[Remote] Software Engineer, MediaWiki Interfaces at Wikimedia Foundation

Remote

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Mid-level (3 to 4 years), Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Technology, Non-Profit, Open SourceIndustries

Requirements

Commitment to the Foundation's Mission and Values
Bachelor's + 2 years of related experience or equivalent work experience
Proficiency in PHP and JavaScript, or a willingness to learn and work with both
Understanding of HTTP and web application architecture
Familiarity with observability and testing practices
Working hours that overlap with UTC-4 to UTC+2 time zones

Responsibilities

Designing, developing, and maintaining key parts of the MediaWiki stack
Writing clean, well-documented, and maintainable code
Participating in code reviews, design discussions, and technical planning
Investigating and resolving production issues with support from other engineers
Contributing to the adoption and advocacy of API-first development, and influencing best practices in system design, SLOs/SLAs, and OpenAPI Specification
Contributing to improving observability (metrics, logging, monitoring) and reliability of our systems
Collaborating with the Product team and the Wikimedia community to ensure technical solutions meet user needs
Working with other engineers to improve the development workflow

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

MediaWikiPHPJavaScriptREST APIOpenAPISLOsSLAsObservabilityMetricsLoggingMonitoringCode ReviewSystem Design

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

Is this position remote?

Yes, this is a fully remote position, but your working hours must overlap with UTC-4 to UTC+2 time zones to accommodate the global team.

What technical skills are required for this role?

The role requires proficiency in PHP and JavaScript (or willingness to learn both), understanding of HTTP and web application architecture, and familiarity with observability and testing practices.

What soft skills or qualities are you looking for in candidates?

We seek clear communicators who are outcome-oriented, accountable, candid and respectful, and collaborative.

What is the company culture like on the MediaWiki Interfaces team?

The team emphasizes collaboration with engineers and product managers, a culture of responsibility and follow-through, candid and respectful feedback, and working in a fully remote, distributed environment.

What makes a strong candidate for this Software Engineer role?

Strong candidates will have a commitment to the Wikimedia Foundation's mission, a Bachelor's + 2 years of related experience or equivalent, proficiency in PHP and JavaScript, plus nice-to-haves like open-source contributions, MediaWiki familiarity, and remote team experience.

Wikimedia Foundation

Operates Wikipedia and free knowledge projects

About Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation operates Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects, aiming to create a world where everyone can freely access and share knowledge. It provides a platform for users to read, contribute, and share content, while also supporting the volunteer communities that help maintain these projects. The foundation is funded by donations from individuals and institutions, emphasizing its nonprofit status. Unlike many other organizations, it focuses on making knowledge accessible to all without charge, advocating for policies that support free knowledge initiatives. Its goal is to empower individuals to contribute to and benefit from a collective pool of knowledge.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2003Year Founded

$145.9MTotal Funding

GRANTCompany Stage

Social Impact, EducationIndustries

501-1,000Employees

Benefits

Remote Work Options

Risks

Reliance on Nvidia's AI tech may affect Wikimedia's data processing autonomy.

DSA audit could reveal vulnerabilities requiring significant resources to address.

Decentralized platforms like Mastodon may divert users from Wikipedia.

Differentiation

Wikimedia Foundation operates the world's largest free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

It supports a diverse range of projects like Wiktionary and Wikisource.

The Foundation is a non-profit, relying on global donations for funding.

Upsides

Nvidia's NeMo Retriever tech reduced Wikipedia processing time from 30 days to 3 days.

Holistic AI's audit under the DSA enhances Wikimedia's platform safety and accountability.

Collaboration with Open Foundation West Africa combats misinformation during Ghana's elections.

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