We're #hiring an Application Developer
Great opportunity for an early-career software developer in Columbus, Ohio
UPDATE 2024-09-05 : We’ve had a great response so far, with a lot of applicants in well under a week. If our job application is not available any longer, but you want to reach out anyway, catch up with John on LinkedIn.
After 3.5 years, we are wishing developer Josh Wood the best as he takes on an exciting new software opportunity! We are proud to have provided Josh a place where he could stretch his skills after a successful career reboot at local coding bootcamp Tech Elevator.
We’ll miss Josh, for sure, but with his departure we now have an opening to hire a new Application Developer (which we call a GX Developer internally). The job is now posted and available for review and application. We need folks to apply by Friday, September 13 so we can hit an internal hiring timeline in early October.
Our Target Audience
You can help us out by forwarding this opportunity to anyone you know that fits this general profile:
Early-career software development professional (1-2 years experience is great)
Resident in central Ohio (in and around Columbus)
Wants to make a community impact through digital work, not just make some rich folks richer in a corporate job
Wants a stable job with great benefits and career development options
The legalistic requirements
There are a few job requirements we should get out of the way first:
This job is located in Columbus, Ohio; we do not pay for relocation
We require in-office work each week (currently 2 days in-office)
Interviews are in-person at our office during September
So… you need to be in the Columbus area already or you need to get here ASAP. We have hired people that relocated on their own, so if you already have plans to move and are interested in this role, reach out. But if you don’t plan to relocate, don’t apply. There’s already lots of tech talent in central Ohio. Additionally…
You must be authorized to work in the U.S.
We do not sponsor work visas or other immigration processes
Employment is contingent on background checks and drug testing
Yes, recreational marijuana went legal in Ohio this summer, but our policies have not caught up with that reality yet. But given we handle a lot of sensitive information about citizens, we have a responsibility to ensure our employees are not impaired. We are serving the public, after all.
Okay, now on to the good stuff about the job!
What would I work on?
Franklin County Data Center (FCDC) has provided software solutions to our local government teams and users in Franklin County, Ohio for decades. But honestly… we have to raise our game. We want you to help us fundamentally change how we design, deploy, support, and extend both full-stack solutions and custom low-code/no-code apps. For that, we need an Application Developer that has a penchant for Product Ownership.
Our Application Developer will help our designers, platform engineers, and product owners live up to our Government Experience (GX) ideals, and ensure our customers are getting the mission-focused value they need from our products.
We need your keen problem-solving skills, your technical acumen, and your dedication to user-centric experiences. You’ll help us write and maintain code for dozens of products and projects. You’ll work with business analysts, graphic designers, platform engineers, and project managers to analyze business requirements, determine the appropriate stack for each project, and craft solutions.
With 6,000+ users and 40+ partners across Franklin County, there’s a lot to do. If you like a challenge, like tech, and want to be on a dynamically-growing team on a mission, join us for the adventure!
Example Development Tools
Microsoft’s Power Platform (Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, etc.)
JavaScript
JQuery
Atlassian products (Jira, Confluence, etc.)
ColdFusion (legacy)
...and more
Each development tool allows us to build vital apps and services used by tens, hundreds, or even thousands of users.
Who are we seeking?
The best candidates for this role will have a passion for public services that build trust with our customers and community, a strong bias for action that gets work across the finish line, and an enthusiasm for continuous and incremental improvement.
YOU ARE...
...mission-driven.
We’re here to meld contemporary digital experiences with local government services, collaborating with teams that make our communities better every day. You’ll prioritize real transformation over mere digitization, you’ll seek meaningful impact rather than just using the newest tool for the sake of it, and you’ll help us build long-term public trust. Join us to make an impact, not fill a seat.
...curious, inventive, adaptable, and determined.
To make government better, you’ll learn (and respect) the status quo, then invent better processes and help everyone adapt. When we hear “that’s not how we do things,” we (politely) stick to our guns while ensuring everyone makes it to the other side intact. You’ll need bottomless curiosity to learn context, sincere compassion for overworked public servants, and eyes locked on the prize.
...a personable communicator and collaborator.
Development may require a lot of skills in logic to write code and create solutions, but it also requires a lot of intuition and imagination. You’ll be doing in-person discovery, process mapping, questioning, and collaborative knowledge creation with real people doing real work. This isn’t just a keyboard warrior job – you’ll be meeting our clients where they are.
...awesome at process analysis, problem solving, and organization.
We’re not looking for the biggest rock star developer, but we are looking for someone who is an excellent critical thinker, understands how programming works, and can work collaboratively with other developers on maintainable solutions that make peoples’ lives easier.
Qualifications
1-2 years in an IT organization, preferably in a software development role
A professional developer certification is ideal
Familiarity with Agile, Scrum, and/or Kanban
Some work with low-code/no-code environments such as Quickbase or Microsoft Power Platform preferred
1-2 years experience in a programming language, preferably C#, but a JavaScript library such as React or Node would be acceptable
Experience with code repositories and ALM tools such as GitHub, Azure DevOps, GitLab, or Octopus
Killer documentation skills, including clear writing and clean diagrams, shared in online collaboration spaces
Verbal and presentation prowess
Relentless growth mindset, evidenced by your career path to date
About Franklin County Data Center (FCDC)
Our "Data Center" name doesn't tell the whole story.
