The Ethoinformatics development team is seeking a user interface programmer to continue developing a data collection app capable of running on Android and iOS. The app is being built in JavaScript using PhoneGap/Cordova, and deployed on a variety of mobile hardware. The application will be used by animal behavior researchers working in often difficult and remote field conditions (with inconsistent Internet access). This is a part-time, freelance contract position at competitive rates for an initial period of 2 months with an option to extend. 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. Must be comfortable in PhoneGap/Cordova. Javascript expertise and the ability to learn quickly is most important. Familiarity with multiple JS libraries is a definite plus. Please see the project repository for an idea of which we are currently using, including jQuery, browserify. leaflet, and others. The ideal applicant would also 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. Interested candidates should review the description of the app at https://github.com/
