Syncapse: Social Network Software Developer

Syncapse is looking for a Social Network Software Developer (a teaser posting which preceded this one):

Syncapse Corp. is seeking software developers capable of developing projects, managing priorities, and interacting with clients in a fun startup environment.

• This is a full time position at a small, growing company
• This is a technical position developing software for social networks like Facebook, Open Social, and Google Friend Connect 

• Preparation of technical specifications and feature outlines
• Develop modular PHP applications
• Work with 3rd party web services APIs like Facebook, Open Social, Youtube, etc.
• Test applications, write bug reports, and fix problems
• work in a team environment

The Good
It sounds like Syncapse is well-positioned and with good clients in a relatively new market, although I can’t easily verify that.  Although social networks are certainly out of the initial hype, I don’t think the social elements of the web are going anywhere either, so this is an opportunity to focus on the social web, which is probably experience you can leverage in the future.   Getting to interact directly with clients doesn’t always happen at this experience level.

The location seems to be Yonge and Dundas, which is a good place to work — there’s a lot of good food around, and having the Eaton Centre at your feet has its perks.  It’s also relatively central and relatively convenient for anyone who’d consider working in the core to begin with.

The Bad
They’re not looking for a ton of experience, so they may be expecting to pay accordingly.  If you’ve got experience, you’d want to level-set before you get too far into the conversation. 

What’s Missing
What kind of social network work will you be doing, and for whom?  What’s the compensation?  Will you be working on a team?  What kind of process does Syncapse use, and what are some good examples of the kinds of work they’ve done before?  Are you likely to use some of the other mentioned technologies, or are those just mentioned in terms of applicable experience?  

YMMV
Some of you are probably happy to see a development job with a lot of dynamic languages, some not.  But even those of you who love dynamic languages, your mileage may vary when it comes to PHP, which seems to be the focus. 

Although I’m near-certain that “social” isn’t going anywhere, Facebook feels like it’s waning to me, so your mileage may vary when it comes to a Facebook focus.

In Summary
This is most interesting for someone who’s a fan of dynamic languages and social networks, and not afraid of a little PHP.

RBC: Lead Architect

The Royal Bank of Canada is looking for a Lead Architect:

Assist the Lead Architect in developing the strategy, vision and architectural direction for Information Security.
Provides direct support to the Lead Architect and may be called upon to perform the duties of the Lead Architect as events warrant.

This position will contribute to the development and refinement of Enterprise Security Architecture and communicate Enterprise Security Architecture Strategy to business and technical project stakeholders. Project level security architecture consulting will ensure enterprise security architecture strategy is delivered consistently and is in line with current and future enterprise security architecture strategy.

The Good
It’s a pretty senior role in a pretty big company with a 60B market cap.  If you’re even slightly interested in security, this seems like a role where you could really dig in and learn/apply security concepts, which could be an interesting technical challenge.

The location’s very central – as is true for many of the bank jobs in Toronto.  It’s not a bad area to work in, and it’s moderately convenient for just about everyone.

The Bad
The title is Lead Architect, and yet it reads like Assistant to the Lead Architect or Architect would be more fitting, since the job description makes regular reference to assisting the lead architect.  It’s not clear how you’re supposed to read into that. 

What’s Missing
Well, a link to the job posting would be a good start — it’s not hard to follow another RBC posting to the source and then put in the reference number to get the actual posting, but that requires a lot more work than simply clicking on the link that should be in the posting.

What’s the compensation like?  What would be the localized organization structure in which you’d be working: who would you be reporting to, working with; would anyone be reporting to you?  Would there be much need to travel?  What kind of mix would there be between the various things you’d be working on?

YMMV
Your mileage may vary when it comes to working in finance right now, even though the Canadian retail banking sector seems to be weathering the storm for the most part. 

It’s not clear how hands-on this role would be; some might find that problematic.

In Summary
This is probably most interesting to people already in some kind of architectural role with either a background in security of an interest in it.

Decisioning Solutions: Development Manager

Decisioning Solutions is looking for a Java / J2EE Development Manager:

As a key team member, the Java / J2EE Development Manager is responsible for managing and facilitating day-to-day operations within the Development team as well as the interactions of the Development team with other areas.  The individual must exhibit extremely broad knowledge of relevant software, hardware, and processes and demonstrate outstanding problem-solving abilities.  The candidate must also have proven experience in an equivalent position with lauded organizational and managerial abilities. Exceptional communication and interpersonal relation skills are a must.