FCDC is a team of nearly 100 people (up from 40 in 2019) providing a full stack of IT services to Franklin County agencies, who in turn support the 2.5M+ residents of Ohio's most dynamic economy and diverse community.
We deliver networks, server and cloud infrastructure, collaboration systems, live support, digital services development, tech procurement, security, and more and need highly skilled project managers to lead our teams in building these services.
Though we’re proudly part of local government, our culture is not what you might expect. We actually think and act like a private IT services firm.
Learn more about FCDC at our website: datacenter.franklincountyohio.gov
About the GX Foundry
Our new Application Developer will join the GX Foundry – Franklin County’s first digital services team. We’re dedicated to building great Government Experiences (GX).
OUR MISSION: We forge digital experiences to build trust in Franklin County
OUR WORK: Write full-stack and low-code solutions that enhance services for County colleagues and residents, one human-centered experience at a time.
OUR PEOPLE: We’re scrappy, inventive digital makers. We don’t tinker in an ivory tower or mass produce parts in a faceless factory – we craft code and compassionate processes in collaboration with real users.
Learn more about the GX Foundry here on our our website — you can browse around starting with the home page—just click the site title above.
Our Org Chart
As of this posting, the GX Foundry has 14 full-time employees plus the Chief Digital Officer. We’re part of a larger technology services organization (FCDC) of about 100 people (including our 14).
Why Join the GX Foundry?
Work / Life Balance
Tech work can be stressful, but we balance that with flexible schedules, comp time, and 40-hour weeks, not insane hours.
We‘re a hybrid office with mixed in-office and remote work, allowing both collaboration time and focused work from home.
All staff in the GX Foundry work in-office 2 days per week—Wednesdays and Thursdays—and are remote the other 3 days.
Exceptions to the remote schedule come up from time to time, whether that’s once every 8 weeks for an all-team meeting, or for individual customer or project meetings that need in-person attention.
Our hybrid schedule is subject to change and requires participation in a “Telework Agreement,” but our model been stable for nearly 2 years now.
We ensure your vacations are really vacations – no calls or emails or other interruptions while you’re recharging.
Extensive Benefits
Pay range for this role is $68K - $88K annually, depending on experience.
Our healthcare plans are superior to what you’ll find in the corporate sector. In short, we get more care for less money.
Retirement benefits are provided via OPERS with unparalleled contribution and matching rates. (Additional deferred comp available.)
Our generous sick time benefits are separate from vacation time and can be used for medical appointments, too.
We offer 6 weeks paid leave for new parents or other Family Medical Leave (FMLA) needs (after 1 year of service).
Career Development
We invest in your professional development with instructor-led training, conferences, certifications, a self-paced training library, and tuition reimbursement options.
Our digital services make an impact. Your work will support 6,000+ Franklin County employees providing vital public services to 2.5 million people across central Ohio.
You’ll build an impressive resume for your next opportunity as you work on career-defining projects using the best IT industry solutions on the market.
A Seriously Great Culture
This is your chance to join a growing team of creative designers and engineers that are smart, entrepreneurial, supportive, and fun. Everyone says it. But we mean it.
We only hire smart people with a growth mindset and a desire to learn new things – especially from one another. No jerks.
We have all the tools we need to be successful. We spend millions on top-tier infrastructure and contemporary software, with active support to upgrade and expand when needed.
To get a sense of FCDC's culture, check out our We are #FCDC newsletter
And for a sense of the GX Foundry’s culture, here’s our Culture Code:
Our Hiring Process
We review resumes and conduct initial informal calls with candidates that may be a fit; the calls are not interviews, just info-sharing from us to you
We invite selected candidates to a first interview about technical skills, project work, and other experience; it's a panel format including staff and parallel managers, and we do it on-site in our offices
We invite finalists to a second interview that expands on themes from the first interview (also a panel format, also on-site)
We want to identify our preferred candidates in September and formally hire in October, but every role is vital to our success, so we’ll take extra time if needed
Our intended timeline is to make a job offer no later than 9/27, then make the offer official on 10/7 (long story), then the start date would be 10/28.
Our Hiring Team
Here are some key people you may meet during chats about the job or via interviews:
Eric Nutt - GX Development Manager (hiring manager)
Sarah Gray - GX Concourse Manager (parallel manager)
Luke McCormac - GX Developer (peer)
Kathryn Moon - GX Developer (peer)
John Proffitt - Chief Digital Officer
Lacey Pahren - People Experience Specialist (HR)
Kimberly Carroll - People Operations Manager (HR)
Questions?
If you have any questions, please feel free to connect with Eric Nutt or John Proffitt on LinkedIn (see above). We’re happy to help anyone figure out whether this is the right opportunity for you.