Our Next Big Step

This post originally appeared on the Software Carpentry website.

With Software Carpentry's rapid growth over the past couple of years, the combined responsibilities of being the Executive Directory and running the instructor training program have become more than a single person can manage. And after five years of working to grow Software Carpentry into the world-wide community it has become, I'd like to spend more time with my family.

The Software Carpentry Foundation is therefore hiring a new Executive Director. I will transition to running instructor training so that the new ED can devote themselves to building relations with partners, overseeing the development of our curriculum, being Software Carpentry's spokesperson, and working with the Steering Committee to set our future direction. Our new hire will initially be co-Executive Director, and will job-share with me during a brief transition period, after which they will become the new ED.

This is the next logical step in Software Carpentry's evolution, and one that we have been working toward for more than a year. As with the election of the Steering Committee in January, it's a sign that Software Carpentry is here to stay, and nothing could make me prouder.

Mechanics

The timing of the transition will be negotiated with the successful applicant. Whatever is decided, I will start working part-time as soon as they are hired, and will step down as soon as the Steering Committee feels the new ED is ready, but no later than the end of December 2015.

Pay will also be negotiated, and will be very competitive with equivalent academic and industrial positions and commensurate with experience. There is no fixed geographic requirement for this job—it can be done anywhere with reliable Internet access—but it will require some travel (about half a dozen trips per year).

The full description of the Co-Executive Director position is in this blog post. To apply, please send email to team@carpentries.org by July 31, 2015 with "Co-Executive Director" in the subject line, and include:

• A brief resume or CV (approximately two pages).

• A brief statement (approximately two pages) of what you would hope to accomplish in your first year as Executive Director. Please also include a paragraph about any work you may have done with Software Carpentry in the past and another about your experience working with other volunteer organizations.

We will begin interviews immediately after July 31, and hope to have someone in place no later than the end of August.