Want to apply your skills to directly helping society? Do you fantasize about getting paid a reasonable wage to make the world a better place? Benetech® is Silicon Valley's deliberately nonprofit tech company, and we apply technology to directly assist the causes of literacy, accessibility, human rights and the environment.

• Software QA Engineer (#SQAE)
• Vice President, Engineering (#VPE)
• Development Associate (#DA)

Fellowship Opportunities

Benetech fellowship positions are an opportunity to engage in meaningful and socially compelling projects in a six month to one year term. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a dedicated and successful professional team. It provides an environment where an individual can apply his or her professional knowledge and at the same time make a difference in the lives of people helped by Benetech's mission, “technology serving humanity.” Fellows work at Benetech’s Palo Alto, California, office and receive $20/hour.

• IT and Support Engineer (#ITSE)
  
  

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Development Associate (#DA)

This is a position for an experienced professional with excellent writing and analytical skills who can work in partnership with the Development team at Benetech to develop funding sources to support multiple programs and projects. Our goal is to raise the community's support of Benetech as a vibrant and innovative social enterprise.

This person will research, organize and write grant proposals that support Benetech's short- and long-term fundraising goals. Benetech currently has programs in the areas of human rights, literacy, disabilities and the environment and we investigate new projects for potential future development. The Development Associate will also collect, manage and synthesize grant-related information; develop grant budgets and reports; monitor grant status; assist with donor cultivation/recognition; and write f or publication projects as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Grant Proposals and Reports (80 percent)
• Work closely with the Development Team and Program staff to identify agency priorities and needs to pursue through grant development.
• Research foundation and corporate grantmakers to identify prospects and to assist in developing proposal strategies. Recommend funding opportunities to pursue from pool of prospective grantmakers.
• Plan and coordinate proposal development, including research, data collection, writing, budget and supporting materials. Write letters of intent, concept papers, follow up letters and other grant-related documents as needed.
• Write grant proposals to solicit, retain and maximize financial support.
• Coordinate reports to funders. Work with staff to collect program outcome data and evaluate performance. Produce status reports on grant activity. Write and submit reports in a timely manner.
• Research individual major prospects to assist in developing cultivation and funding strategies.
• Support solicitation strategies for major donors and write letters of inquiry, proposals and follow-up letters.
• Other Funding Projects (10 percent)
• Assist with selected fund-raising activities to achieve department and organization goals, which include but are not limited to, donor recognition/cultivation events and corporate partner/sponsor projects.
• Write for organization communications as needed, including case for support materials, white papers and content development for outbound communication.
• Support research and writing of award nominations that will provide funding and increased visibility for Benetech.
• Other Responsibilities (10 percent)
• Maintain data on targeted funders using Exceed donor database, monitor/search Internet and publications and attend funder events.
• Produce grant tracking reports from database for strategic planning and budget management purposes.
• Assist with developing and writing major donor acknowledgment, major donor recognition/cultivation letters and collateral fund-raising materials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, with a concentration in English, journalism, communications or marketing preferred
• Excellent writing and communications skills are required, with demonstrated successful writing experience in a professional setting.
• Ability to develop compelling and engaging key message points and impact statements with a high level of detail orientation. 2-4 years progressive experience and success in grant/proposal writing.
• Demonstrated fund raising experience, particularly in the development of grant proposals and supporting materials
• Excellent research, planning, conceptual, analytical and strategic-thinking skills
• Familiarity with both private and public fund sources
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and general ease with software and technology.
• Experience with fundraising software, preferably Exceed\! Premier
• Ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality in regards to donor records and fund development information
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously with thoroughness, accuracy, timeliness and good humor
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to work as part of an enthusiastic and passionate team on a variety of projects
• Creative problem-solving ability, with a willingness to imagine solutions where society sees problems
• Ability to relate well and to work well with a wide range of people
• Personal belief in our mission and enthusiasm about working for a nonprofit
• Entrepreneurial spirit, and understanding of social enterprise business planning skills a plus

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IT and Support Engineer (#ITSE)

Benetech, a non-profit organization based in Palo Alto, is seeking a part-time IT and Support Engineer. This person in this position is responsible for day-to-day networking support and systems administration. Working in tandem with a Network Support Engineer, s/he will maintain computer systems, phone system and other peripherals.

This is a part-time position on-site in Palo Alto, California

Job Responsibilities

• Deploy and maintain user workstations in a mixed environment (Windows, Mac and Linux)
• Configure and maintain Active Directory and other windows services.
• Respond to user support requests via bug tracking system (Jira) and provide in-person assistance as needed.
• Maintain documentation in the wiki that is useful to employees when troubleshooting common problems.
• Track hardware and software assets in an organized manner.
• Support VOIP phone system and mobile devices (Blackberry, iPhone, etc.)
• Troubleshoot a variety of hardware and software issues

Technical Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience supporting Windows clients
• 3+ years of experience supporting Mac clients
• at least some experience supporting Linux clients
• Outlook, VPN, mobile access, security, backup and malware control.
• Windows Server applications including MS Exchange, anti-spam software.
• Windows client computer procurement, testing, setup, and user training
• DNS, SSL-cert, hosted services administration
• Maintain hardware (e.g., printers, high-speed scanners, CD duplicator)
• Must have good communication skills

Desirable Experience

• Ubuntu (Linux) desktop support
• Firewalls, load balancers, VPN, switches, routers, high-availability and failover systems
• DNS, DHCP, SMNP, SMTP, VLAN, and other network protocols.
• Experience installing and upgrading server side tools (e.g. bug tracking systems, wiki) etc.

