Interested in joining our team as a Project Manager in our San Francisco office? Read on!

What we’re after

We are looking for a stellar Project Manager in our San Francisco office to deliver the high-quality service our non-profit, association, and congressional clients expect. We’re specifically looking for fun individuals from our non-profit sector with experience in the Web development process (Joomla experience is a huge plus). Our Non-Profit Soapbox platform is a Joomla-based content management system used by non-profits and socially responsible businesses to easily manage their Web communications. We’re looking to keep up with demand by adding the right project management talent to our team.

Juggling multiple projects at the same time is the name of the game while collaborating with a committed team of technology professionals to bring to life the solutions our non-profits need.

What to bring to the table

Although the position does not require a Web programming background, a strong understanding of the Joomla CMS is definitely helpful. You should have a bachelor’s degree, great references, excellent communication skills, connections in the San Francisco non-profit community, and an ability to keep complicated projects on time and on budget. Experience working at consulting shops is also a big plus.

After all the hard work, you’ll need to be willing to have fun and laugh at least twice a workday. The right applicant will not only have the basic tech qualifications, but will truly enjoy working for the non-profit sector.

You’ve got to have heart. You’ve got to be passionate about public service and the social sector. Enjoying the sight of three-foot tall penguins in the office is also a plus.

What’s the real deal

• Position will be in-house, at our San Francisco location (no consultants please)
• Salary commensurate with experience
• To apply, please send cover letter and resume to jobs{at-sign-here}picnet.net, attention Ryan Ozimek. Include your salary history/requirements.
• In resume or cover letter, explain your past work experience in either the non-profit or public service sectors. Also, please list any content management experience you’ve had, particularly any you’ve had with Joomla.

I learned how to add articles online, connect websites (such as Google and YouTube) to the training website using Joomla’s wrapper feature, and was even able to start the design of my own site online!

I may not be a Joomla! wizard just yet, but I thought it was a great introduction to some of the cool stuff our PICnet team works on, and the information is invaluable to me better understanding Joomla and Soapbox.

Thanks to PICnet and the NOVA JUG for making this happen!

However, one of the things I’m most looking forward to next year is actually meeting the other PICnetters! Because we have two branches (one in DC and one in San Francisco) as well as employees in Rhode Island and Chicago, I  have spoken many times with my fellow co-workers and seen pictures of them, but I have yet to meet them in person.

Our annual retreat, to be held sometime next spring, should take care of this problem! Each year, our team gets together from our various cross-country destinations to discuss goals within PICnet, chat about life, and have some sightseeing fun in DC. I’m looking forward to helping plan and attend next year’s retreat to learn more about these PICnetters I’ve only heard via the phone or written via email. Perhaps that sounds dorky, but what can I say? I just love meeting people – especially people I feel I already know so well:)

• Julie is continuing to mentor an 8th grade girl. For their December outing, they went to see The Fantasticks at the Lincoln Theatre. Julie’s mentee was really excited, especially because she recently got a part in her 8th grade musical.
• Julie also purchased toys for Toys for Tots and clothing for a mom at Bethany House, a shelter for battered women and their children.
• Over the break, Melanie is volunteering at her mom’s Bay Area nonprofit: Hoofprints on the Heart Adaptive Riding Center, helping to prepare for winter rainy season. She’ll also be starting a new pro-bono website project for the SAVE Travel Alliance (a nonprofit dedicated to Scientific Academic Volunteer and Educational travel).
• Pradeep wanted to ensure that children whose parents were in prison still understood that there are people who can be physically present to care for them. Volunteers from Pradeep’s church, United Methodist Church on Capitol Hill, arranged for Christmas gifts to be shared with these children, including some of his own contributions – particularly a big red talking Elmo!

Although PICnet doesn’t have a direct role in giving back to the community, all of our employees feel a strong sense of sharing what we have with others who are less fortunate.

We’re specifically looking for fun individuals from our non-profit sector with experience in the Web development process (Joomla experience is a huge plus).

Our Non-Profit Soapbox platform is a Joomla-based content management system used by non-profits and socially responsible businesses to easily manage their Web communications. We’re looking to keep up with demand by adding the right project management talent to our team.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Read on…

What you’re in for

At PICnet, we provide a unique environment for non-profits to build their online presence. Our high-touch, high-quality service is what separates from the crowd and keeps our client list expanding.

