If you’re looking for a tech job in Austin, add this event to your Startup Week schedule: On Monday afternoon, we’re hosting Startup Connect, a chance for you to network with 45 startups who will each take the stage to showcase their thriving cultures and talk about open positions in disciplines technical, creative and beyond so you can find the job that’s right for you.
Here’s a preview of what to expect from 14 of them.
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A little background: Demand Generation Manager Laura North said Phunware sees itself as a mentor to others in the startup world.
“We frequently have students and peers visiting to understand how our solutions are impacting the mobile industry,” she said.
Phunware was recently named to the Inc. 500 list of America's Fastest-Growing Companies for the second consecutive year, ranks fourth on the 2014 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, and is a three-time consecutive honoree on the Forbes list of America’s Most Promising Companies and the Austin Business Journal Fast 50 for Central Texas.
“Our culture is based on transparency, collaboration and accountability,” North said. “Most importantly, we are proud of our reputation as a great place to work.”
What they’re looking for: People who dive into challenges head-first, take ownership of their work and are willing to collaborate cross-functionally with other smart, like-minded people to make Phunware's vision a reality. Phunware's best employees are laser-focused specialists who can maintain firm footing in the company's broader strategic objectives at the same time. They're people who kick ass at their day jobs and are assets to their own teams and others across the company.
The perks: Casual culture, competitive salary, full range of benefits and a use-your-best-judgment unlimited PTO policy.
A little background: TrueCar is a new member of Austin’s technology community, but Mobile Tech Lead Avtar Khalsa said their development teams are growing fast.
“We want to be known as an environment where talented developers can get together and have fun solving interesting problems,” he said. “We expect to hire 200 or more people in the Austin area over the next two years.”
What they’re looking for: Developers with an interest in working with many technologies at once, including Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby on Rails, Native Mobile Development, and Big Data. TrueCar employees are frequently asked to work with technologies they may not be familiar with, so the company wants candidates who will embrace the opportunity to learn new skills. They have immediate developer openings in front end, full stack, Android and iOS.
The perks: “We pay above market prices for above market talent,” Khalsa said. “You deserve it.” Plus, the company reimburses fitness memberships and has an unlimited vacation policy.
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A little background: EasyPayDirect gives online merchants an easy way to accept payments, plain and simple. Founder and CEO Brad Weimert said the company is a relationship facilitator. “Helping companies scale their business the right way—through solid connections—is at the core of what we do.”
What they’re looking for: Weimert is focused on relationships and personality types. The company is looking for “quirky, dedicated, witty people who enjoy using technology to make things easier for themselves and others,” he said. “People who enjoy people, or at least put a solid game face on.”
The perks: Weekly Catered Lunches, Happy Hours and Nerf wars. And judging by the paintball group shot here, some days call for heavier weaponry. “Seriously,” Weimert said. “And did I mention we're right downtown?”
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A little background: Praecipio Consulting may employ the most experts on Atlassian’s enterprise software ever to gather outside an Atlassian office. And that’s their whole business: Consulting, implementing and optimizing the Atlassian software suite for other companies.
When asked about their culture, Marketing Analyst Erin Jones echoed a popular sentiment in the Austin startup scene: “We work hard so we can play hard.” But playing hard takes different forms at different startups. At Praecipio, that includes wakeboarding and paddleboarding in addition to regular happy hours.
What they’re looking for: Passionate, curious, outside-the-box thinkers who love helping people find solutions to their business and technology issues.
The perks: Praecipio Consulting offers PTO incentives through personal fitness & wellness challenges, days off to volunteer, flex hours and more.
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A little background: Cerebri claims a spot on the cutting edge of Cognitive Computing and customer experience. They’ve partnered with IBM Watson and their unique algorithms and are making a difference in our local and global community.
What they’re looking for: When we asked, CEO Ryan Lund didn’t beat around the bush. “We’re looking for kick-ass developers who want to do good in the world, make business-changing products and join us on the path to make a s*** ton of money.”
Specifically, he said that translates to experienced Python developers and front-end developers with design experience.
The perks: It starts with security and stability. Lund said Cerebri sustains itself with revenue from its customers, so they don’t need to worry about fundraising to keep going. Then there’s the energetic environment that comes from being in Capital Factory. “And I will buy you beers on occasion,” he added.
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A little background: TrendKite makes brand monitoring and reporting software for the public relations industry, which it combines with concierge service from the customer success personnel the pair up with each client.
What they’re looking for: Recruiting manager Kelsey Press said the TrendKite team wants friends to go into battle with. “Our employees wake up with a fire lit underneath them before they come into work. The team members we’re looking for are the same way.”
The perks: The company received $5 million in funding at the beginning of this year. Press said that puts the company in great financial health and enables them to offer 100 percent paid medical, dental and vision benefits. “In addition to great perks, we always celebrate our successes, including a company sponsored party every end of month when goals are achieved,” she said.
