Temporary Software Engineer, Product - The Marshall Project

Who We Are

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering the U.S. criminal justice system.

We were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2016 and 2021. We have also been honored with the Goldsmith Prize, multiple National Magazine Awards, and an award for General Excellence from the Online Journalism Awards. We are not advocates — we follow the facts and do not pander to any audience — but we have a declared mission: to create and sustain a sense of urgency about the criminal justice system.

We do not generally cover breaking news, although we curate the reporting of other news outlets in our morning newsletter. Our work includes investigative and explanatory projects and shorter pieces aimed at highlighting stories that other news organizations miss, underestimate or misunderstand. To ensure our work reaches a larger audience, we partner with other media outlets; we have worked with more than 200 newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and online sites.

We are seeking a part-time software engineer to temporarily join our product team. This is a 16-hour-per-week position running for four months and beginning as soon as possible. We like working with people who are thoughtful, curious, and kind, have informed opinions on their craft, and a willingness to both take feedback and advocate for the integrity of their work. You will report directly to our Director of Product and work closely with our product team and stakeholders across the newsroom.

Example Duties and Responsibilities:

• Enhance and maintain our existing analytics platform to improve reporting, insights, and performance.
• Support the development and optimization of our advertising infrastructure.
• Design, build, and enhance features within our Content Management System (CMS).
• Build interactive tools, story components, and digital experiences that enhance reporters' storytelling across web, mobile, and other platforms.
• Ensure all products and features are responsive, accessible, and optimized for a consistent user experience across devices.

Required skills and Experiences:

• Fluency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, git, and Ruby on Rails (or a comparable framework with the ability to ramp up quickly)
• Familiarity with the command line and Git
• Experience dealing with SQL databases
• Experience working with third-party APIs, external services, and asynchronous job processing
• Experience working within a newsroom is a plus

Hourly Rate: $117/hr for a maximum of 16 hours a week.

We are headquartered in New York City, and although this position is fully remote, applicants must reside in the United States and possess the necessary authorization to work here. Remote work outside of the U.S. is not allowed under any circumstances.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ages,