What I’m Looking for in a Software Engineering Candidate

We’re doing some hiring in our engineering group.  Incredibly cool stuff happening here: complete rebuild of our our core platform, live apps, UI.  Re-architecting it all in Java (we’ve been a C#/.Net & C++ shop until now).  Taking our UI, and making it hugely interactive, yet elegantly simple.  Developing new metaphors for search.  And, more that we’re not public with yet.

We’re going to need software engineers with chops in Java for both our Core platform (semantic, AI, rocket-science type stuff), and Web Dev team (that beautiful UI I mentioned, plus major changes to our apps, and more to come). Lots of interesting problems, in other words.

It’s kind of like building the technology for a start-up, front to back, but at a place that’s already profitable, and has 5 million unique visitors per month (instant eyes-on your work – cool!)

We want you to come help us figure it out.

So, this is an opportunity.  A hell of an opportunity.  Let me repeat: an absolute (cover your kids eyes) mutha-fuckah of an opportunity.  Every software engineer in & around Boston should be clawing their way to get in here.  And, we’re getting some traction around that.

But here’s the thing: we want the best.  I figure it’s fair: best software engineering opportunity in Boston, possibly one of the best in the country, deserves the best software engineers.

No more or this “contributed to”, “supported”, “implemented” crap on your resumes.  I want you to brag.  Say “Architected & built from the ground up”.  “Led team to glory”.  “Researched and championed the use of [insert name of esoteric but cool technology here], which led to rapid scaling of…”

You get the idea.  Be amazing.  Don’t be some also ran, mostly worked as a consultant, never showed initiative.  Stun us.  We’ll give you work to do that you’ll thrive on.

I mean, think about it: this has been a Microsoft shop, and now we’re free.  But, the team’s light on Java – you’ll be the man/woman.  Major resource, cool cat, all of it.  Get yer ass over here, before somebody else does.

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.NET Jobs in Massachusetts

Boring post, but just in case somebody’s doing a keyword search for this job….

The Opportunity:

This is a chance for a talented software engineer with some knowledge of .NET and C# to join a rapidly growing, engineering focused company.  ZoomInfo is at the cutting edge of search engine technology, and producing suites of new products to exploit our rapid growth.  Our Web Development team works very closely with product management, QA, and UX in creating these products, ranging from software as service to our API, as well as creating product for our new online advertising start-up, Bizographics.  You’ll learn by doing, working with a close-knit, smart, and highly entrepreneurial team that is focused on rapid product development in an Agile environment.  This is a great time to join us, as we’re still small enough that you will have your voice heard, but large enough that you’ll have the support you need to accelerate you career development.  Plus, we’re a pretty fun bunch.

 The Day to Day:

• In an Agile, highly team based development environment, work on new products from requirement interpretation through implementation
• Research new technologies
• Make recommendations on how to approach design of architecture
• Maintain existing products, and add update with enhancements from product management

What You Need to Land the Job:

• Bachelors in Computer Science or equivalent degree
• 2-5 years experience in software development
• Technically proficient in .NET, C#, HTML, XML, SQL, and object oriented design (C++ and/ or Java preferred)
• Experience in (and/ or appetite for) developing product in a fast based, Web speed environment
• A sense of humor and perspective
• Points for: Multi-Tier Architecture, User/Kernel Mode Debugging, Black/White Box Testing, Model-Based Testing
• Agile development experience a plus
• Solid communication skills

Collaborative, and entrepreneurial approach to work – we want to look forward to spending time with you

Interested? ‘course you are.  Apply here, and let’s get going.

Shameless, Shameless Plug…

…for votes   For whatever reason, Good to Know  is up for best recruiting blog of the year.  I’m pretty sure it’s not because my employer is paying for the grand prize (seriously – what I suspect is that Jason Davis, the guy who runs RecruitingBlogs.com, the organizer of the whole contest, is just ridiculously nice and felt bad at how poorly I did at poker last time we hung out).

While I’m under zero illusion I’ll win, I wouldn’t mind not coming in dead last.  Seriously.  Soooo…. if you’re so inclined, I’d appreciate it if you clicked here and exercised your right to vote.  Primarily in categories #1& #6 – well, feel free to vote in the rest, too – in fact, I’d recommend checking out all of the nominated blogs – there’s a lot of really great guidance out there, from a gang of remarkable minds.

ZoomInfo’s Bizographic Ad Platform – Care to Help?

Really, really cool news over here in Walham.  As part of our continued expansion, we’ve just announced our plans to launch a bizographic ad platform.  What that means in plain-speak: We’re going to be using our wizz-bang technology to allow marketers to really target their online advertising based on what people do for a living.  It’s cool, and we’re pretty gosh-darned proud of ourselves. 

The new division’s going to be headed up by our own Russ Glass, and we’re actively hiring for his team (which will be located in San Francisco and Waltham – yes, yes, I know, beatiful, beau colic, slightly post-industrial Waltham.  Try and contain yourselves.)  Sooo, if you’re interested, we’re immediately looking for a vice president of advertising, a senior product manager for our ad products, a product manager to focus on multivariate testing (which is actually pretty cool stuff – check this out if you’re curious).  We’ll be looking to add some advertising sales reps fairly soon (no job description yet, but if you’re in the field you probably get it), and Ad Ops Manager, etc, etc….

Busy, busy, busy.

 

 

ZoomInfo and Online Advertising

So, this is a bit of a blatent plea, but on the off-chance you are (or know someone who is) involved in online advertising and/ or search, well, chances are I’d like to talk to them about an opportunity.  We are launching a new business unit – Search and Online Advertising – that stands a pretty fair chance of shaking up the world of, well, search and online advertising.  We just leased some nifty office space in downtown San Francisco, and this guy is out there building a team on search and advertising pro’s to help grow the new business.  That said: if you (or the aforementioned someone you know) wants to work in our home office in Waltham, we can go with that.

What’s cool is that we’ve got this really interesting technology that we can put behind the products our little dream team is going to be developing.  The company itself is: extremely well run (you know, profitable, growing strongly, etc), in a very interesting space, and very protective of it’s culture (our definition of an “A player” includes terms like “nice” “funny” “a litle quirky” and “not a jerk”).   So, you’ll get to make cool stuff, in a cool space, and with really, really cool people you’d love to have a beer with.  (Oh, and we like to have beer, too). 

Right now, I’m looking for a VP of Ad Products, but there are several more roles to come: VP of Search Products, couple product managers, few sales reps, some marketers…. If you’re interested in general, here’s the Rock Stars link.

Semantic advertising, here we come….  Care to join the party?