The individual who takes this position will have basic knowledge of the Web development process and stellar communication skills. Juggling multiple projects at the same time is the name of the game, and working alongside Red Bull craving developers brings to life the solutions our non-profits need.

What to bring to the table

Although the position does not require a Web programming background, a strong understanding of the Joomla CMS is definitely helpful. You should have a bachelor’s degree, great references, and excellent communication skills. Experience working at consulting shops is also a big plus.

After all the hard work, you’ll need to be willing to have fun, play putt-putt golf in the hallways, and laugh at least twice a workday. The right applicant will not only have the basic tech qualifications, but will truly enjoy working for the non-profit sector.

You’ve got to have heart. You’ve got to be passionate about public service and the social sector.  Enjoying the sight of three-foot tall penguins in the office is also a plus.

The not so fine print

• Position will be in-house, at our Washington DC, Dupont Circle location (no consultants please), blocks away from our CEO’s favorite burrito shop
• Salary commensurate with experience
• To apply, please send cover letter and resume to jobs{at-sign-here}picnet.net, attention Ryan Ozimek. Include your salary history/requirements.
• In resume or cover letter, explain your past work experience in either the non-profit or public service sectors. Also, please list any content management experience you’ve had, particularly any you’ve had with Joomla.

We’re excited to create a space where people can bring their lunch and their questions to chat about how technology is changing the non-profit world. As the year wraps up, it’s time to gear up for last minute changes to your Non-Profit Soapbox and Joomla Web sites. What better way to do this than by sharing some lessons learned with your fellow Non-Profit Soapbox and Joomla! users at PICnet!

When: Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30pm ET
Where: PICnet’s DC Office – 1605 Connecticut Ave. 3rd Floor, Washington, DC (across the street from the Dupont Circle Metro station’s north exit, next door to Subway)

We hope to see you there! Click here for more details.

So before we all take off to our Thanksgiving gatherings with friends and family, filling ourselves with turkey or tofu, I wanted to take an opportunity to share my thanks to those that have helped keep the PICnet flag flying high in 2009.

First and foremost, many thanks to my PICnet team. These hearty individuals have dedicated their work lives to help organizations fundraise and gain thought leadership through the fog of uncertainty in a difficult year. I couldn’t ask for a better team, and I’m thankful for their never-ending commitment to our sector and the PICnet Salon Experience.

Of course, none of us would have jobs if we didn’t have stellar clients that make the world a better place. We learn as much as we teach, and I appreciate the opportunity to have our company provide services to those changing the world, working in the field and on the front lines, one mission at a time.

I’m thankful for our partners and PICnet advocates. Great companies like Free Range Studios, Big Duck NYC, NPower NY, Democracy in Action, Salesforce.com, and Jessica Weber Design (there’s more too!) stand side-by-side with our team to provide critical communication and design services and tools for our community. As individual firms we can achieve good results, but as collective teams we can achieve great success for the sector.  Building bridges continues to be a core foundation of all our work, and we look forward to continued success with our partners and advocates.

Finally, I’m thankful for the continued contributions and success of the Joomla! community, and all the other open source communities that allow us to provide stellar tools to our organizations. Without these open source projects, our non-profit sector wouldn’t have the rich abundance of affordable tools we see today.

What are you thankful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Who: Project Manager Pradeep Suthram
How he serves: Volunteer for Friends of Prajwala and the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area

Pradeep has been working for PICnet for several years as a project manager, but still finds lots of time for his community, including his church, and even supporting charities his friends work for as well. But his main project hits close to home: for the last couple of years he has been volunteering for Friends of Prajwala, an organization that works to help victims of sexual trafficking and prostitution in India. As a a native of Hyderabad, India, Pradeep has found a way to help the people from his home country, and has even gotten support from multiple friends and family members.

Through Friends of Prajwala, Pradeep has been leading a fundraising effort called The Rebuild Campaign to help build a new shelter near Hyderabad for 600 women and girls who are survivors of sexual assault and trafficking. Growing up, Pradeep witnessed a lot of poverty and wanted to do something about it – he says that trafficked women and girls are some of the most poor people in India, and therefore denied their rights. He has since built a website for The Rebuild Campaign, and helped to raise $16,000 so far through his friends and networks.

Pradeep also assists the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) with website development (using Joomla! of course) and he has helped to organize an international development career fair and hosted seminars on microfinance and technology related to international development. “UNA NCA has helped me to connect with a lot of like-minded ‘do-gooders,’ and learn about some really interesting issues,” says Pradeep.

