David Crow

Development

FutureRuby & MobileOrchard

by

futureruby-small-202x300Pete Forde and the gang at Unspace are hosting another kick ass conference about Ruby. FutureRuby is the evolution of RubyFringe. (I’m not sure why the decision to use a Maoist propaganda theme for the art direction, but it looks great. Perhaps it’s a way to fight the Imperialist regimes of Java and .NET).

RubyFringe is an amalgamation of a series of events focused on Ruby and emerging platforms including the browser, the mobile phone and other devices. 

Dan Grigsby who runs MobileOrchard is hosting an "Beginning iPhone Development Workshop” as part of the FutureRuby activities. It is great to see developers like Dan understand the power of mobile devices, and the ability to use their repertoire of developer tools to build for an emerging important platform. Being able to build custom web applications for iPhone, native iPhone applications in Objective-C (haven’t written Objective-C since I worked on a NeXT box in 1994 at UWaterloo). Joey deVilla talks about why mobile is the platform for the next billion users and why netbooks are a red herring for computer manufacturers. Why I might consider the MobileOrchard workshop:

Walk in Thursday morning with no previous Objective-C, Cocoa, or iPhone development experience; walk out — and over to FAILcamp — having built apps that incorporate location, motion and email. On Friday you’ll build table/ navigation style apps (e.g., Apple’s Mail and Contacts app) with persistent data storage, hybrid web/native apps, apps that consume ActiveResource RESTful APIs, and more.

Pretty compelling 2 day class.  There are a lot of things I like about FutureRuby, FAILCamp and the MobileOrchard workshop.

 

What: Future Ruby Leaders of Tomorrow, Today!
Ticket Admission includes (but not limited to): – Admission to all daytime tracks and impromptu celebrations – Breakfasts and lunches brought to you by the award-winning chefs of the Metropolitan hotel – Free transportation provided by FutureRuby and the Toronto Transit Commission – Three nights of all-inclusive parties (live entertainment, drinks, food, DJ's, surprises, plus epic dinner July 11th) – Killer swag – Noise workshops! – Discount hotel rates at The Metropolitan Hotel – Please note: Tickets are non-refundable, but are transferrable.
When: Thursday, July 9, 2009 (all day)
Where: Metropolitan Hotel

108 Chestnut Street
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1R3   Canada
What: Mobile Orchard Workshops Present: Beginning iPhone Programming For Rubyists
Walk in Thursday morning with no previous Objective-C, Cocoa, or iPhone development experience; walk out that same day having built apps that incorporate location, motion and email. On Friday you’ll build navigation-style apps (e.g., Apple’s Mail and Contacts app) with persistent data storage, hybrid web/native apps, apps that use Ryan Daigle’s iPhone On Rails/ObjectiveResource to consume ActiveResource RESTful APIs, and more. The class mixes practical project examples with Objective-C and Cocoa-Touch fundamentals like memory management, protocols and delegates, properties and categories.
When: Thursday, July 9, 2009 (all day)
Where: Metropolitan Hotel

108 Chestnut Street
Toronto, ON M5G 1R3   Canada

ecobee – Int/Snr Java Developer & Server Administrator

by

Toronto, ON

Originally from http://www.ecobee.com/viewpage/index/id/21

This development and operations role will work with both the VP of Development and the Software Architect.

As an intermediate/senior Java developer, your primary job requirement will be design and development of core server software, with emphasis on the data to object mapping layer, and back end design. Ecobee relies on test driven development, and so ongoing maintenance of unit tests and system wide tests is also an integral aspect to the job. The successful applicant will have demonstrated a deep understanding of multi-threaded server architecture, especially how this relates to performance and scalability, and is able to work independently and with little supervision. You will maintain and improve the existing system test scripts, and in particular, the overall system performance test suite.

The secondary job requirement is maintenance and monitoring of our live production servers; in this capacity, you will be working closely with development to ensure server stability, throughput and reliability. This will include design, development and installation of a redundant server and database architecture, consisting of server and database software development and networking equipment installation and configuration.

In addition, you will also be assisting our technical support group, fielding issues related to the production environment. In this capacity, you will be responsible for analyzing database throughput, advising on performance, scalability and robustness.