Responsibilities:

• Managing the Java Developer team
• Overlooking the System Administration team
• Assistance in IT Hiring and Resource Review / Development
• Reviewing and approving major designs of the Solution Architect
• Monitoring IT resource allocation to the projects and PMO
• Representing the technology within the Sales process
• Providing technical advice and answers to the senior management
• Managing the Research (SRED) tax claims
• Escalation point for all things technical (design, systems, support, etc)
• Continuously improving and policing processes (intra and inter team)
• Managing and monitoring security policies and practices
• Managing and monitoring SLA adherence

The Good
The location’s a good one; the 21st and 22nd floors of the HBC tower at Yonge and Bloor is both central and appealing, with good shops and restaurants nearby.  An ‘industry-leading compensation package’ sounds good, although you’d have to talk to them to find out if you agree with their characterization.  It sounds like the work itself could be challenging.

The Bad
Some companies are good at distilling what they do in a very accessible way.  Decisioning Solutions’ site reminds me a little of Exchange Solutions’, in that while they provide a lot of detail about what they do, it doesn’t seem very accessible to the uninitiated. 

What’s Missing
What’s the industry-leading nature of the compensation package.  What process do they employ?  What’s the size and composition of the team(s) you’d be managing.  What goals would you have?  What’s the organizational structure look like, and where do you fit?

YMMV
Your mileage may vary when it comes to spending your days ‘maximizing customer value’, ‘maximizing customer acquisition efficiency’ or the other things that Decisioning Solutions does.  Some people are looking for something more like a consumer web 2.0 product or a health-care solution that could help save lives.  Then again, Decisioning Solutions seems to be a growing company in a market that might do well even in a downturn, so for some, this may be just what you’re looking for.

In Summary
If you’ve got experience as a development manager and you’d like to maximize customer value at Yonge and Bloor for industry-leading compensation, you might consider talking to Decisioning Solutions to see if it’s a good fit.

ONESTOP Media Group: Java Developer

ONESTOP Media Group is looking for a Java Developer:

Onestop Media Group is looking for a creative, problem solving developer. This position requires an individual with experience taking a significant role in several past projects. You will be expected to design, build, document and test your solutions in a team environment. The company wants your input on software development processes and system design.

The Good
Actually, the primary thing that attracts me to this posting is humor, the visible human nature behind it.  This isn’t the HR-sanitized posting, or the carefully phrased list of role and requirements of a big company, it’s a simple posting with a little humor:

Please apply with a cover letter describing why you would fit into our company. They are read, and it’s a good way to differentiate your application from the dozens of bots who will also apply for this job.

The dual-head workstation and coffee sound good, too.  The location’s a good one, down by Metro Hall, pretty central and pretty lively.

The Bad
They don’t sound like they’re looking for a terrifically senior candidate.  The mix of PHP and Java would not be surprising in a professional services environment, but it’s a little less obvious in what looks like a kind of product company.  But the biggest flaw is the pervasive one: there’s not very much information to go on.  We don’t know much about the work, the process, the compensation, and so forth.  Just because you’ve got a simple posting doesn’t mean you have to leave quite so much stuff out.  So, as usual, if you’re interested, you’ll have to talk to them.

YMMV
Because they haven’t specified, I can only make assumptions about the compensation, but based on the experience they’re looking for and the overall tone of the posting, I’m assuming they want someone with decent skills and ambition, but not a great deal of experience, and are going to pay accordingly.  Maybe a $60k job, for instance?

In Summary
If you like what they’re doing, or you think what they’re looking for sounds like you, this might be worth further investigation.

Autodesk: Software Development Manager, Industrial Design

Autodesk is looking for a Development Manager: Industrial Design to lead “a top-notch, global engineering team engaged in the development of next generation software solutions for Industrial Design” by:

• Project Task Estimating and Scheduling.
• Manage cross functional relationships.
• Software Implementation.
• Team Management and Team Building.
• Communication.
• Organizational Savvy.
• Staff and Career Development.
• Global Engineering Team.

