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Work at Fathom

We love deeply complicated projects that take the intimate knowledge of a domain expert and make it accessible to a much wider audience. Since 2010, we’ve worked with large corporations, smaller non-profits, government agencies, and nearby universities. We do projects about issues we care about, like gender equality, development, education, public health, and public transportation. We build tools for scientists and help them address issues like Ebola, Lassa fever, malaria, and SARS-CoV-2.

We geek out about musicpitch, color perception, and the digits of pi and tau. Our side projects feed our curiosities, occasionally putting our obsessions on public display. Even though we work in code and most of our projects are interactive, our traditional design training means we still really love print. We also use it as a means to support causes we think are important.

And even though “design” is part of our company’s name, we’re a little preoccupied with math and work on large software projects. In fact, a considerable amount of our time is spent on enabling others to learn to code or create interactive and visual things.

We are committed to being an anti-racist, inclusive studio and upholding these ethics in the work we do and environment we foster. We encourage people of color, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community to apply, contribute their voices, and help define the studio‘s trajectory.

When we’re in the office, we all enjoy lunch together to take a break and catch up. From favorite fonts, to Estonian knitting patterns, to the colors and patterns found in our everyday lives - we’re always eager to share what has inspired us lately. When the weather permits, we like to relax out on our rooftop patio with some seltzers and take in our view of Beacon Hill.

We love to make time for side projects involving data, code + design. We have a large format printer for experimenting with prints, programmable knitting + embroidery machines, and large screens throughout the office to experiment with installations.

Some of the benefits for all roles are:

  • Flexible vacation
  • Two weeks additional PTO the week of Christmas and New Year‘s
  • 401(k) with 5% employer match
  • Profit sharing
  • Health + Dental insurance

Below we’ve listed specific job openings, though it’s worth noting that many team members define their own positions. If your background and interests align with our work, we would love to hear from you!

C++ Developer

Our development team is comprised of people who have a range of backgrounds—from traditional software engineering to creative coding to application architecture. As a C++ developer you’ll work with complicated data sets, iterate on tools, and find high performance ways to bring data to life across devices. You also have an appreciation for design and value a highly collaborative workplace.

For this role, we are looking for someone experienced with C++, especially as it relates to working with large amounts of data and visualizing that data. Our ideal candidate has experience with compiling C++ for use in hybrid applications. A strong background with WebAssembly, Node Addons, OpenGL/WebGL/WebGPU would also be beneficial in this role. Additional experience with statistics/machine learning is valued but not required.

Senior developers applying for this position should have demonstrated experience mentoring others, strategic awareness of how to best apply effort, and considerable practice with shipping projects at a wide range of sizes, and for a wide range of audiences.

Developer (Senior + Junior)

Our development team is comprised of people with a variety of degrees and professional backgrounds—graphic design, materials science, or philosophy majors who come from traditional software engineering or creative coding. As a developer at Fathom, you’ll work with complicated data sets, create prototypes, iterate on tools, and optimize user experience across devices. You also have an appreciation for design, clarity, and accessibility, and you recognize the importance of collaboration.

For this role, we‘re looking for a background in front-end web development (building applications in HTML/CSS/JavaScript from scratch). Additional experience deploying on AWS, server-side development (Python and Flask in particular), graphics coding, or statistics/machine learning is beneficial but not necessary.

If you’re applying as a senior developer, you should have experience mentoring a team, strategic awareness of how to best apply effort, and considerable practice with shipping projects of various sizes for a wide range of audiences.

If you’re applying as a junior developer, you should have a fascination for the why and how, and be open to learning about new ways of working and the people you‘re working with. We‘re looking for you to share your distinct experiences and perspectives as you grow with the team. Candidates for this role should be local or willing to relocate to the Boston area.

Senior Operations Manager

As both an internal and external point of contact, you will establish partnerships and develop client relationships while ensuring the office runs smoothly. You know the ins and outs of contracts and are adept at writing proposals and assessing growth; as an administrator, you are a dependable and supportive presence for the team. You have a keen awareness of what makes Fathom different and seek out opportunities that align with our interests and values. You have experience in business management and bring strong negotiation, communication, and organizational skills to the role. While you might lean more to the business management side or to the operations side, this position is ideal for someone who enjoys wearing a lot of hats. Candidates should be local or willing to relocate to the Boston area.

UI/UX Designer

In this role, you will be responsible for defining and conceptualizing how the entire experience of a project comes together. You know when to use existing UX conventions, but also when to diverge from them to help our clients find innovative yet intuitive means of navigating their complex datasets. You are naturally mindful of context, and understand the importance of taking into account how our software will be deployed by different users. You should be able to carry a design seamlessly through multiple kinds of media and presentation—from conventional computer displays, to mobile devices, to multi-screen installations.

Our ideal candidate has hands-on experience working on successfully launched products.

Client Services Lead

In this role, you will be responsible for finding, developing, and building relationships with clients and partners while thinking creatively about how to generate new business. You are relentless in following up with leads in your pipeline and laser-focused on identifying and closing those leads that are a good fit for our unique services. You have demonstrated success in sales prospecting and are able to present and sell our products to audiences that span a wide spectrum of design and tech-savviness. You understand what makes a client right or wrong for Fathom and are comfortable engaging with leads and inquiries both virtually and in person. You are well versed in consultive sales focused on design and development services, have experience identifying complex problems that require careful consideration and action, and take initiative to find creative solutions to developing and managing our sales funnel.

While our projects cover a broad range of disciplines and industries, we are particularly interested in identifying partners in the fields of healthcare and scientific research - but we are also always looking for opportunities to engage in explorations of language, music, and art.

Our ideal candidate has five years of consultative design services or software sales experience - with inbound and outbound sales experience preferred. Candidates for this role should be local or willing to relocate to the Boston area.

Business Development Lead

In this role, you will be responsible for building and executing our go to market strategy for a wide range of products in development. From concept to execution - you know the ins and outs of product positioning, developing partnership strategies, and overseeing digital marketing and advertising campaigns.

While your day-to-day will primarily focus on sales and marketing, you enjoy wearing multiple hats related to business development. You are eager to learn what makes Fathom unique in the data science and information design space, and to identify our target audiences as you develop our customer bases. You are accustomed to setting goals and structuring your time properly to achieve them, and you take initiative to find creative solutions to developing and managing our sales funnel.

Our ideal candidate has at least three years of experience taking web and desktop software products to market, growing business post-launch via marketing and sales, and has demonstrated success in sales prospecting. Candidates for this role should be local or willing to relocate to the Boston area.

Internships

We encourage you to apply for a Fathom internship if you’re a curious self-starter who would like to hone your skills in design, development, statistics, research, or storytelling. A strong sense of initiative is a must, as our interns often direct their own projects, while receiving regular feedback and guidance from members of the Fathom team. Our interns have come from a wide range of majors and disciplines, and excellent writing skills are always welcome.

While most interns are here during the summer, we’re also open to students joining us during the fall or spring and accept applicants on a rolling basis. All internships are paid, full-time positions, and are expected to join us in Boston, MA.

Send your résumé, cover letter, and links to pertinent work to hello@fathom.info. We are currently prioritizing candidates who are able to work in-person in our Boston office.

In your cover letter, we’d love to hear about why you’re interested in working at Fathom, what you might add to the team, and how your background influences your work.