About Us

Head of Technical Operations

Last.fm is looking for a Head of Technical Ops to ensure the availability and performance of the Last.fm service infrastructure, and to support the rapid and sustained international expansion of the business.

Profile

• Strong technical operations manager with a high-availability mentality
• Broad and sufficiently deep technical knowledge and experience across the technologies and platforms involved in the Last.fm service delivery infrastructure
  (LAMP Stack, Java apps, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Streaming audio...)
• Experience managing and maintaining large databases
• Pragmatic and able to rapidly assimilate and prioritise contending demands
• Good problem solving abilities
• Experience delivering mass market Internet or similar high traffic websites
• Strong leadership

Responsibilities:

• Accountability for the performance, availability and reliability of the Last.fm complete service delivery infrastructure
• Responsible for the physical architecture including deployment of new servers and services
• Develop the processes, relationships and SLAs to facilitate the effective management of 3rd-party suppliers
• Responsible for defining and delivering all non-functional technical operations requirements for Last.fm including security, back-up, resilience, scalability etc
• Establish an appropriate monitoring solution for all critical resources along with associated operational processes
• Ownership of the long term infrastructure development plan and associated budgets to match business requirements
• Recruit, develop and manage a world-class technical operations team
• Manage the contractual and day-to-day relationships with 3rd-party hosting providers
• Appropriate involvement in the early stages of all new product and technology developments
• Responsible for internal IT infrastructure

^ How to Apply

Java Developer

What you’ll be doing:

Working on the Java backend which powers Last.fm, from data mining and recommendation, to streaming and scrobbling. You will delve into many of the java services that power Last.fm, and ultimately adopt one or more areas as the primary maintainer.

Requirements:

• Excellent knowledge of Java 1.5, especially in a server-side context
• Independent problem solving skills, ability to write efficient code that scales well
• Flexibility: we are small company, but we move quickly

Pluses:

• Buzzword compliance: JMX, JMS, Servlets, NIO
• Lucene/Nutch/Hadoop/Tomcat experience
• Subversion
• Linux CLI
• Experience with PostgreSQL / MySQL
• Experience developing distributed, scalable applications for high-volume sites
• Interest in fields of music, social networking, blogging and related technologies, recommendation systems, and data mining

^ How to Apply

Flash Developer

Last.fm is looking for an in-house Flash developer to join the team. The ideal candidate will be creative, enthusiastic, and good at “getting things done”. Chief responsibilities will include maintaining Last.fm's existing roster of Flash products (streaming players for both audio and video, Flash widgets for 3rd-party sites, scrobbling lib, etc), as well as building the next generation of Last.fm Flash applications for the website and beyond.

Requirements:

• Strong object-oriented Actionscript 2.0 skills
• Ability to build robust applications from the ground up
• Proven experience in interaction design and an eye for detail
• Comfortable dealing with web services and the inherent design issues
• Experience using Last.fm / Audioscrobbler

Pluses:

• Experience with Actionscript 3.0
• Experience with source control tools (SVN/CVS)
• Flex/Laszlo
• Experience with streaming applications
• Fluent in another (non ECMAScript compliant) programming language

^ How to Apply

PHP Developers

Last.fm is looking for developers with a combination of strong PHP / SQL, software design principles and HTML skills.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic and innovative, good at “getting things done”, and have experience using Last.fm / AS.

What you’ll be doing:

• Designing and implement new features on your own, as well as building on existing features of the website.
• From conception through to implementation, you’ll be writing code used by millions of people every day.
• Working well within the Last.fm team to help improve the product and take over the world.

Requirements:

• Excellent knowledge of object-oriented PHP & standards-compliant SQL.
• Sound knowledge of HTML.
• Independent problem solving skills, ability to write code that scales well.
• Understanding of how the web works, from low to high levels.
• Familiarity with a wide range of relevant technologies and web standards.
• Flexibility: we are small company, but we move quickly.

Pluses:

• Smarty templating system (smarty.php.net).
• Subversion.
• Web services and syndication.
• Linux CLI.
• Experience with PostgreSQL, MySQL.
• Experience developing scalable web applications for high-volume sites.
• Javascript, and when not to use it.
• Flash.
• Interest in fields of music, social networking, blogging and related technologies, recommendation systems, and data mining.
• A preference for vi over emacs

^ How to Apply

Senior PHP Developer

Last.fm is looking for a senior developer with a combination of strong PHP / SQL, software design principles, and hands-on architectural / framework expertise.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic and innovative, good at “getting things done”, and have experience using Last.fm / AS.

