University of Minnesota
center for writing
writing.umn.edu


Job opportunities

Thank you for your interest in working at the Center for Writing!

Student positions

Technology specialist (undergraduate student position)

The Center for Writing’s student Technology Specialist experiences a complete view of software development for web applications. Through collaborating with the Center's Senior Technology Specialist and IT professionals in the University, the Tech Specialist will learn about and practice fundamentals of software engineering relevant for the workplace. Previous holders of this position have gone on to work at Amazon, Epic, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and Oracle.

The Technology Specialist position will be for Summer 2024, with the goal of continuing into future semesters depending on funding and performance.

Job Duties

Software Development (95%) 

Serve as an essential member of the Center for Writing's technology development team, which includes both technical and non-technical staff; collaborate with Center's Senior Technology Specialist to design, develop, and maintain the Center for Writing's database-driven web applications, which are used daily by thousands of students; communicate progress in weekly team meetings and daily email correspondence.

Computer Lab Technical and User Support (5%) 

Provide technical support for users of computers and related peripherals in the Center for Writing, and/or refer support requests to the Office of Information Technology.

Required qualifications

Applicants must

  • be registered undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

  • have excellent diagnostic and analytical skills

  • understand object-oriented programming

  • be able to configure, upgrade, maintain and troubleshoot Apple and PC computers

  • be able to communicate effectively with non-technical student and professional staff

  • be able to collaborate with the technology development team

  • be able to work independently on projects

Preferred qualifications

The preferred candidate will 

  • have a strong interest in learning more about designing secure, interactive web applications using PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

  • have experience with weakly typed languages, like Python, particularly in Prototype JS; MVC Frameworks; Unit Testing; Revision Control Systems (especially Git); and the UNIX operating system

  • have past coursework or experience that may include software engineering, database systems, and user interface design as it relates to web usability

  • have at least 2 years of undergraduate studies left

Candidates from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities and identities are encouraged to apply. In addition, we welcome applications from students from all language backgrounds—especially students who are going to be sophomores or juniors during the 2024–25 school year. 

How to apply

The application requires four documents, all submitted in Handshake.

  1. A resume that includes your current contact information and the contact information of two references (people who can speak to your professional skills).
  2. A cover letter that describes relevant experiences and interest in this position.
  3. Your unofficial transcript(s). We ask for this so that we can see what courses you have taken. To get your UMN transcript, go to myu.umn.edu > Academics. Select the “Grades” tab, then scroll down to the bottom, where you will see a link to “Unofficial Transcript.”
  4. A one-page coding sample/fragment that demonstrates your ability to organize and document code; this sample could be from a class assignment, individual project, or any other coding you have done. This code cannot be AI-generated.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until May 1, with priority given to applications submitted by 11:59 pm Central time on Tuesday, April 16.

Please apply via Handshake. If you have any questions about the position or the application process, please contact Dr. Katie Levin at kslevin@umn.edu.


Graduate students interested in working as a consultant at Student Writing Support

Unfortunately, given an especially tight budget, we are unable to hire any new graduate students for 2024–25. We hope to be able to hire again for the 2025–26 academic year. In Spring 2025, we will contact all students who have completed this interest form.

Undergraduate students interested in working as a consultant at Student Writing Support

We have completed our hiring for the 2024–25 academic year. Interested in working at Student Writing Support in 2025–26? In Spring 2025, we will contact all students who have completed this interest form.

 

Staff/faculty positions

With the Center for Writing

The Center for Writing is hiring a new director. For more information and application instructions, please visit the University of Minnesota's job site and search for job ID #359090.

Within the Writing Across the Curriculum Program

The Writing Across the Curriculum Program is also hiring a new director. For more information about the position, go to our job site and search for job ID#358939.