The successful applicant will provide leadership to our product team, managing developers, user interface and graphic designers, and project managers to the highest of standards of quality and efficiency. Applicants must have a background in web development and/or design, excellent communication skills, great people instincts, and strong accountability for team success. As one of the senior leaders alongside other directors, this position is not part of the union bargaining unit.
Job Responsibilities
Team Management
- Accountable for a technically diverse group of designers, developers, and project managers
- Recruit, hire, train, and retain product team members
- Help Middle Seat grow its surge capacity by building a stable of contractors who can jump in quickly and cost effectively on client projects
- Guide product team members to identify and work toward professional development goals
- Provide ongoing feedback and performance management
- Manage large-scale web and design projects
- Keep team informed about company-wide processes, policies, and priorities
- Act as ambassador for product team and contribute strategically to company leadership
- Other responsibilities as requested
Capacity Planning
- Delegate design, development, or technical responsibilities across both internal and external work and monitor progress of all projects
- Triage incoming client and internal requests, and ongoing product needs
- Develop system for visibility into team capacity for forecasting and sales awareness
- Other responsibilities as requested
Client Work
- Establish and oversee best practices, systems, and processes for the product team to meet high standards for design, performance, accessibility, communication, collaboration, and efficiency – delivering work on time and of an exceptional quality
- Provide design and/or technical direction to product team members to ensure best practices are executed
- Incorporate emerging design and technology best practices and help implement across Middle Seat teams
- Contribute code or design work as needed
- Maintain and direct a replicable, reliable system for managing projects
- Other responsibilities as requested
Business Development
- Pitch prospective clients on creative and technical work
- Lead new business meetings to assess needs, budget, and fit for potential client engagements
- Onboard new clients and provide team members with relevant information to execute new work
- Work collaboratively with leadership team members on full-service proposals when needed
- Ensure sales documents for product work are maintained in adherence with established company processes
- Other responsibilities as requested
Qualifications
- Minimum 2-5 years experience managing teammates
- Minimum 3-5 years experience in design, web development and/or technical project management
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to convey complex ideas in an accessible manner to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Demonstrated aptitude in leadership, management, and collaboration
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- Curiosity as it relates to design and development disciplines, as well as the work of our ads and emails teams
- Remarkable integrity and discretion
- Passion for progressive politics and social change
Strongly Preferred but Not Required
- Expertise with WordPress
- Experience with CRMs such as Blue State Digital, NGP VAN, ActionKit, Action Network, etc.
- Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite 5+, Sketch, and Figma
- Expertise with JavaScript (jQuery), HTML5, CSS3, and PHP
- Experience with Git
Salary and Benefits
- Salary starts between $100,000 and $125,000
- Commensurate with years and depth of experience
- Profit sharing plan: share in the growth and success of Middle Seat
- $50 mobile phone subsidy monthly
- 100% coverage for health, dental and vision
- Zero deductible health plan
- One Medical health service: video call or chat with doctors, no wait-time appointments
- Health Advocate: 24/7 assistance with navigating health benefits, finding providers through
- 5% employer match on your 401k retirement account
- 20 paid vacation days off, plus your birthday and May Day off
- Unlimited sick leave
- Commuter benefits for public transportation
- Work from home one day per week (after your first six months)
- 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents
We are committed to building a diverse and passionate team. We encourage creative-minded individuals with a strong technical aptitude to apply for this position. Women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals are encouraged to apply.