What you’ll be doing:

• Designing and implementing core software components for new Last.fm website features
• Improving our internal PHP tools and frameworks
• Identifying bottlenecks and profiling Last.fm's existing PHP codebase
• Helping to advance the state-of-the-art for PHP development and practices at Last.fm

Requirements:

• An intimate familiarity with object-oriented PHP & standards-compliant SQL.
• 4+ years experience working on high-volume PHP websites
• Independent problem solving skills, ability to write code that scales well.
• Understanding of how the web works, from low to high levels.
• Familiarity with a wide range of relevant technologies and web standards.
• Flexibility: we are small company, but we move quickly.

Pluses:

• Experience with C / PHP internals
• Smarty templating system (smarty.php.net) and extensions.
• Subversion.
• Memcached.
• Web services and syndication.
• Linux CLI.
• Experience with PostgreSQL, MySQL.
• A preference for vi over emacs

^ How to Apply

Reporting Engineer

Last.fm is looking for a Reporting and Analysis Engineer, equipped with experience in common analysis methods and natural curiosity, to explore some of the largest data sets in the industry.

Job Description

• Java Developer with focus on implementing reporting systems for both internal and external use
• Automation systems, web frontends, report generation
• Implement analysis and optimisation systems for e.g. ad revenue management

Requirements

• Excellent knowledge of Java 1.5
• Independent problem solving skills
• Experience with open source reporting and analytics software
• Good knowledge of SQL, experience in designing and maintaining large databases
• Experience in creating secure web interfaces for database-driven applications
• Sound background in statistics

Pluses

• PHP, Ruby on Rails
• JMX, JMS, Hibernate, ActiveMQ, Servlets, Tomcat
• Open source BI software (Pentaho, BIRT, or others)
• Data warehouse design and implementation, ETL, MDX, XMLA, ...
• Subversion, Linux CLI
• Interest in fields of music, social networking, blogging and related technologies, recommendation systems, and data mining

^ How to Apply

C++ Developer

Last.fm is looking for a smart C++ developer with strong Mac development skills.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic and innovative, good at “getting things done,” and have experience using Last.fm / AS.

What you’ll be doing:

• Implementing new features and maintaining existing code in our client software using Qt and C++
• Working closely with our creative team and the rest of the development team
• Inciting the social music revolution and helping us take over the world

Requirements:

• Excellent C++ knowledge and experience with GUI frameworks
• Proven expertise in application development on Mac platforms
• Good degree in CS or EE or equivalent plus professional software development experience
• Good understanding of web client-server protocols such as HTTP, XML/RPC etc
• Familiarity with revision control systems (we use SVN)
• Flexibility - we are small company, but we move quickly
• A thorough and organised way of working
• Excellent communication skills (fluent English is a must) and ability to learn quickly

Pluses:

• Experience with Qt and multi-platform development
• Software testing experience
• Understanding of usability principles & interface design
• Interest in fields of music, social networking, blogging and related technologies, recommendation systems

^ How to Apply

Linux Sysadmin (varying levels)

Last.fm is looking for a system administrator to help support our growing infrastructure. The role is mainly focused on our server infrastructure, and also includes some desktop support in the office. A keen interest in Linux and networking is essential, as is a thirst for more knowledge in related areas. You will be working within our systems engineering team to maintain and expand the hardware and tools that keep Last.fm on the air.

We have junior and more senior positions available.

Responsibilities:

• Configure new servers, including linux installs (debian/ubuntu) and network setup
• Assist in network management tool administration
• Sysadmin related development support
• Hardware installs and bringing new equipment online at our datacentres (this includes rackmount server installs)
• Hardware maintenance and troubleshooting (why is it broken, dead disks and what not)

Desired skills:

• Linux and sysadmin-fu
• Good LAN and WAN troubleshooting skills
• Windows Desktop Support; email / printing / network connectivity
• Desktop installation and setup of new office machines
• Scripting skills
• A preference for vi over emacs

^ How to Apply

DBA, PostgreSQL and MySQL

Last.fm is looking for an experienced SQL Database Administrator to act as DBA and co-Architect in the development and maintenance of our federated database environment (PostgreSQL and MySQL).

This position reports to the CTO and is part of our core engineering team.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage our existing PostgreSQL and MySQL databases
• Perform DB administration, maintenance, upgrades, and monitoring
• Plan and perform stress test and volume test on pre-production databases
• Work closely with developers to ensure availability and integrity
• Manage the expansion and scale up of our database environment as we continue to grow
• Document and update procedures and processes

Required Skills/Experience

• Minimum of 3 years as a PostgreSQL or MySQL DBA for large scale databases
• Experience in database performance tuning, clustering, replication, backup and recovery, system architecture and design
• Work experience on UNIX / Linux
• Ability to quickly identify and resolve performance problems
• Excellent communication and analytical skills
• Strong sense of ownership
• Computer Science degree or equivalent

^ How to Apply

Graphic Designer, Software

Last.fm is looking for an graphic designer to work with our desktop software team. The ideal candidate will be creative and have a strong sense of application, interaction, and interface design theory.

