Senior Front-end Software Developer at Public Knowledge Project

The Senior Front-End Developer will be responsible for building, documenting and maintaining the UI component library for  PKP’s applications, particularly Open Journal Systems (OJS), Open Monograph Press (OMP), and Open Preprint Systems (OPS). You will translate mockups from the design team into UI components using Vue.js and help the development team use these to build accessible interfaces. You will be responsible for maintaining dependencies and managing the build pipeline.  

As part of a small, fully remote team developing open source software used by more than 30,000 journals around the world to protect public access to scholarly knowledge, you will participate in an international community, collaborate with users to understand system requirements, investigate bug reports, and work with team members to meet usability requirements.

Applicants to this position should have 3 or more years’ experience in a position showing technical leadership. This position offers the chance to work on truly distributed, open source software, learning how to engineer solutions that balance extensibility, reliability and maintainability in a wide range of browsers and languages. You should apply even if you don’t feel that your background is a 100% match with the description of the position.

The software developer reports to the Associate Director of Development.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain Vue.js components for PKP’s UI Library (source) in collaboration with the designer 

• Work with back-end developers to establish and strengthen the software’s REST APIs

• Participate in code reviews with other members of the software development team

• Coordinate your work with other members of the software development team as determined by the release schedule

• Participate in PKP community events such as conferences, sprints, and webinars

• Work collaboratively and resolve disagreements effectively with a diverse range of individuals and stakeholders

Required Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience with modern JavaScript (Vue.js, React, or similar)

• Experience with modern, semantic, cross-device HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

• Experience coding and maintaining a UI component library

• Experience with webpack or similar build tools for modern frontend frameworks

• Experience working with REST APIs for web applications

Additional Considerations:

• Experience with international, multilingual software development

• Experience building accessible web-based interfaces

• Experience with Vue.js

• Experience with PHP, particularly Laravel

• Experience with scholarly publishing workflows like peer review and technical standards like DOIs

• Experience developing open source software

• Experience working with designers and an understanding of design processes

• Experience translating designs into UI components that technical colleagues feel confident using

Application

Please apply with a resume, cover letter, and any relevant code samples. Code samples should address the Required Qualifications. The cover letter should address your interest in PKP and the work that we do.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. The Public Knowledge Project is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from qualified candidates of all genders, visible minorities, persons of First Nations, Inuit, or Métis heritage, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2SIA+ identified persons.

Working arrangements

This is a 1-year independent contractor position with a 3-month probationary period, with likely future renewal and opportunities for advancement within the role. The work schedule is flexible, but the candidate will be expected to work 36 hours per week, participate in scheduled meetings, conferences, and webinars, and coordinate their work schedule with their team leader.

PKP is a remote team with colleagues spread across Canada, South Asia, South America and Europe. The chosen candidate should be able to work independently between check-ins. 

About PKP

PKP is a university-based initiative developing (free) open source software and conducting research to improve the quality, reach, and diversity of scholarly publishing. PKP’s various website platforms, including Open Journal Systems, Open Preprint Systems, and Open Monograph Press, guide users through the editorial workflow of scholarly publishing, including submission, review, editing, publishing, and indexing. Thousands of people around the world are now using the software to publish independent journals on a peer-reviewed and open access basis, greatly increasing the public and global contribution of research and scholarship.

PKP works with several stakeholders, including sustainers, donors, and development partners who provide financial support; software developers and programmers who contribute to the ongoing development of open source software; and strategic partners who consult with PKP on strategic goals.  

In addition to supporting free, open source software, PKP offers journal hosting to organizations from around the world, including university libraries, scholarly and scientific societies and associations, commercial publishers, non-profit organizations, and independent scholar-publishers. 

PKP is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive working environment. We believe an open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We seek to contribute to efforts and goals to develop and support the decolonization of scholarly publishing, to collaborate in postcolonial publishing initiatives, and to provide the means for a diversity of academic inquiry and voices to readily engage in scholarly publishing.

For more information on PKP, please see our website . 

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