Job Description

The 01 Team exists to take ideas from zero to one, creating brand-new news and information experiences. We are not optimizing; we are inventing.

As the founding developer, you’ll be the person who takes sketches, prompts, or “what if” ideas and turns them into working software. In partnership with a designer and team lead, you’ll explore the frontier of generative AI, interactivity, and personalization. You’ll ship prototypes that can be tested with users, demoed to senior leadership, and, if successful, integrated into Boston Globe Media’s core products or spun out as standalone ventures.

This is not a traditional engineering role. You won’t be maintaining legacy systems or working from long specs. You’ll be building MVPs, integrating APIs to create something usable, and moving quickly to demonstrate what’s possible.

Responsibilities:

• Rapid prototyping: Build and deploy full-stack MVPs in days or weeks, not months.
• AI experimentation: Integrate LLMs, embeddings, vector stores, and real-time data flows into products that reimagine how journalism is delivered.
• Hands-on building: Own both frontend (React/Next.js, interactive interfaces, animation, UI polish) and backend (Node/Python services, APIs, data pipelines).
• Collaboration: Work closely with the designer to translate UX/UI into functioning products, and with the team lead to align builds with vision.
• Integration readiness: Write clear, documented code that makes handoff to core teams smooth when a prototype is adopted.
• Technical scouting: Continuously explore emerging frameworks, SDKs, and AI tools that can accelerate builds or open new possibilities.
• Demo culture: Prepare prototypes for quarterly demos to senior leadership, ensuring they feel polished enough to spark excitement.

Qualifications:

• ​​Product mindset: You think beyond writing code or closing tickets, you understand user needs, business goals, and the “why” behind what you’re building, and you use that understanding to make better decisions at the keyboard.
• Full-stack generalist: Skilled in frontend frameworks (React/Next.js or similar) and backend languages (Node.js, Python, or equivalent).
• Rapid builder: Proven ability to move from concept to demo quickly; you thrive in ambiguity and incomplete specs.
• AI fluency: Experience with AI integrations, LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.), embeddings, RAG patterns, or vector databases.
• UI awareness: Ability to add presentational polish, animations, micro-interactions, and responsive layouts, when needed.
• Cloud deployment: Comfort deploying prototypes to environments like AWS, GCP, or Vercel.
• Startup mindset: You’ve worked in environments where speed, scrappiness, and adaptability matter more than perfect architecture.
• Collaboration skills: Strong communicator who can explain tradeoffs, document clearly, and partner well with non-technical colleagues.
• A willingness to adapt and be audience focused, with a curious mindset and a commitment to creating an inclusive work environment

What Success Looks Like

• Within your first few weeks, you’ve shipped a prototype that leadership can use and react to.
• Your work sparks new ideas, helping define not just how things are built, but what the team chooses to pursue.
• Demos feel smooth, compelling, and 'real', not just rough experiments.
• When a prototype is selected for adoption, your code and documentation make the transition seamless.
• You help establish the technical culture of the 01 Team: fast, curious, inventive, and unafraid to try entirely new things

Bottom line: This is a role for a builder who wants to sit at the edge of journalism and technology. If you get excited about taking half-formed ideas, experimenting with AI, and turning them into products that reimagine how people consume information, this role is for you.

The BGMP office is lcated in downtown Boston, near Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, and is easily accessible by MBTA and commuter rail lines. This position is based in Boston, and candidates should be based in the area or willing to move.

The annual salary for this role is $105,000 - $130,000.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

EEO Statement: At Boston Globe Media, our mission is to empower, connect, and convene our communities with independent, trusted journalism and storytelling. We know a critical part of achieving this is by having a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. Boston Globe Media is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes candidates and colleagues of all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and skills.