Responsibilities:

• Designing for the Last.fm software with consideration to the experience across three platforms (Windows, Mac OS X and Linux)
• Structuring and organising information and interface components in the Last.fm software for generations of versions to come
• Designing the look and feel of the software, the icons and producing these graphics
• Working with the software team on a daily basis to help resolve interface issues as they're working on feature upgrades, bug fixes and the like.
• Liaising with the creative and web teams for a consistent user experience between the website and the desktop software.

Requirement:

• Proven experience with interfaces, icons and information architecture for software
• Excellent communication skills for liaising with engineers
• A passion for good user experiences
• Experience using the Last.fm Software

Pluses:

• Experience designing for desktop software
• Knowledge of the Qt 4 GUI toolkit
• Something that passes for music taste

To apply, send a short blurb, CV and 3 work samples or links to jobs [at] last.fm with the position title in the subject line of the email.

^ How to Apply

Technical Writer

Last.fm is looking for a well-rounded and skilled writer to head up two growing areas: interface copy and technical documentation. You must have a passion for clear, accurate and helpful writing that helps users understand technology.

Are you immersed in the language of the web and sign up for every new site just to check it out? Do you look things up as you're using or reading about a product? Do you feel there's a need for clearer communication for Last.fm's users?

If so, send us a short blurb about yourself, your CV and a re-written FAQ entry of your choice.

What you’ll be doing:

• Writing, managing and signing-off on interface copy for new features and releases
• Helping to swiftly move new copy to our internationalization and translation teams
• Helping Last.fm maintain a consistent message and vocabulary across its various products and platforms
• Writing product documentation, including "How to" guidelines and FAQs
• Assist in writing technical documentation for software-related topics including internal and external APIs
• Assist in managing the internal Last.fm wiki and other cross-company communication channels

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Fluent English speaker
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Quickly develop rapport with engineers, designers and translators
• Basic familiarity with programming languages and web applications

^ How to Apply

Head of Financial Planning and Analysis

Last.fm is seeing a Head of Financial Planning and Analysis to lead the development of a function that will provide the analytical horsepower supporting important business decisions facing the company. Reporting directly to the CFO, this position will directly support the entire business, driving both top and bottom line success. The company is building a finance function whose role is to be both business partners as well as leaders who challenge the business to maximize controllership and return on investment. This position will have a tremendous range of responsibilities and expectations for success.

Qualifications

This position will work closely with the product and executive teams to ensure that the business is maximizing is goals of growth, involvement, and monetization. A very important part of the role’s reasonability is in providing robust analytical modelling and analysis. The second key requirement will be to maintain strict controllership over the business so that we can forecast and report accurate financials. Lastly, our expectation is that this position will be critical in continuing to emphasize a culture of data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

We are now seeking a Head of Financial Planning to help grow our business by:

• Providing financial analysis to prioritize and lead business decision-making
• Designing & maintaining metrics models
• Analyzing new business ideas and making an analytical judgment on the quality of the idea.
• Collecting and analyzing quantitative data
• Designing and maintaining reports based on collected data
• Challenging the business on performance and assumptions
• Maintaining data and financial integrity
• Formulation of strategic & corporate plans to operating profit
• Leadership of ad hoc projects
• Interrogating data using excel (pivot tables/v-lookups) and access
• Driving process improvements

Suitable candidates will have a strong work ethic, strong analytical and commercial judgment, interpersonal skills, and effective communication skills. The successful candidate will have 2-4 years of relevant experience, be comfortable with ambiguity, making assumptions with imperfect data and presenting findings to senior management. Bachelor’s degree required, MBA preferred.

Location: London, GB

^ How to Apply

Community Manager (US)

Last.fm is looking for a Community Manager for North America to help grow the site's presence in the United States and establish Last.fm within the local music communities.

What you’ll be doing:

• Devise and implement plans to improve Last.fm's connections within national and local music scenes, as well as in selected communities
• Research key music-related organizations on a regional basis and handle all aspects of developing relationships with relevant potential partners from drafting Last.fm partnership proposals, to pitching, driving implementation and managing partnerships
• Work with PR team to promote Last.fm, establish contacts with all relevant parties, including journalists, bloggers, developers, local music communities, etc. on a national and regional basis, keep them abreast of the latest developments
• Work closely with the technical team to assess the performance of the site, identify issues and monitor changes
• Report to the Head of Business Development

Requirements:

• Minimum 2 years post B.A. experience
• Excellent written and oral communication/interpersonal skills
• Must be a self-starter and have an entrepreneurial spirit
• Previous experience in the music or new media industry highly desirable
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced, startup environment
• Valid US passport
• Being music-obsessed certainly wouldn’t hurt ;)

This position is based in the US.