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Software QA Engineer

Benetech is looking for a self-starter and team player with a history of innovation and excellence in software testing and test automation. The individual will be part of an agile software development team and be responsible for testing our enterprise web applications and building/extending our automated test framework.

This contract position on-site in Palo Alto, CA.

Core Responsibilities

• Find and report system defects. Think like an owner and act as an advocate for the customer.
• Participate in requirements and design review to identify requirements gaps and ensure testability of system software components.
• Design, implement, and maintain comprehensive test scripts based upon software specifications and system architecture designs.
• Plan, develop, and execute system and regression level testing scenarios.
• Create and maintain test data sets for use by test scripts.
• Build and maintain an automated web application-testing infrastructure and integrate into our continuous integration system.
• Develop automated functional and regression tests for our web applications.
• Help define, implement, and refine best practices for software testing using agile processes.
• Work with cross-functional team to troubleshoot software issues and perform root cause analysis of system problems.

Qualifications

• Genuine passion for software testing, problem solving, and quality assurance.
• Development of comprehensive data driven automated test suites for web applications.
• Test Planning, Test Case Design, and Testing. This is a hands-on testing role, not just automation development.
• Functional domain knowledge of one or more of the following areas: web site security, web site accessibility, assistive technologies, accessible file formats.
• Proficiency using SQL and experience working with complex data sets within a relational database.
• Experience with UNIX/Linux command line tools.
• Professional experience illustrating dedication, loyalty and progression.
• Demonstrable history of improving your skills inside and outside the workplace.
• Bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) in Computer Science, Engineering or related field.

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Vice President, Engineering (#VPE)

The Vice President of Engineering defines and oversees the technology and systems required to maintain Benetech operations and projects. Responsibilities include product development, managing an existing talented development team and representing the technical side of the Benetech externally to partners, both tech and financial. The Vice President of Engineering will work with the existing team to establish a comprehensive strategy for new application development and the migration of existing applications.

The Vice President of Engineering will work in a team environment, understand business requirements and lead the creation of corresponding technical solutions. S/he will set technical direction and will mentor and manage the technical staff.

Candidate should be a self-starter who is process oriented, able to see the big picture while paying attention to details and have an aptitude for systems architecture. Creativity in problem solving with minimal resources is a core capability. Candidates must have a demonstrated passion for improving the world: this is not just another technology management position!

This position is on-site in Palo Alto, California, and reports to the CEO.

Essential duties

• Provide primary technology leadership for Benetech.
• Provide day-to-day management and strategic direction for the technology team, both directly and through existing engineering management.
• Ensure the performance of the technology team as measured by objectives and within budgets.
• Help define the core Benetech messages and positioning and ensure accurate communication to technical audiences.
• Assist in the development of Benetech and project business and operational plans.
• Leverage limited resources to achieve incredible results.
• Mentor staff for personal development and to improve technical performance.
• Steward Benetech culture through position responsibilities, including internal and external relationships.

In addition to core Benetech management responsibilities, other duties and responsibilities may include the following:

• Brainstorm innovative technical solutions. Work with members of the Benetech technical staff, technology leaders and others to develop cost-effective and innovative solutions to social needs.
• Build and direct teams to work on specific projects, including paid staff, fellow, interns and volunteers.
• Maintain and expand Benetech’s relationships with the technology community.
• Provide technical leadership in the technology development process and represent the interests of users by working with product managers.
• Provide leadership and direction for IT infrastructure and oversight for operational functions encompassing systems acquisition, system support and maintenance, networking and direction of all IT services across Benetech
• Be aware of social needs for technology that cannot be solved by the for-profit sector.
• Maintain familiarity with current technology innovations to ensure that Benetech is developing solutions with best practices and current technology.
• Assist in raising capital for specific initiatives. Work with fund raising staff to identify and secure funding for specific projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.) in computer science or a related field with at least ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience; graduate degree preferred
• An excellent manager with a track record (7 years +) of achieving results in software development
• Experience with web services and content delivery
• Demonstrated skill in capacity planning, budgeting and conflict management, and the ability to impart these skills to others
• Track record of successful technology leadership outside of a single company
• Nonprofit and/or volunteer service highly desirable
• Familiarity with technology policy and standards
• Aptitude for streamlining engineering operations
• Strong communication abilities, including writing and public speaking
• Ability to excite and inspire technologists behind a vision
• Ability to plan, organize, implement, evaluate, and modify programs, informational support systems and processes
• Ability to read, analyze, interpret and write business plans, financial plans and general business documents
• Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups and/or boards of directors
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions
• Creative problem solving skills
• Ability to work well with a wide range of people
• Personal belief in our mission

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