Back-End Developer Position Available In Montgomery, Pennsylvania

Civic Minded is a new organization (LLC) that has been established with a goal of improving transparency in legislative policy in the United States. The organization is seeking a Back-End Developer to work hand-in-hand with the founder to build out a bare-bones prototype web platform. This initial phase is anticipated to last about 3 months focusing on a narrow geographic scope and functionality over finesse.

Job Title:

Back-End Developer Employment Type:

Contract / Freelance / Part-Time (30-35 hrs/ week)

Location:

Remote Duration:

Short-Term Prototype Project (3-4 months)

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Integrate APIs (e.g., Open States, Legistar, ProPublica) to fetch legislative data Set up backend infrastructure (basic database, data caching, serverless if possible) Normalize and store data in a lightweight, queryable structure (either SQL or NoSQL) Build APIs to expose relevant data to a simple front-end (e.g., RESTful or GraphQL) Implement unbiased summaries using off-the-shelf summarization models (e.g., Hugging Face Transformers) Deploy to a free-tier cloud service (e.g., Render, Vercel, or Heroku) Deliver documentation for API usage and data pipeline Build with an eye towards facilitating potential expansion Communication/Coordination Regular (daily) communication with the founder on timelines, planning, hurdles, opportunities, inspirations, costs, frustrations- you name it This phase is focused on learning, this will require the person in this role to embrace the learning experience while helping to bridge the gap for their non-technical (founder) counterpart/employer

Experience Desired:

2-4+ years in back-end development (basic front end principles will be helpful) Experience with API integration and JSON data parsing Familiarity with serverless architecture or Firebase/Vercel, and free-tier cloud platforms

Bonus:

NPL or AI summarization models Role Details Initial role will be for 3-4 months on a part-time (30-35 hours per week) basis The output of this role will be considered as commissioned/directed work-for-hire (compilation /contribution to a collective work) for Civic Minded LLC.

Application process:

Provide a CV of no more than 2 pages (specifying the work you were responsible for in each portfolio item) Include portfolio/links for works you have developed (front end, back end, linking external sources, etc) In the email body, include one or two sentences about why you would be an enthusiastic fit for this role CVs and portfolio links should be sent to Contactus@becivicminded.com ; CV reviews and interviews will be rolling, but an ideal start date would be early July 2025.