We’re hiring a senior developer at Merit for the first time in a long time. It’s a really good job for the right person.
Before explaining what we’re looking for, let us tell you about Merit and what it’s like to work here. We’re a small company that created and sells a cool, unusual software product to the marketing departments of colleges. We’re working on a complementary new product, too, that we’ll sell to those customers, and maybe beyond that to a possibly big market. We’re proud of what we’ve made, and how we sell it, and how we support it. Clients know our team by name and like us (or they’re indifferent, but renew their annual subscriptions at a 90%+ rate). We don’t think we’re taking over the world, or disrupting anything, or moving fast and breaking things. We’re doing good work with colleagues we respect and like, too.
Merit is a very “flat” organization, management-wise, so we hire people who are independent and self-directed. None of us is a super-specialist in anything (though each of us is better at some things, which we’re responsible for), so we tend to hire generalists in their fields. Ideally, you’re broadly good at programming but perhaps have other stuff you like to do and can add special expertise at.
One of our team once said we were “an island of misfit toys” (a la Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). That means we look past resumes and credentials, which can lead to hiring unconventional people. We really encourage people from diverse backgrounds and identities to apply for this job because you’ll find a place that welcomes and values the perspective you bring to our work.
There’s more about our policies and benefits below, but here are some of the characteristics of who we’re hoping will work with us:
You have a strong curiosity about technology in general. We’re a small development team so we’re regularly having to learn about and become experts in new things. We care about your curiosity, eagerness to learn, and history of working independently more than your “passion” for programming. Coding in your free time, side projects, and GitHub portfolios are not necessary.
You have five or more years of experience developing web applications professionally, and have a familiarity with HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and an application framework. Our applications are primarily Ruby on Rails, but the MVC principles are broadly transferable. Experience with supporting aspects of web development, such as SQL or managing cloud infrastructure, are highly welcomed.
We pay as well as we can given our size and location; as far as we can tell, it’s competitive. We offer a platinum health care plan (Blue Shield PPO) and pick up 100% of the premiums for you and your family. We also match 3% of your salary in your retirement plan contribution, provide paid parental leave, and insist you take a lot of vacation (it’s an unlimited policy, which often means people don’t take enough out of social pressure, but our founder will actively pressure you to take time off).
Balance is important to us. Taking the time you need for appointments or other commitments outside of work is encouraged. We’re against mandatory face time, light on meetings, and focus on what you contribute and how well, as a colleague more than anything else. Remote is fine but we hope you’ll let us bring you to World HQ a couple of times a year.
If you’re interested, the most important thing to send us is a good letter or note. Writing is an excellent proxy and signal for thinking and we can learn a lot more about you from what you write us than we will from your resume (send that, too, just for context). We will respond to every application we get that has a letter.
We’re all really excited to hear from you and learn more about you.