Wanted: Talented Web Programmers,
Leave the Suit at Home…

Leave the suit and tie at home, do interesting work and enjoy a great work/life balance

Why would you want this job?

• Smart Colleagues (& Employer) - both your colleagues and the company owners are seriously smart programmers.

• Low Stress, Geeky Environment - the dress code is (very) casual and almost everyone here is a true geek (including the admin staff!). Lunchtime debates about weird facets of science are common.

• Variety of Projects to Work On - our clients span a range of industries from specialist eCommerce providers to global booking systems with thousands of users to the internal infrastructure used by one of Australia’s largest environmental groups. We also develop internal projects (see Web2TV). Over the course of a year you’ll likely work on projects for between 3 and 5 different clients.

• Small but Stable - Despite being reasonably small (currently only 15 staff), we have a large customer base and solid 12 year trading history, so we can offer you a secure, ongoing job.

• Fun - we want you to enjoy your job. There’s a pool table for those who’re interested & a relaxed and accepting culture.

• We value coding skills, not employment history - we know that you become a great programmer by spending thousands of hours writing code. So whilst a solid employment history is handy (and says you can hold down a job), it’s really your programming skills we’re interested in. Some of our best staff came to us with no qualifications but years of experience in writing code (e.g. for personal or open source projects).

What skills do you need to get the job?

• Advanced coding skills - every day you’ll be solving hard software problems. You’ll have years of practice doing this (maybe you were paid, maybe you did it for fun). Please note, whilst much of what we do is in PHP (often perceived as a simple web scripting language) we push the technology to the limits of what it can do.

• Niceness - we expect you to be nice and work well in a team.

• Self management - whilst we do set the direction for the projects we run, much of the way you organise your day will be up to you, so you need to have the self discipline to focus on tasks without a manager needing to chase you.

• Communication - both in our regular meetings and in work generally, you’ll need to keep others informed about your work and seek input as required.

• Reasonable Speed - you don’t need to be a speed freak, but you do need to be able to produce a reasonable volume of work for the time put in.

But most of all, you’ll need a passion for writing code. Typically staff here have spent years writing code in their spare time, just for fun because they love it. The result is they’re all great programmers.

Any specific skills that would be handy?

Excellent programming skills and a nice personality are our primary criteria. Beyond this we’d look at technology specific experience. Experience with PHP frameworks (e.g. Cake, Symfony, Zend), Linux Admin, database development, test frameworks (e.g. Selenium or Cucumber) and a general history with web technologies like JQuery would be great.

Who is Alliance Software?

Alliance Software is a custom web and database development business. We’re also the founder of two spin off companies (MarketSamurai.com & Web2TV.com.au). We create specialist solutions for mid sized businesses and well funded entrepreneurs.

What don’t current staff like?

The one common groan is that we require staff to fill in time cards via an online system. This lets us pay bonuses and track time worked on projects.

What will I get paid?

The base salary is 72K + Super (minimum 32.5 productive hours per week).

Following probation, we also offer a bonus scheme. Staff who log above 6.5 productive hours per day will be paid $50 / hour bonus rates, with payments made automatically each month. Some staff choose to maximise their work life balance (which is fine), whilst those looking for additional income typically earn between 7 and 15K + Super in bonuses per year.

Is the position full time?

Yes, after a three month probation period, the position will be permanent full time.

Where will I be working?

Our offices are a 10-15 minute walk from both the Blackburn and Nunawading train stations, and are located above BBQ’s Galore at 234 Whitehorse Rd, Nunawading.

What’s the cut off?

Applications close midnight Sunday the 12th of February. However, early applications may be reviewed prior to this date.

What’s the process from here?

Steps are as follows:

1. Interested candidates complete an online profile (see below)
2. Selected candidates will be asked to undertake an online test. The test seeks to measure general development skills and problem solving, but not your knowledge of any specific programming language.
3. Those who performed best on the test will be invited in for an interview. The interview will consist of both problem solving and interpersonal questions.

How do I apply?

Apply with our online application form and fill in an online profile.

PLEASE DON’T JUST EMAIL A RESUME.