The Good
Generally, Autodesk does a decent job with their postings.  The role is laid out, there’s a decent, if not detailed, sense of the work.  Autodesk itself is well-known, and so are a number of their products.  Their financials have been pretty stable, with a little movement around revenue prediction adjustments, but nothing that leads to the sense of instability.

The Bad
There’s basically no description of the compensation (other than ‘exceptional’) and process.

YMMV
The way ‘organizational savvy’ is described makes me consider if the role is in a politicized, charged environment.  If so, then that’s something that some candidates would see as an interesting challenge, while others might avoid.

The location seems to be in the King and Sherbourne area, which is quiet, and moderately central, but neither exciting nor close to the subway lines.  Certainly better suited to someone who is vehicle-commuting or in the central or east end.  The nearby George Brown campus would allow for all sorts of extra-curricular learning, I guess.

The underlying technology, which is less important for this role, I imagine, is C++.  Since Toronto’s mostly a business-programming town in Java and .NET, this may be a problem for some of you.

The global engineering team aspect is hard to read.  Autodesk is a big company, and a bit of distributed teams is probably to be expected, but it’s possible this masks a development model that might not work well, so you’d want to inquire.  The desire to have someone with experience working with software engineers in China may play into that.  That said, Toronto has a sizeable portion of Chinese developers, so if you’ve got a Chinese background, this might be a strength you can leverage.

In Summary
Basically, Autodesk is a big company making recognizable products, so if the rest of the position fits, it may be worth learning a little more about the work and the compensation.

Oxford Properties Group: Manager, Application Development

Oxford Properties Group is looking for a Manager, Application Development:

The posting is too short to cover in much detail.  There’s a bit about the role here, but the posting doesn’t talk about the company itself, although the website does:

• “global real estate platform that participates in the market as an investor, owner, asset manager, developer and real estate manager”
• “employs more than 1,400 individuals”

So, they’re obviously into real estate, but I don’t really have any sense what applications they might be developing, how many, size of the team being managed, whether or not this role is about lots of new greenfield work or legacy maintenance and support, the technologies employed herein, what the compensation is like, and so on.  So, basically, if you’d like to be an AppDev manager in real estate, you could try and pry more information out of the Oxford Properties Group and see what happens.

Mostly, this is interesting because it’s a senior role in a less-common industry vertical, and probably centrally-located.

Little Bites: Domainer, GAP Adventures, Scotia Algorithmic Trading, Microsoft Security, Informiam/Genesys

Domainer’s looking for a “web developer“. Without a listed compensation range, my first instinct is that “web developer” often means “cheap developer” in the Toronto job market, particularly for startups. G.A.P Adventures looks more interesting but suffers from the same problem.

Personally, I think algorithmic trading systems sound like an interesting domain, but I haven’t explored the space in enough detail to argue the point. The technology mix of C++ and Java both is an interesting and unusual one.

Microsoft Canada wants someone to change the country’s perception about their security? Sounds like a dangerous mission for only the bravest of soldiers.

Informiam, bought by Genesys, is still looking for some creative developers up at Yonge and Finch. If you’re already up north, this seems like it could be an interesting place to work.

mdlogix: Ruby on Rails Software Engineer

mdlogix is looking for a Ruby on Rails Software Engineer:

You will be embedded in a small Scrum team, working closely with your teammates, the Product Owner, and the Scrum Master to leverage Ruby on Rails and deliver innovative medical research support software. You will use your exceptional skills and experience in web development to create dynamic functionality.

The Good
They’re a relatively small company using Ruby on Rails to work on medical research software, which seems like a good cause.  They’ve got some expertise with Rails in-house, including Virtuous Code’s Avdi Grimm (‘Monkey-Patching is Destroying Ruby‘).  And they’ve just brought on a soon-to-be-ex-colleague of mine, who’s a nice chap (yes, he has some British background), so you could work with him.

The Bad
Well, for starters, there’s not a lot of information in their posting.  Where’s the Toronto location?  What kind of compensation do they offer?  What might you be working on?  What’s their process like in detail?  There’s a pile of things a candidate would like to know, and clearly you’re going to have to open discussions before you’ll find out.

