Working at Akvo
Akvo is a small non-profit foundation with a big mission. We create open source web and mobile software, and build networks of skilled partners that can change the way development aid is allocated and reported. This is important, because it improves the way projects are implemented in some of the poorest parts of the world, making them more effective, efficient, sustainable and visible. Many of our partners focus on water and sanitation, but we now also cover health, education, economic development and IT projects. We believe the work we are doing is going to have a tremendous impact: ultimately we are going to help millions of people have a better life.
We are a small team of around thirty people, so anyone joining us will make a difference. We take the job of finding excellent people to work with very seriously. We are more like an internet service startup than your ordinary non-profit. While our investors are looking for a different return on investment than that of a typical software company, they do still expect us to break even in a reasonable time frame.
Choose your location
Our team is spread over multiple locations. Our partner team is in our head office, which is in the centre of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, sharing space with The 1%CLUB and Text to Change, two dynamic social enterprises. The office is a short walk from Amsterdam Central Station. Our communications team is based in London, UK, where we have a shared studio space in Bermondsey. Our software development team work from home, primarily based in London, UK; Stockholm & Gothenburg, Sweden and Washington DC, USA. And last but not least, we have training and consulting teams based in Nairobi, Kenya and New Delhi, India.
It is about working with great people
We think job satisfaction comes, more than anything else, from working with great people on exciting projects. Akvo's team is like no other, with motivated and talented people whose diverse backgrounds converge to accomplish a shared mission. It is an exciting time. If this intrigues you, please get in touch with us.
Open positions
We are expecting to have additional new open positions at Akvo in the period March - June 2013, both in the partnership team and the technical team. We'll post here and on our Twitter feed when they open up. http://twitter.com/akvo
Android and web developer
Akvo is looking for an experienced Android developer to join our expanding team of technical wizards. We are currently expanding our mobile offerings as well as building out functionality and features on existing products to meet increasing demands in this sector.
To fill this position you should have experience in both web and mobile development with a recent focus on Android and mobile development frameworks and methodologies. You should bring your passion and motivation to provide cutting edge solutions to given problems and want to encourage and enhance the work being undertaken by the whole team.
As we don't build standalone mobile applications, you also need to have some background within Java or Python/Django programming to ensure a good and clean integration with other product components; as well as being able to assist and support the core development of these products.
Our development team works from a wide variety of locations distributed across the globe, so an active eye on outward communication and coordination is essential to the harmony of the group.
Core skills required: Android development, Java or Python, strong database and SQL skills with knowledge of NoSQL databases.
Our tech team is spread across several hubs, including Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, and Washington DC. You could work from one of these locations, or remotely from a home office. You must live in a time zone between UTC -5 to UTC +2 (East Coast United States to Eastern Europe), speak fluent English and have the right to work wherever you will be located.
To apply for this position, send your resume and a brief cover note to adrian@akvo.org.
Developer, software quality assurance
Akvo is scouting for the right software engineer with a focus on testing and quality to join our team. We have a range of products focused on improving efficiency and sustainability in development aid that require an experienced quality eye to watch over and get involved with the development process, ensuring only the highest grade code leaves the door.
For this position you should have proven experience in writing and implementing test scripts to create a comprehensive suite of quality assurance tools in a modern testing framework such as Lettuce or Selenium. You should also be willing to complement these automated solutions with manual testing procedures.
Your passion for delivering a high quality product should drive your work forwards, and promote good working relationships with your colleagues, assisting and advising on changes and improvements that can make a difference.
We work in a widely distributed team, so you must be motivated to continually communicate and coordinate your efforts with your colleagues, and take an active role in the direction being taken by the group. This includes writing clear and understandable documentation for the work that is being undertaken.
Core skills required: Test scripting (Lettuce/Selenium), great communication both written and verbal, an eye for quality.
Our tech team is spread across several hubs, including Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, and Washington DC. You could work from one of these locations, or remotely from a home office. You must live in a time zone between UTC -5 to UTC +2 (East Coast United States to Eastern Europe), speak fluent English and have the right to work wherever you will be located.
To apply for this position, send your resume and a brief cover note to adrian@akvo.org.
Web developer
Akvo is hunting for the right full-stack developer to complement our existing technical team. We are experiencing a huge demand for our suite of open source software products, and need to increase our capacity as a team to be able to continually meet the expectations of our working partners.
To be suitable for this position you need to have experience working in Python/Django and/or Java, in addition to an interest in and an understanding of the latest and upcoming web development strategies and solutions. You should feel confident in delivering complete code based solutions to provided problems and documenting the work that you do.
We're looking for someone eager to accept a challenge, and willing to enhance and improve their own skills while continuing to contribute to the group effort. Due to working in a globally distributed team, you should be an active communicator with the flexibility to encompass the variety of culture and working styles.
Core skills required: Python/Django, Java, HTML/CSS, SQL, Ubuntu.
Our tech team is spread across several hubs, including Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, and Washington DC. You could work from one of these locations, or remotely from a home office. You must live in a time zone between UTC -5 to UTC +2 (East Coast United States to Eastern Europe), speak fluent English and have the right to work wherever you will be located.
To apply for this position, send your resume and a brief cover note to adrian@akvo.org.