Formidable is an engineering + design consultancy and open source software organization, specializing in React, React Native, GraphQL, Node.js, and the architecture of large-scale JavaScript applications. We are a team of consultants working together to find holistic and sustainable solutions to challenging problems for our clients. We build products for some of the world’s biggest companies while helping their internal teams develop the skillset to create and maintain thoughtful and scalable systems.

We make sure our employees get opportunities to grow within Formidable and participate in daily decision-making processes. Our engineers are leaders in the community and frequently speak at key conferences. Working with other Formidables, you are guaranteed to continually cultivate your skillset by staying atop of industry trends and tools.

If you’re interested in joining a collaborative community that supports employees and understands the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, we would love to talk to you!

Overview

The objective of the Director of Open Source & Community Management is to provide technical expertise, project management, and program leadership for Formidable's open source initiatives. They do this by supporting Formidable engineers working on open source, coordinating with business stakeholders to leverage Formidable's open source portfolio externally, and liaising with the broader community ecosystem that interacts with Formidable's open source work. This role supports our engineers in solidifying our presence in the communities we participate in and their awareness of Formidable on the whole.

This role reports directly to the CTO and is non-billable, with strong dotted lines to the VP of Marketing.

Requirements

You have:

• Experience managing the development lifecycle of complex open source software projects with multiple contributors
• At least five years of experience developing modern JavaScript applications
• Technical project management experience (e.g., as a lead engineer)
• Strong public speaking, presentation, and writing skills

Extra Credit:

• Experience leading teams
• Experience with React and the surrounding Open Source ecosystem
• Experience with Node.js and the surrounding Open Source ecosystem

ResponsibilitiesFormidable OSS

The Director of Open Source & Community Management is the primary project manager for all of Formidable's open source projects.

• Assess and prioritize work across all Formidable open source projects, e.g., identify critical work on flagship projects, determine changes in maintenance status, recommend external projects to bring under the Formidable organization, manage project staffing.
• Support open source maintainers with guidance, hours allocations, periodic check-ins, etc.
• Identify and lead cross-project initiatives (e.g., documentation websites, maintenance status, best practices, codes of conduct).
• In conjunction with the CTO and technical leadership, help define Formidable's open source strategy, directions, and new research endeavors.

Internal OSS Programs

Directs and supports internal open source programs at Formidable. Current programs include:

• Open Source Fellowship: Periodic awards of time to engineers to pursue new open source and engineering ideas.
• The Sauce Program: Bonus program to support contributions to any open source project, technology volunteering, etc. A brief introduction to the program is available at https://formidable.com/blog/2019/sauce-program/.

External

• Participate in strategic public-facing opportunities around Formidable's open source and internal projects (e.g., blog posts, speaking engagements, partnerships).
• Provide and facilitate technical expertise for Formidable's open source to the community, either directly and/or by engaging relevant experts at Formidable.
• Support Formidable engineers in pursuing and participating in public-facing speaking, writing, etc. about Formidable's open source, new technologies, or other identified and approved topics.

Marketing

The Director of Open Source & Community Management supports many strategic marketing initiatives in conjunction with the VP of Marketing.

• Identify target audiences for promotions and campaigns showcasing OSS and other thought leadership/DevRel work.
• Mentor other staff to achieve a wider impact on the community or to improve our developer relations, hence counteracting the emergence of individual thought leadership of just a few engineers.
• Work with other Formidables to encourage contributions to documentation, blogs, videos, code samples, OSS, and sample projects in all geographic locations.
• Monitor for and address OSS-specific inquiries through social media, website, and other inbound channels.
• Identify external partners to submit contributed blogs; peer review Formidable technical blogs and other content.
• Serve as the Formidable rep within online communities & forums with target audiences, as well as representing those communities inwardly to Formidable for OSS and business purposes.
• Identify new channels and opportunities to promote Formidable projects to the public and work with marketing to prioritize staff, and fund these initiatives.

Staffing

• Be available in staffing meetings to help match appropriate engineers to appropriate open source and internal projects.

Compensation

• Base salary range for this position is $173,000 - $195,000 and is based upon years of experience that is commensurate with the level of the position.
• Eligible for additional incentive compensation.

What We Offer Our Employees

• A minimum of 5 weeks of PTO annually (Inclusive of Holidays) and unlimited sick time for mental and physical health
• Flexible work schedules (40 hour work weeks & NO on-call duty)
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance for you and your family
• Family Forming and Fertility benefits to support all paths to parenthood
• MacBook Pro, or equivalent Windows or Linux laptop
• Home Office Stipend so you can buy a desk, monitor, and more
• Health & Wellness bonus for exercise equipment, gym memberships, etc. 
• Ample all-you-can-learn Professional Development budget
• An encouraging and collaborative culture
• ...and much more to support your life, both at work and outside of work!

Life at Formidable

We are proud of the culture we have built and truly believe that work should be a place where you come to grow, be challenged, build relationships and have fun. When people from varied backgrounds and experiences come together, the greatest outcomes are the result. We believe people are at their best when they have what they need, so we made Formidable a place where all can feel welcomed, supported, and heard.

At Formidable we value

Inclusion: Come as you are. You are safe here.

Autonomy: We trust you to make good decisions and get your work done.

Craft: Level up. We’re always working to improve ourselves through practice, peer review, teamwork, and communication

Inclusion

Inclusion is one of our core values. We don’t discriminate by race, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the country where employed. We are not offering working visa sponsorship at this time.