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A little background: Alchemy Systems is unusual in its contribution to the tech industry because their product is directly tied to a basic commodity that impacts everyone: the food supply. They develop training and communications programs for food and workplace safety.
What they’re looking for: Tara Guthrie said Alchemy focuses on cultural fits and adaptability. “We need continuous learners,” she said. “The food industry is always changing, which requires our team to learn and evolve as well.”
The perks: Alchemy holds up their end of the bargain on the continuous learning thing. They offer an annual continued education allowance and tuition reimbursement. Guthrie said Alchemy employees also enjoy monthly on-site massage therapy, flex time and commuter benefits.
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A little background: HotSchedules makes software to make it less of a headache to run a restaurant. From talent recruiting with Jobsabi to accounting and data management with Bodhi, their slick apps keep this company plugged in deep with the service industry.
What they’re looking for: Mary Ann Santa works on the HotSchedules HR team and says they look for the usual grit and dedication startups crave in their talent. “But also recognize the benefits of balance between work and life,” she said, “And work should fun. So we look for unique individuals who know how to combine extraordinary productivity with a spark of levity.”
The perks: Standards like 401k and accrued PTO, plus a lunch program that delivers food to the office daily and pizza every Friday, except when the executives cook for the team on first Fridays.
A little background: Square Root develops SaaS platforms for managing networks of retail stores.
What they’re looking for: Square Root is focused less on job titles and more on employees achieving their goals. They encourage everyone from the office manager to the CEO to be lifelong learners.
The perks: Emily Worthington from Square Root’s Operations team summed up the highlights for us: “No dress code, office hours, or vacation policy,” she said. “And our dog-friendly, modern-retro office space in downtown Austin has team lunches, stocked kitchens, and a full office bar, including local beer on tap!”
A little background: Civitas works with schools by developing predictive software to analyze student data that’s often kept in different silos and inaccessible to help administrators make a range of decisions. Their mission is to help students learn better.
What they’re looking for: We are looking for thinkers and problem solvers who want to want to use their talent to make a difference…. to be part of a talented, mission driven team, that is building powerful tools which greatly influence student success.
The perks: Civitas has been listed on on the BizJournals 2015 Best Places to Work in Austin list as well as Built In Austin’s own 2015 Top 50 Austin Startups To Watch. But they have all the startup standards, too: Open PTO, onsite gym and a cool, collaborative workplace.
A little background: OutboundEngine has been developing digital marketing automation tools for an ever expanding number of industries since 2012.
What they’re looking for: Office Manager Jamie Robert laid it all out for us: “For sales and CS positions, we're looking for hungry people with a positive, goal-oriented attitude—our in-depth training program will take care of the rest,” she said. “For other departments, it's important to have well-developed technical skills, a creative mind, and an eagerness to collaborate and problem solve with teammates. We're open and transparent, so big egos don't work well, and a dedication to the OutboundEngine mission is paramount.”
The perks: 5 weeks of vacation, 100 percent paid employee health care, a stocked kitchen, weekly catered lunches and frequent company events, outings and parties.
A little background: Signpost makes software that helps small business owners build lasting customer relationships.
What they’re looking for: Recruiter Kristi Morris said they hire people with 0-5 years of sales experience, and offer a training and performance-focused environment where hard workers thrive. “We value building our team the right way and continuing to create a place that people take pride in,” she said.
The perks: Voted one of the top places to work in Austin in a Statesman poll last year, engaged with the community through charitable fundraising events (pictured), and full of perks in their dog-friendly office, like ping pong and a stocked kitchen with cold brew coffee on tap.
A little background: OwnLocal bills itself as the automated ad agency for local media. It’s a startup with a crazy scheme to help newspapers and local media companies survive by helping small businesses find their place on the web.
What they’re looking for: CEO Lloyd Armbrust was pretty up front about it: “We like raw potential and demonstrations of determination more than degrees and resumés,” he said. “We only hire people who are smart, willing to work extremely hard, and have a desire to prove themselves. We pride ourselves on identifying people who are total badasses before they even realize it.”
Talent recruiter H. Nicole Fowler said they’re hoping to meet intelligent, scrappy and good-humored individuals who are looking to jumpstart their careers. “Our best employees have a sense of ownership, independence and usually a little sass,” she said.
The perks: Creative. OwnLocal offers a free car2go membership to every employee, along with unlimited free Starbucks, a fully stocked kitchen, and team fitness challenges. They even give each employee a Fitbit for tracking their progress.
A little background: Continuum is the company behind Anaconda, which they describe as the leading modern open source data analytics platform powered by Python.
What they’re looking for: Continuum is always on the lookout for bright people who like to be learners as well as teachers, have fun while they work with energy and ambition.
The perks: The Continuum team enjoys a stocked kitchen, downtown location, paid parking, locker room, 5 weeks flexible PTO and a number of other perks.
Still on the fence about Austin Startup Week? There’s tons of networking, smart people giving straight talk on panels, and a crawl at the end. What’s not to like? Oh, and registration is still totally free.
