Very Well-Written Job Description

[dcseain]

A friend's company is seeking a flexible contractor for web work. If interested, please reply with your email in screened comment, and i'll send you the info on where to send your data. The job is in DC area or Chicagoland, your choice. At least you need to be available for face-to-face meetings in one or the other.

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We're looking for a contractor or a small firm who we can build a relationship over time, who will grow to understand our internal goals and business model. If you are a placement firm, we are open to looking at your candidates. Big firms can feel free to reply as well, but we're really looking for a few hours at a time, not a complete site overhaul.

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We have a few basic needs:

1. We need to have someone who we can call for 15 - 40 hours of work at a time. This is not a 40 hour/week position, nor does it have guaranteed hours. Instead, when we're in need, we'd like to know that you're out there, and might be free.

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2. You must be responsive. This doesn't mean that you have to drop everything when we call, but it does mean that you should answer your email within 24 hours when we're engaged in a project.

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3. You need to have been around the block a few times. This is not a good project for someone who is just out of school and is looking for experience. Two or three years experience is a good start.

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4. We need the standard IA deliverable set: wireframes, site maps, user flows, perhaps some technical requirements.
5. You must be able to follow set guidelines, editorial, deliverable and design standards, and have the wisdom when to know when to question them and suggest that we evolve (Hint: not in front of a cranky business owner).

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6. You must also express complicated ideas simply, without the comfort of a common IA language, in a culture that is not all that web-savvy. (By not savvy, I mean that someone may well ask you why you have that page with all the boxes and arrows in front of them. Leave your fancy-pants deliverables and nuanced visual communications at home.)

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7. Experience with associations, Lotus Notes and/or Websphere is a huge plus, although not required.

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8. You must be able to attend meetings in person, and participate in conference calls during standard business in either the DC or Chicago metro areas.

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If you are interested in working with us, please provide me with the following:

1. Your resume/portfolio/ client list.
2. Your rates.
3. A sample deliverable or two (a url reference to this is fine).

Comments

[scruffycritter.livejournal.com]

I have a question:

"No guarantee of hours" combined with "you must be responsive" sounds like a scare-me-off combination of requirements. It sounds like they want someone who would potentially turn down paying work because of a commitment to a customer who *may or may not* have paying work. No contractor experienced enough to recognize that would agree to such a thing.

Am I misunderstanding what they are asking for? I hope so, because it sounds interesting in the other regards.

(For long term relationships like this, I usually name an hourly rate and a minimum number of hrs each month which you pay for whether or not you use them.)

Form the Origniator:

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

actually, if they read the first part of #2, that should calm them down

really - i mean, it says 'if you are engaged with us, you need to email. this does not mean that you have to drop everything.

i was very careful about that

Re: Form the Origniator:

[scruffycritter.livejournal.com]

Fair enough -- I should asked it better. One always but always promptly reply to a client's emails...

What sort of availability level is what would be hoped for? Obviously it's no help to you if the contractor is routinely booked solid when you need him.

Re: Form the Origniator:

[(Anonymous)]

See point 1.