Database producer opening, Chicago

Company: Chicago Tribune Interactive
Job Title: Database Producer
Description: Chicago Tribune Interactive is looking for someone with a great nose for data and a knack for helping present that data to online users in compelling, innovative ways. This person should be a hybrid journalist-techie -- at home in both worlds and ready to lead its online database efforts.

The ideal candidate will have a record of innovation in online media and a proven ability to execute complex editorial database projects. This is not exclusively a programming position, but it will likely require a great deal of hands-on coding.

The position requires excellent communication and team skills, and a flair for explaining complex concepts and procedures to others in clear and compelling ways.

Duties:

-- Oversee development of useful public interfaces to local data collected by Tribune journalists and third parties. Key content areas include real estate, crime, education and sports.

-- Imagine novel ways for users to interact with information and, where appropriate, contribute to and edit information.

-- Work with the newspaper's database experts, Web editorial staff and product-development teams to plan and execute online database projects

Qualifications:

-- 2-4 years experience with database programming, preferably in a media environment

-- Bachelor's degree in computer science or related technical degree preferred

-- HTML/ DHTML/CSS

-- SQL/MySQL

-- PHP/Perl/Python

-- Web Scraping

-- Basic knowledge of Flash

Additional (nice but not required):

-- JavaScript/XML/AJAX

-- PostGreSQL

-- WEB Frameworks (Django or Ruby on Rails)

-- Google Maps/Yahoo! Maps API


If you are interested in applying, or know someone who would be a great candidate for this position, please direct resumes and cover letters to Ben Estes at bestes@tribune.com.