Backend Developer

Dark Matter Labs (Dm) is working on what is needed to manifest transformations to our food, housing, land, material and nature systems towards a future of mutual thriving. In doing this, we analyse the shifts it requires in the underlying ‘dark matter’ - monetary, economic, governance, regulatory and policy systems - to make this possible, and we work with partners to demonstrate these alternatives in neighbourhoods, cities and bioregions. We share these insights openly for mutual learning.

This project focuses on contributing to the revitalisation of urban areas facing problems of vacancy and urban decline through innovative permissioning systems.

Key goals of the project (what we will be prototyping):

• Vacant Space Registry System: Create a searchable registry map of vacant or usable public spaces in the city, integrating existing space data into an open database.

• Automated Space Reservation System: Develop a system for automated space reservations and usage, including community-based decision-making protocols and AI chatbot integration.

• IoT Sensor-based Management: Implement a sensor-based system for real-time measurement and management of space usage.

• Real-time Data and Feedback System: Develop functions for automatic reporting and protocol updates based on real-time data and citizen feedback.

• Permission Platform Management System: Manage platform functions such as member verification, space reservation, protocol revisions, and overall platform performance.

As a Backend Developer, you will play an important role in developing and prototyping the first version of the "Permissioning the City" platform, which aims to create a series of interconnected modules that facilitate citizen-to-citizen interactions and citizen-led governance for civic activities (social, cultural, economic) in urban spaces. Here’s what the role entails:

Focus Area 1: Understand the design constraints (15%):

• Requirements Gathering: Understand the project requirements by researching all existing data and how it is stored.

• Tech Stack Definition: Define the needed technology stack for the project.

• Schema Design: Create the necessary schemas and backbone structure for the applications with open source in mind.

• Focus Area 2: Backend Development (45%)

• Database Management: Develop and manage a robust backend system to support various platform functions. This includes building a cloud-based public database and establishing read & write protocols with privacy and protection standards.

• API with permission layer: The core of the project is to create access to data and be able to write data with careful and clear permissions for humans and sensors in the system.

• IoT Integration: Implement and manage an IoT sensor feedback system to measure and maintain space usage, noise levels, crowd density, and other metrics in real-time.

• Documentation: Clear communication on how to use and add to this open source system.

This role will not involve any frontend work but will require collaboration with our partner organisation, which uses a Ruby on Rails-based frontend.

Focus Area 3: Integration and Automation (40%)

• Frontend Integration: Make sure the backend system can connect with various frontend applications easily and securely.

• API Integration: Develop and integrate APIs to connect various components of the platform, ensuring seamless data flow and functionality.

• Automated Systems: Establish an automated space reservation and usage system using various interfaces, including an option for chatbot integration. This includes implementing protocols for space permission, real-time feedback mechanisms, and smart permit issuance.

• Collaborative Frameworks: Work with local governments and regional digital companies to develop standard APIs for further localisation and expansion..

This role is perfect for a developer who is excited about using their technical skills to create meaningful change in urban environments. You will have the opportunity to work on emerging technology, collaborate with diverse teams, and contribute to a project that aims to make cities more vibrant and community-driven.

You might thrive in this role if

• You're Skilled in Backend Development: You have strong experience in backend development and have shipped 2-3 production-ready apps. You know relational database management systems like MySQL or PostgreSQL well, which are key for building new permission systems. You also have experience deploying backend servers and APIs using languages such as Python, Go, or JavaScript.

• You're a Clear Communicator: You speak and write fluently in Korean and have good English skills. You make sure everyone understands complex ideas easily and that all stakeholders are on the same page.

• You're Organised: You are great at managing tasks, keeping plans detailed, and making sure every part of a project runs smoothly. You enjoy keeping things organised and well-planned.

• You're Interested in Technology: You love learning about new technology. Even though Web3 technologies are not needed right now, you are interested in exploring emerging technologies for future projects.

• You're a Team Player: You work well with others and enjoy building strong relationships. You will work closely with our partners and team members to ensure the project's success.

