POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Ethoinformatics development team is seeking a user interface expert to help develop a data collection app capable of running on a variety of platforms and devices. The app will be built in PhoneGap and deployed on iOS and Adroid platforms on a variety of mobile hardware. The application will be used by animal behavior researchers working in often rigorous and remote field conditions. This is a part-time, freelance contract position at competitive rates for an initial period of approximately 8 months.
We are a group of creative technologists and scientists, and are interested in expanding the possibilities for interfaces for mobile data collection applications. Ability to experiment, generate ideas, and quickly prototype is essential.
ABOUT US
We are a team of researchers based at universities in Austin, New York, and St. Louis, combining expertise in wildlife biology and physical computing. Ethoinformatics is the application of “next-generation” data collection and analysis techniques in animal behavior and ecology research. In these disciplines, comparative work is hindered by a lack of standardization and transparency in data collection and management practices across research groups and by a lack of useful tools to aid data collection in the field. The Ethoinformatics project (ethoinformatics.org) aims to address these challenges in part by developing new software for the collection, management, migration, and long-term archiving of data using modern web interface and data collection protocols.
QUALIFICATIONS
Must be fluent in client-side JavaScript, CSS, HTML5. PhoneGap experience is preferred, but Javascript expertise and the ability to learn quickly is more important. Familiarity with HTML5 Canvas and Javascript libraries such as D3.js, paper.js is a plus. The ideal applicant would be comfortable interfacing with databases — we are using PostgreSQL/PostGIS and CouchDB.
Related experience in building any of the following would be useful: data gathering for census, survey collection, in-the-field data collection. Also relevant: mobile gaming and interactive apps in HTML5 Canvas, storage/analysis of GIS data and linkage of geospatial databases to other open source software.
Interest in and familiarity with animal behavior/zoology/psychology research is a plus!
This work can be performed remotely, but will require regular contact with project members in Austin, NYC, and St. Louis. May require occasional extended work hours or on-call obligation.
TO APPLY
Submit a letter of interest in the position and a resume (URL or PDF) of relevant experience to jobs@ethoinformatics.org. Please describe 2-3 mobile UI projects you have worked on and include links to your online portfolio.