Read more about UNA-NCA.

Learn more about Pradeep.

Who: Office Manager Julie Dennis
How she serves: Volunteer for Community Bridges

Julie has only been working as a PICnetter for a few months now, but she has been volunteering since early this year to middle-school girls develop lifeskills through Maryland-based Community Bridges. She began helping the organization in January as a mentor for a Montgomery County Public School student, Allison. As Allison’s mentor for the spring semester, Julie met with the girl each week to have dinner, play games or just have “girl talk” about what was going on in her life.

How did Julie get involved with Community Bridges? She had been looking for an organization that empowers women and girls, and after attending a development conference in November of 2008, she approached the Executive Deputy Director about volunteer opportunities and was put to “work” in January 2009. Julie says,”I really like helping these young ladies figure out how to deal with the hardships that they might encounter in 8th grade and especially on through high school. It is great to have a support system of people who care for you, and I think that these mentees know that Community Bridges is there to do just that.”

One of Julie’s favorite projects through Community Bridges so far was a Saturday yoga session they held during a unit on positive body image. “It was really cool because we were taught something that we could do to help our bodies (and minds), and it was also a great bonding experience for the mentors and their mentees.”

Julie is a mentor once again this semester for a young girl, and she’s looking forward to the special events and activities and spending time with fellow mentors and their mentees.

Read more about Julie.

Learn more about Community Bridges.
*Read our introductory post on PICnetters giving back through service, and the first and second in the series.

Jamie Ozimek contributed to this post.

Who: Project Manager Katie Guernsey
How she serves: Various positions at Americans for the Arts

PICnetter Katie keeps busy day to day as a  Project Manager in our San Francisco office, helping clients build and manage their websites. But on the side, Katie is heavily involved in Americans for the Arts, the largest national advocacy and service organization for the arts in the US.

At AFTA, Katie serves as a member on the Emerging Leaders Council, and the chair of  the Technology and Communications Committee. As a Councilmember, she helps inform the direction that AFTA takes in supporting arts administrators who identify themselves to be “emerging” in their career on a national level. What exactly does that mean? According to Katie, AFTA’s definition of an “Emerging Leader” is someone under 35 years old, or in the field less than five years, but depending on the person, these guidelines can change a little. The Emerging Leaders Council devises programming, networking, and professional development opportunities for their peers under the guise of AFTA’s infrastructure. On a local level, Katie helps to coordinate professional networking opportunities such as the “Creative Conversations.”

Some of Katie’s specific duties include maintaining AFTA’s Google Group and overseeing the strategy of how to best serve their constituency through online technologies. This year, she facilitated one of the Emerging Leader Networking Sessions at the Annual Convention.

Katie got her first leg in the door to the arts at the City of Ventura’s Cultural Affairs Division. Since CAD was an organizational member of AFTA, a colleague recommended that she sign up for the Emerging Leaders listserv to become familiar with the field and seek support. She was amazed at how much she learned about a career in the arts, and she engaged in heartfelt and insightful discussions regarding her level of employment in the field, and found for herself a community of peers on a national level. Katie says, “I’ll never forget the first time I attended an Annual Convention where I sat amongst all the Emerging Leaders with whom I’d been emailing over the last three years. Faces finally became associated with emails! My participation on the listserv helped me to decide to attend grad school where I honed my technology background to help arts organization and other nonprofits.”

When the call for nominations to the Council came around again, Katie jumped at the opportunity to serve those who may need similar guidance. Katie says the most tangible example of her work is the coordination of the Creative Conversations in San Francisco. This has been her third year helping coordinate a Creative Conversation, a setting where emerging arts professionals come to reflect on a range of topics with their peers. Says Katie of the experience: “It’s both cathartic and inspiring and professionally beneficial! In 2007, I was new to the Bay Area and the conversation was an intimate setting of 6-10 arts administrators who had recently moved into town as well. We focused on topics such as how to build a network, finding a job and the funding climate in SF for the arts.”

This year, with a bigger network on her side and new SF colleagues on the Council, Katie can happily say that SF has finally established a formidable network of arts administrators! The San Francisco Bay Area Emerging Arts Professionals has been created, thanks in part to fellow Councilmember, Ebony McKinney, of the SF Arts Commission.

Read more about Katie.
*Read our introductory post on PICnetters giving back through service, and the first in the series.