will test general aptitude, knowledge of computing and web development principles and problem solving skills. Submitting real working URLs of your past work will play a big role in the selection.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must submit the following:
- Completed application form:Download the application form here. The application form is a Word document that you need to print and fill out or complete a soft copy.
- Updated CV/resume: Resume must show your academic qualifications and results. It is not enough to say KCSE or Bachelor's degree. Level of pass for these is required and proof will be needed at the interview.
- Cover letter
Once you complete the application, email it to web@diasporaglobal.com (the subject of your email must contain the phrase ‘PHP Web Developer’ otherwise the system will not route it correctly). If you have any questions please call 0711570051. Note that your application cannot be considered without returning a completed application form.
All applications should be submitted by Friday November 6, 2009. Shortlisted candidates should be prepared for interviews on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th November 2009.
