Talk:FGdb Coder and System Administrator

Proposed new job title:

The Applications Developer/System Administrator is responsible for developing Free Geek's software applications and assisting in the support of Free Geek technical infrastructure.

Other information to include: (Mark)

• FTE (absolute or range)
  • was originally 10 to 18 hours per week (Ryan)
• reports to (if applicable)
• bargaining unit or not (job category)
• eligible for benefits?

should lock this page when finished with edits (Mark)

Detailed Responsibilities

• Go through the tickets already present in our system, helping to fix bugs and implement features where possible, given the amount of time.
  • (too detailed and specific. generalize a bit.)
  • (Mark: how is this different from prioritizing software projects?)
• Work with the Technocrats Standing Committee to prioritize FGdb tasks related to FGdb.
  • (out of date. FGdb is not managed by the technocrats, who focus more on the system administration part of the job.)
  • (Ryan: this should say "software projects")
• Work with the Technocrats Standing Committee to prioritize other system administration tasks.
  • (this is accurate, though we may want to generalize "technocrats standing committee")
  • (Mark: it is unclear to me whether prioritizing tasks in this duties automatically includes completing them)
• Regular on-site work is required, though some work can be done remotely.
  • (this is to encourage working here, and staying in communication with other staff, while allowing the flexibility of getting small, timely tasks completed from a distance)
  • (Mark: we should specific either min on-site hours or max off-site hours under ordinary circumstances)
  • (Ryan: this is also needed for upgrades that must happen while we are closed to avoid disrupting normal operations, such as the weekly database releases and when I helped to get all of the servers upgraded to Squeeze in time. I'm curious if I'd need to request approval to go above the max off-site hours in these situations.)
• Work must be done in a way that allows other skilled volunteers to contribute to the project, though management of other coding and system administration volunteers is not required since other staff will take responsibility for volunteer coordination.
  • (this is a general approach to making the position more inheritable. so far, this hasn't worked, so we should figure out how we want to approach this and consider re-wording this section)
  • (Mark: is this more than a documentation question?)
  • (Ryan: the code is publicly available and there are instructions to get it set up with testing data for development, which is what this part was asking me to do as far as I know. However, there currently aren't any volunteer coders, so I think that is the main way it hasn't worked. Also, I don't think any of the other staff really do take responsibility for volunteer coordination, so perhaps that is part of the issue here, but one thought I had is that I originally got interested in the project, though took a while to actually figure out how to because he "made me" teach myself Rails and everything, while Martin was my build instructor. maybe volunteers just aren't as aware of it anymore.)
• Learn the general overview of the code base and system infrastructure already in use.
  • (this is a one-time thing for a new person on the job)
• Handle maintenance and upgrades for the deployed software (Ryan)
  • Develop and maintain a current succession plan to ensure a smooth transfer of knowledge and duties in the case of turnover in this position. (Mark)
  • Recommend changes to policies and procedures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of FGdb and system administration. (Mark)
  • Prepare monthly reports on number of bugs fixed and outstanding, and number of requested features implemented and outstanding. (Mark)
    • (Ryan: Is this something Free Geek is now asking me to start doing? I will need to make RT tickets for many more things than I currently do to track every tiny change, which may seem excessive or at least annoy people a bit, but I don't have a problem doing it.)

(Mark: these are some relevant boilerplate things)

• • Communicate with other Free Geek staff and volunteers about the needs of all areas.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• General understanding of computer programming, Ruby on Rails, and standard programming practices.
  • (Ryan: knowledge of Git and/or using (distributed?) version control systems is also a necessary skill)
• General understanding of Free Geek, its mission, and community.

(Mark: these are some relevant boilerplate things)

• • Ability to remain flexible about duties and expectations as Free Geek grows and changes.
  • Demonstrated interest in learning and training opportunities.
  • Must not be afraid to ask questions, but must be able to work without direct supervision on a regular basis.
  • Reliability and punctuality.
  • Demonstrable self-motivation and personal initiative.
  • Fluency in spoken and written English.
  • Ability to learn Free Geek documentation tools.

Desired Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• (Mark: any particular credentials or certifications?)
• (Mark: previous work or volunteer experience at Free Geek desirable?)