• You're Quick to Learn: You are curious and love to learn new tools and concepts. You adapt quickly to new challenges and are always looking to grow your skills.

• You're a Strategic Thinker: You naturally see the big picture and understand how different parts of a system work together. This helps you make good decisions and bring new ideas to the project.

Other Nice-to-Have Skills that Might Make the Learning Curve Easier (but are not strictly essential) are:

• Knowledge of Web3 Technologies: Understanding decentralised technologies could be helpful for future work.

• Design and Usability Skills: Knowing how to create functional and user-friendly prototypes.

• Experience in Urban Transformation: Interest and experience in using digital tools for improving urban areas.

• Graphic Design Skills: Experience with design tools like Adobe, Miro, or Figma.

This aside, we are completely open to what your background might be. We highly value lived experience as a form of expertise and we consider having a broad and diverse range of lived experience within the team, as being critical for us to be able to do our best possible work together and to create a range of spaces and accommodate a broad spectrum of life experience into our planetary team.

Who you might work closely with

As the sole backend developer on this project, you will be a key player, working closely with both local and global collaborators to bring the "Permissioning the City" platform to life. You will be the technical authority, collaborating directly with Eunsoo and the design contractor to explore what’s technically possible within the project's scope.

Local Team:

• Eunsoo Lee: Project Manager and Strategic Designer who will guide the project’s direction.

• Design Contractor: Local designer assisting with visual and UI elements.

• Local Tech Company: Responsible for frontend development, coordinating with you to ensure seamless backend and frontend integration.

Global Network:

Permissioning the City sits within Dark Matter Labs’ Civic Tech Studio & you will be connected to developers and strategic designers that are working with us on other projects in this space. The Civic Tech Studio helps turn the theory and vision of Dm’s ecosystem into testable prototypes and applications geared towards long-term impact & maintenance. We see tech with a critical and open-source lens rather than as an extractive and inevitable solution. Given the international nature of the team, communications will primarily be in English.

How we work

We're a multi-disciplinary and distributed team based around the globe. What's important to us is using the context and local conditions of projects to grow our knowledge and use it to iterate our knowledge and practice across all of our work. We pride ourselves on learning, experimentation and intuition, and look to provide members of the team ways in which they can grow their own knowledge and practice. We view projects, processes and how we work as an evolving design that you would be part of shaping.

Please check our Jobs page for more information on how we organise.

Pay

Our approach to pay is not based on favouring one skill over another or rewarding hierarchical power dynamics. Instead, we recognize that everyone possesses unique and exceptional skills, and we remove the process of valuing and comparing them. This allows us to focus on unleashing those skills in diverse ways based on the specific context. It gives us the freedom to determine, assign, and assess roles based on what is most suitable for each situation, rather than being constrained by predefined roles tied to compensation.

As a result, our pay is designed not to reward people for tasks done, but to cover living costs so that we are freed to create what we believe is needed in the world.

Our current base pay for everyone on the team is:

Formula = (((Years experience* + 23) (+ 8.82 for freelancers)) x 1000) = gross pro rata pay in GBP

*Years experience includes all experience after school completion age (18) - inc work, education, unpaid work (care, volunteering, etc).

We recognise that no formula that tries to do this can fully account for the unique contexts of every person. Therefore we also have a rebalancing process in place to accommodate individual circumstances.

We have recently put in place a range of benefits support across the team, including coaching, learning funds, sabbatical and secondment support, learning funds, workspace funds and more. These were set collectively by the team and vary according to statutory provisions in different geographies - we’ll be happy to confirm the relevant approach for your geography and contract type.

Our holiday policy is a minimum of 28 days/year pro-rata, but we encourage you to take all of the time that you need to properly rest.

Your Hiring Journey at Dark Matter Labs

This page outlines how the process will look if you apply. We recommend checking it, and if you have any questions, please reach out at join@darkmatterlabs.org.

As part of the application process, we will ask four screening questions to assess your fit for the role. One of these questions will ask you to share links to your shipped apps, GitHub profile, and/or portfolio so we can review your previous work and projects. We're excited to see what you've created!