Essential Functions

  • Design and development of new features in the application, based on requirements gathered from product management.
  • Investigate and implement recommendations on system changes and operational procedures to increase efficiency or facilitate performance improvements.
  • Advise and work closely with development to optimize and improve overall back end performance.
  • The job applicant will have experience with large scale enterprise production on the Linux environment (Redhat).
  • Knowledge of monitoring software (eg. Hyperic, Nagios), including alerts, escalation policy, etc.
  • Maintain the health and operations of the servers, including maintenance of shell scripts, applying OS patches, etc.
  • Monitoring performance and managing parameters to provide fast query responses to both the user interface, and back end report servers.
  • Continually review and verify and document backup policy, retention and integrity.
  • Participate in design decisions and help create and implement the company’s core high-volume systems and network infrastructure.
  • You will work with QA and tech support to field server related issues.
  • Developing, managing and testing backup and recovery plans, and capacity planning.
  • Communicating regularly with technical, applications and operational staff to ensure database integrity and security.
  • Commissioning and installing new versions of the application, both on the pre-production and production servers.
  • Knowledge of TCP/IP networking, including network equipment, such as load balancers and routers, and configuration of networking services on Linux based servers

Requirements

Must have experience with:

  • Excellent working knowledge of Java.
  • Extensive knowledge of relational database (MySQL) administration and management, including real world working knowledge of clustering, failover, fault tolerance, etc.
  • Windows, Linux (Redhat)
  • SQL (MySQL).
  • Unix shell scripting, and Windows batch scripting.
  • Experience with maintenance and monitoring of production servers.
  • Networking experience (HTTP, DNS, etc).

Bonus experience

  • Experience with monitoring software such as Hyperic or Nagios

Submit resumes to careers@ecobee.com

BrainPark – Front-end Developer

by

Guelph, ON

BRAINPARK, INC is a software company that creates smart and simple software products to make work easier and people more productive. Our solution is a “mash-up” of social software, semantic web, eLearning, information retrieval, social search, and expertise location management. This next generation approach to enterprise software deals head on with information overload, user generated preferences (meaning and relevancy), and a social context.

We are currently searching for a Software Developer to be part of our team of people who are aggressively innovative and pioneering in their thinking. Brainpark is not just about software development, we are about bringing people together to identify problems in the workplace and brainstorm solutions to solve them. If you are an independent and self motivated worker, this job will appeal to you.

This is a 12 month contract with the possibility of becoming a full time position. Start date: Immediately

Role Summary

The ideal candidate will have a passion for what they do, a strong attention to detail, the ability to produce high-quality work quickly, and a portfolio that demonstrates experience in front-end development, designing and conceptualizing graphics for web sites and other digital media.

Responsibilities

  • Work closely with design team members to realize the visual design of the product      
  • Work closely with a cross-functional team in the planning, design and implementation of effective user interfaces for existing and new projects Turn graphics created in Photoshop, Illustrator or simply sketched on paper into beautiful, efficient code       
  • Maintain UI specifications such as style guides and visual standards documents
  • Keep informed of accepted practices, new technologies and new tools for web site design
  • Bring creativity, innovation, and assertiveness to the table
  • Continually raise the bar on creative assignments, being open and able to act on constructive feedback
  • Solve problems to a degree where each design concept is not seen in isolation, but rather, seen as the ‘bigger picture’ in a creative campaign     
  • Work to drive the business through clear and simple design that supports the unique and differentiated brand experience      
  • Convert creative strategy into compelling design

Qualifications

  • Minimum 3-5 years graphic design experience with design and front end development
  • Experience in application design, visual design, and/or website design is required            
  • Skilled in design and web enabling software – Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
  • Excellent knowledge of HTML, CSS and Javascript (we use mostly jQuery)  
  • Working knowledge of Ajax, and Django is an asset        
  • Strong attention to detail         
  • Ability to manage and prioritize projects and meet deadlines        
  • Good understanding of browser and accessibility issues         
  • Well-organized with the ability to handle multiple tasks/projects simultaneously  
  • Good design sensibility   
  • Knowledge of user-experience design, user interface design, interaction design is an asset     
  • Portfolio showcasing your clean, simple, ‘less-is-more’ design aesthetic – we like white space         
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills         
  • Enjoy working in a team environment         
  • Good sense of humour – the goofier the better!

Resume Submission

If you are interested in this opportunity and meet the above qualifications, please submit your resume with wage expectations to resumes@brainpark.com.

We strongly recommend that you take our developer test posted here:

http://www.brainpark.com/devtest.html

Those who are qualified will be contacted.

Apply for this job

Covarity – Technical Team Lead

by

Kitchener, ON

About Covarity


Covarity is a software company based in Kitchener, Ontario that creates ground-breaking technology. We’re literally changing the way financial institutions do business by automating the loan review and monitoring process. Covarity offers a challenging, dynamic, and fun work environment and the opportunity for employees to grow with a company on the rise.