Secondly, after some initial conversations, I was able to determine that while mdlogix salaries are pretty good compared to many Rails salaries in Toronto, they still lag behind the high end of the positions for doing Java work, so depending on your background, you might need to verify or alter your expectations.

YMMV
Your mileage may vary about having to start a conversation with mdlogix before you can find out the basics about where they are and what you might be working on.

I believe they’re located near Queen and Spadina, right next to b5media.  As I said for b5:

Their location’s good and bad; Spadina and Queen is a fine place to hang around, get lunch, have some fun.  Depending on where you live, though it’s an awkward place to commute to.  The Spadina car and Queen car are both sluggish during rush hour, and it’s just far enough from the subway line to make walking a healthy, yet time-consuming exercise on a twice-daily basis.  It’s not incredibly far from the highways, but it’s far enough and on a slow-enough thoroughfare that getting from the Gardiner to Queen/Spadina is often irritatingly slow.

In Summary
If you want a Rails job in Toronto, I wouldn’t suggest you leave stones unturned, and I suspect you’ll find that mdlogix isn’t a bad choice, but ultimately, you’re going to have to talk to them to find that out.

b5media: Director of Technology

b5media, a local blogging powerhouse, is looking for a Director of Technology. Their approach is true to form, with a job posting and several blog entries on the subject:

• b5: “Saying a sad farewell to Aaron, hiring a Director of Technology“
• Joey deVilla: “b5media is looking for a new Director of Technology“
• Standout Jobs listing

This is their take on what they’re looking for:

More than anything we are looking for a mid-level to senior person who’s run major forward-facing (specifically consumer) web properties in the past. We need someone who understands development principles and how to push them forward. We want someone who wants to work in a startup, is passionate about blogging, and wants to see our already significant company grow even further. The person must be in or willing to be relocated to Toronto (on our dime, obviously) – and can even be in the US (yay for the reverse brain drain!).

End of the day, we hire smart people who like to have fun and really want to build great stuff that tens of millions of people are going to see. The challenges for this year are significant, but so is the opportunity. In fact, by this time next year, this individual will be leading a team of 15-20 folk building some of the most widely used tools in the blogging world.

The Good
It seems to me like b5media is well-positioned, growing, and in a young market where there is still a fair amount of room for growth.  It looks like the role is relatively senior, and you might be able to participate directly in the growth and definition of an interesting local technology company.  The location’s enjoyable, if getting there isn’t troublesome.

The postings have a lively, friendly feel; seems, at a distance, like it could be a fun place to work.

The Bad
There’s not really enough information in the postings to assess what technology one might be directing.  While they talk about “15-20 folk building some of the most widely-used tools in the blogging world”, their staff list doesn’t seem to show 15-20 “technology” people and if WordPress powers the back-end, it’s not clear what you’ll be building.

There’s not a lot of definition on the role and process, which may just be an indication of their size, and the fact that roles and processes don’t need much clarity, that it’s just a focus on getting the work done (although the role presumably has some responsibilities with regard to taking ownership of some aspects of getting the work done).

Ultimately, that lack of information continues across the board.  What’s the compensation?  What’s the work — what exactly will you be directing?

YMMV
Well, it’s a LAMP stack and WordPress.  Not everyone’s into LAMP.  Some of colleagues past and present dismiss PHP, and I’ve gotta say, it’s not my favorite language, but then again, it does power many of the web’s biggest properties, so there’s obviously something there.

Their location’s good and bad; Spadina and Queen is a fine place to hang around, get lunch, have some fun.  Depending on where you live, though it’s an awkward place to commute to.  The Spadina car and Queen car are both sluggish during rush hour, and it’s just far enough from the subway line to make walking a healthy, yet time-consuming exercise on a twice-daily basis.  It’s not incredibly far from the highways, but it’s far enough and on a slow-enough thoroughfare that getting from the Gardiner to Queen/Spadina is often irritatingly slow.

In Summary
It’s hard to say.  Could be a senior position at a rapidly-growing local technology company doing exciting things in a good location, or it could be you and a couple guys trying to keep a lot of wordpress instances happy, writing a few plugins, and wishing the Spadina car weren’t so packed.  At this point, the postings are more style than substance, and while it’s a good style, you’ll obviously have to spend some time talking to them to find out what it is that they’re really looking for, and whether or not that’s you.