Senior Software Engineer - Accessibility
Squarespace is looking for a Senior accessibility engineer to join the Accessibility Team. The Accessibility team is a new and growing team whose mission is to improve Squarespace’s ability to create inclusive products. The team is currently focused on web accessibility: educating product teams on how to create products with accessibility in mind and building internal and customer-faced tools that improve accessibility of Squarespace-built websites. In our work, we rely on core web technologies (HTML, CSS, ARIA, a little bit of JavaScript) and the principles of inclusive design and progressive enhancement. The work of the team impacts the UX of all Squarespace products and of the websites built on the Squarespace platform.
The Accessibility team is part of the Interface Platform group, which helps our product engineers deliver beautiful, durable, performant, and accessible experiences to our users. In this role you’ll help several teams to deliver high-quality technology products/services, working in partnership with technical and product leadership, and report to the Interface Platform Sr. Engineering Manager in our New York City headquarters.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work with product managers, designers, and engineers to educate them on web accessibility standards (such as the WCAG) and best practices
- Consult on designs and implementations to help expose opportunities for improvement during the product development cycle.
- Make tools to help Squarespace better understand and track its accessibility
- Work on Squarespace’s internal accessibility guidelines
- Practice disciplined software engineering (e.g. automated testing, code reviews, and writing beautiful, pragmatic code)
- Actively contribute to team and company standards
- Mentor team members and help them grow
QUALIFICATIONS
- A strong sense of empathy for the end user and a good understanding of inclusive design and progressive enhancement principles; we believe accessibility is more than a matter of compliance.
- Deep knowledge of modern HTML and CSS
- Proficiency with JavaScript and an understanding of how it relates to access challenges
- Familiarity with React (or a similar UI library)
- Knowledge of web accessibility standards (such as the WCAG) and best practices
- A sincere commitment to crafting readable, reliable, and well-tested code
- Strong communication skills
- BS+ in Computer Science/Engineering, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), or equivalent industry experience
- 5+ years of industry experience
About Squarespace
Squarespace makes beautiful products to help people with creative ideas succeed. By blending elegant design and sophisticated engineering, we empower millions of people — from individuals and local artists to entrepreneurs shaping the world’s most iconic businesses — to share their stories with the world. Squarespace’s team of more than 1,200 is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin and Portland. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com/about.
Benefits & Perks
- Health insurance with 100% premium covered for you and your dependent children
- Flexible vacation & paid time off
- Up to 20 weeks of paid family leave
- Equity plan for all employees
- Retirement benefits with employer match
- Fertility and adoption benefits
- Free lunch and snacks at all offices
- Education reimbursement
- Dog-friendly workplace in New York office
- Commuter benefit in the form of reduced tax (Ireland) and pretax (US)
Today, more than a million people around the globe use Squarespace to share different perspectives and experiences with the world. Not only do we embrace and celebrate the diversity of our customer base, but we also strive for the same in our employees. At Squarespace, we are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.