Newsroom Developer at Gannett in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Job Description:

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is seeking a newsroom developer to build data pipelines, design web apps, and dream up digital storytelling experiences that help readers connect with and understand important data-driven stories and investigations.

We're looking for someone who is thoughtful, analytical, enjoys solving problems and wants to help people understand the world around them through data analysis, news applications and evolving data journalism techniques. The right candidate has a mix of back-end and front-end programming experience and a passion for building systems that can elevate the work of the entire newsroom, such as by finding ways to make large datasets accessible to people without programming experience.

This is a key role that reports to the investigations editor, but will work with colleagues across the newsroom. They will be joining an experienced team of reporters who produce hard-hitting journalism that shines a light on injustice but also helps people in their everyday lives. One week, you might be building a database of court cases for a major investigative project or writing a campaign finance scraper for the politics team. The next week, you might find yourself designing an interactive map for a major breaking news event.

This is a newsroom that thinks big, pushes the envelope and has long punched above its weight on digital storytelling and data-driven investigations, from our recent award-winning Behind the Gun series to our COVID-19 tracker to our Pulitzer-finalist Wires and Fires investigation .

A background in news is not required, but a combination of flexibility, curiosity, collaboration and enthusiasm for journalism's mission is key.

We know not everyone will have all the skills listed. If you're on the fence about applying, please do! You'll be joining a team that values continued learning and experimentation and will give you support to grow in this role.

Responsibilities:

• Work with data, including scraping it, cleaning it, analyzing it and interviewing it to find and tell stories that are rigorous and compelling.
• Collaborate with journalists across teams to generate ideas on how to best visualize and tell stories.
• Build, maintain and improve internal newsroom tools and applications that allow journalists to dive deeper in their reporting. This includes strategizing how to store data and build out APIs.
• Find opportunities for data-driven stories in close collaboration with our investigations team. This could include obtaining and examining law enforcement data, nursing home complaints, licensing and permit records, campaign finance records, and more.
• Balance a mix of short- and long-term assignments. This role may require occasional work on the weekends or evenings depending on breaking news.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or master's in communications, journalism or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience scraping, cleaning and analyzing data in your tool of choice, such as Python, SQL or R.
• Ability to build polished graphics or interactives, especially maps and dashboards. An understanding of good design principles and how to design for clarity, impact, and accessibility is a plus.
• Experience with web development, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Git, and libraries such as D3, Svelte or Mapbox GL JS.
• Experience using relational databases or developing back-end data pipelines.
• Experience building tools and systems that make data more accessible internally, and documenting code and processes for institutional knowledge.
• The ability to work on several projects at once that draw on different skills. You'll need to stay organized and focused.
• Experience working collaboratively and in fast-paced environments.
• Experience using or developing APIs is a plus.
• Experience deploying applications hosted in AWS or similar cloud environments is a plus.
• This role requires a valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.

Application Instructions

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don't limit your upload to a resume; show us what you've done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

1. Your resume - one to two pages.
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
3. Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you've produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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