Position Summary

We are looking for a Technical Team Lead for our Network Operations department who will be responsible for design, configuration, system security, monitoring, capacity planning, maintenance, performance tuning, disaster recovery and change management.

Success Factors

  • In-depth knowledge of Windows Operating System
  • Working knowledge on network, systems and application monitoring
  • Installs, configures, and maintains client server infrastructure in support of business requirements
  • Must have strong attention to detail and a commitment to quality service
  • Expertise with network addressing, protocol troubleshooting tools
  • Managed a data centre, server environment or lab
  • Enjoys working on projects such as scalability, performance, security and business continuity for Bank clients in a Windows Server environment (OS, BizTalk, SQL)
  • This role will contribute to the vision and direction for tactical and strategic server architecture, performance analysis, technical work in planning, installation, documentation and administration of all Windows based server applications and hardware
  • Position serves as a senior level technical resource on complex-problems for both local and remote servers, maintain server security, access control, documentation, and take a proactive approach in server maintenance and monitoring

Qualifications

  • Minimum 5 years of professional information technology experience gained from within an enterprise level computing environment
  • BA in Computer Science or Computer Engineering
  • Team based role and have the ability to work effectively within the team and with external vendors is critical
  • Excellent communication, planning, organizational, and project management skills, with the ability to succeed in a fast-paced team environment and is skilled at multi-tasking and prioritizing
  • Able to coach and supervise other systems administrators

To Apply

E-mail your cover letter and resume in confidence to hr@covarity.com specifying the title of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your message. Please be sure to provide some insight into your initiative, skills and achievement. We wish to thank all applicants but only those with qualifications consistent with the job requirements will be contacted.

Dayforce – Senior .NET Developer

by

Toronto, ON

enior .NET Developer

About Dayforce

Dayforce, the innovator in Workforce Performance Management, enables organizations to integrate corporate performance objectives into the planning, scheduling, and management of their workforce for optimal performance and profitability. Dayforce’s enterprise solutions are delivered on-demand and with latest generation technologies resulting in faster deployments, lower costs, a superior user experience, and a return on investment that is delivered more quickly and more sustainably.

About the Position

Reporting to the Development Manager responsible for Scheduling, the Senior .NET Developer is responsible for designing and implementing new development projects, and completing and augmenting the current solutions and services. They will collaborate with Technical Product Managers, Developers, Technical Writing and Quality Assurance throughout the development process to ensure the product is functionally complete and technically solid.

Job Description

  • Analyze, design, prototype, develop , test and support – complete software lifecycle in your hands
  • Work with clients, prospects, implementation partners, and Dayforce personnel to envision and deliver the required functionality
  • Create and enhance a scalable enterprise application
  • Assess risks and impacts on the existing system as new functions are added

    •   

Job Requirements

  • Extensive experience in enterprise software development
  • .NET Framework 2.0 – 3.5
  • .NET Web development, including WCF
  • C#
  • SQL experience; T-SQL desired
  • WPF, Silverlight, Flash/Flex highly desired
  • Experience working in an agile development environment
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills
  • Workforce management domain experience a significant plus

We sincerely appreciate your interest in Dayforce. Only those candidates that have been successfully selected to proceed to the first round of interviews will be contacted.

To apply

Please visit http://www.dayforce.com/en/company/careers or apply directly to careers@dayforce.com

SmartPatterns – SaaS Developer

by

Toronto or Waterloo, ON

We are in need of a full-time individual that can co-lead our development efforts to move our CD based application to the web. If you are up to the challenge of creating a true cloud based SaaS application, and are either a really smart recent grad or a rolls up the sleeve architect/geek, we would like to hear from you. You will work closely with our technical domain expert and lead the web and SaaS development efforts.  You will spend the majority of his time on industry specific domain algorithms and R&D while you will be charged with bringing them to life.

The business

Think Computer-Aided-Design meets Amazon.  We are building a design application for the hobby industry followed by a materials/services fulfillment link.  With top line revenues from our CD application, the concept has been proven commercial making us a later stage venture opportunity.

What we offer

Base plus Equity and/or Cash Bonus tied to defined revenues and user metrics. Drop us a line with a few bullet points that highlight your key technical skills along with links (if available) to your work. We are looking for a full-time dedicated equity caliber partner(s). Ideally you are close to either Waterloo or Toronto.

Apply by email at talktous@smartpatterns.com