Blog

Wanted: Python developers

  • Gavin Chait
  • 03 Apr 2013
If you're a Python web-developer who'd like to help build exciting open data projects then we'd love to hear from you. We are looking for one person full-time, and two six-month appointments to work on an existing project. ##Python Developers - CKAN/Services team

Role Description

The Open Knowledge Foundation is recruiting senior Python web developers, primarily to work on CKAN, our open source, open data catalogue. There will also be further responsibilities to develop data visualisation and other data-driven services. CKAN is an open source web-based software project written in Python. It allows users to submit, search for and find open data. As well as powering datahub.io, CKAN is the catalogue behind the UK government's data.gov.uk website. It also powers over 30 other data catalogues around the world. If you are an outstanding Python web developer, with a keen interest in open data, and enjoy working on open-source products, we'd love to hear from you. You'd be involved in:
  • customising CKAN for different governments and organisations;
  • helping develop new features for CKAN;
  • supporting existing software deployments;
  • working on other Python programming projects in the OKFN.

Requirements

Essential:
  • Web app development experience in Python;
  • PostgreSQL;
  • Linux (Ubuntu/Redhat);
  • Git;
  • Enthusiasm about open data and open knowledge.
Bonus points for any of these (not essential though):
  • Solr;
  • Knowledge of the CKAN codebase and extensions;
  • Project management/consultancy experience;
  • Semantic web/RDF;
  • jQuery and CSS;
  • S3 and EC2;
  • Experience with Agile methods;
  • Knowledge of the geo-spatial community.

About the Open Knowledge Foundation

The Open Knowledge Foundation (OKF) is a multi-award winning community-based, not-for-profit organisation. The Foundation now has projects and partnerships throughout the world and is especially active in Europe. We build tools and communities to create, use and share open knowledge – content and data that everyone can use, share and build on. We believe that by creating an open knowledge commons and developing tools and communities around this we can make a significant contribution to improving governance, research and the economy. We’re changing the world by promoting a global shift towards more open ways of working in government, arts, sciences and much more. We don’t just talk about ideas, we deliver extraordinary software, events and publications.

How to apply

If you'd like to apply, please email jobs@okfn.org with the subject line 'Python Developer - CKAN/Services' and a copy of your CV by 30 April and we'll take it from there. We are flexible on employee versus contractor but we normally contract. Being based in and around London would be a plus but we are happy to consider applications from elsewhere.