For this position to be a good fit, you MUST
- Have several years of experience building websites. Apps are good, but websites are important. You should also know the difference!
- Have significant experience in JavaScript and/or Python. You’re able to explain and talk through the changes coming along in ECMAScript but don’t mind writing jQuery when you need to fix something. Alternatively (or additionally!), you can talk about pip and tell someone why they “really should be using a virtual env.”
- Have experience with scaling web content—you know when to use the CDN vs. a cache, you know where that cache should live, and you know key-value stores and load balancers
- Have strong Git skills—you know when and where to rebase and understand the value of branching
- Have experience with continuous integration (Jenkins, Travis CI, etc.)
- Have significant experience with the command line
- Have an interest in Slate/the news/publishing content that lots of users see
- Have empathy (especially for users of websites and software)
For this position to be a good fit, you SHOULD
- Have experience with Agile development
- Have once tried to build your own CMS and understand how complicated of an idea that is
- Have knowledge of the current web landscape. Why is React so popular? Why is it so hard for people to just switch to Python3 sometimes? What’s the difference between CommonJS and AMD, and did ECMAScript 6 make it obsolete? Why can’t all the things be handled by Babel?
- Be located in D.C. (preferred) or New York (we cannot pay relocation for this position). Although engineers often work from home, everyone is within commuting distance of either office and frequently collaborate in person.
To apply for this position, you MAY:
- Include a brief statement about yourself and why you think Slate would be a good fit for you
- Include links as you see fit (GitHub? a thing you’ve built?)
Top Skills
What We Do
Slate is a daily online magazine and podcast network that helped invent the voice of the web. Founded in 1996, Slate is a general-interest publication offering analysis and commentary about politics, news, business, technology, and culture. Slate’s strong editorial voice and witty take on current events have been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Magazine Award for General Excellence. Slate’s podcast network, established in 2005 with the launch of Political Gabfest, produces more than 20 podcasts, including Slow Burn, Culture Gabfest, What Next, Decoder Ring and more. Slate.com reaches more than 25M unique visitors and averages more than 40M pageviews every month. Slate's podcast network garnered more than 190 million downloads in 2022.



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