^ How to Apply

Senior Business Development Manager (US)

Last.fm is looking for a Business Development Manager for North America to help grow the site’s presence in the United States and establish Last.fm within the local music and business communities.

What you’ll be doing:

• Analyze the performance of the North American business, identify key growth opportunities and devise appropriate growth strategies
• Seek and negotiate relevant partnerships to increase site distribution and content in various sectors, including new media, hardware, mobile and retail
• Drive implementation of partnerships with the help of the Last.fm technical, business development, marketing and creative teams
• Monitor performance of partnerships and manage relationships on an on-going basis
• Keep the team informed of the latest news, trends and competition
• Report to the Head of Business Development

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required, MBA strongly preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication/interpersonal skills
• Must be a self-starter and have an entrepreneurial spirit
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced, startup environment
• Valid US passport
• Being music-obsessed certainly wouldn’t hurt ;)

This position is based in the US.

^ How to Apply

Senior Advertising Executive

Last.fm is looking for a Senior Advertising Executive to help grow and manage a unique, innovative line of online advertising products. World-class agencies and brands are beginning to leverage the rich profile information on Last.fm to find the right audience and spread the word about their products in a new way.

What you’ll be doing:

• Devising and executing sales strategies
• Interfacing w/ key clients and partners (ad-agencies, media buyers, brands etc.)
• Working closely with internal design and development teams, clients and advertising agencies to develop new advertising and promotional concepts
• Helping drive the creation of tools and metrics to run the business
• Meeting monthly and quarterly sales targets, and reporting these to the executive team.

Requirements:

This position is ideally based in London to cover European and US markets, but we are flexible on location.

^ How to Apply

Junior Advertising Account Manager

Last.fm's Advertising Team is looking for Junior Account Managers to help grow a unique, innovative line of online advertising products. You will work alongside Account Executives to maintain and service existing accounts, generate high volume sales-related activity, as well as establish effective working relationships and follow-up of our clients.

What you'll be doing

• Implementing and managing sales strategies
• Supervising delivery of advertising campaigns in accordance with goals and objectives of the client
• Daily interaction with Last.fm salespeople, designers and developers
• Building and maintaining systems to track and monitor the performance of campaigns
• Competitor analysis
• Interfacing w/ key clients and partners (ad-agencies, media buyers, brands etc.) to discuss performance of campaigns
• Creating presentations to pitch for new business
• Creating post-campaign reports to feed back to clients

Requirements

• Previous experience in advertising account management within another highly successful online business or media agency is highly desirable
• Graduate
• Numerically strong
• Last.fm user
• Sense of humour

This position is based in London.

^ How to Apply

Advertising Campaign Manager

Last.fm is looking for a campaign manager to join our advertising team, helping with the day to day management of campaigns and trafficking for the Last.fm website.

Responsibilities

• All aspects of Online Campaign Management using Doubleclick's DART Ad Server
• Monitoring, tracking and reporting on active campaigns and optimizing when necessary to meet clientsÕ expectations
• Ensure creative units meet specifications and communicate necessary changes to sales planners when necessary
• Modify creative units when necessary using software tools, and/or coordinating Multimedia support for modifications if necessary
• Work with rich media vendors in troubleshooting creative problems and modifying them to specifications
• Ensure client orders are compliant with internal procedures and approving them accordingly
• Generate Campaign Delivery Reporting and Inventory Forecasting for Clients, Sales and Management

Requirements

• Online Ad Trafficking experience preferred.
• Excellent organizational, multitasking, interpersonal and communications skills
• Experience in utilizing internet research and/or ad delivery tools, highly desirable
• Experience with Advertising Order Management such as Solbright, highly desirable
• Ability to work independently, possess effective time management skills, and excellent verbal and written communication skills

Pluses

• Experience with 3rd party rich media vendors, such as Eyeblaster and Pointroll a big plus
• Proficient in MS Excel, Word and HTML editors a plus
• Knowledge of Flash, HTML, Javascript
• Enjoy a changing work environment and have fun within it

^ How to Apply

Country Manager United Kingdom

Last.fm’s business development team is looking for an individual to help manage our UK site and work with current and future partners.

This position is an internship for now, which may become a full-time position afterwards, based on performance. Salary is tbd based on experience. In addition to your CV, please submit a 500 word essay about Last.fm (about what you like about Last.fm).

What you’ll be doing:

• Keeping the team informed of the latest news, trends and competition
• Analyzing local site growth using relevant metrics
• Researching local music industry and promoting Last.fm connections within nationwide and regional music scenes
• Promoting the website in the local target market, driving local grassroot campaigns
• Researching and negotiating e-commerce opportunities
• Investigating and analyzing strategic partnerships, reviewing and negotiating contracts related to potential partnerships

Requirements:

• User of Last.fm
• University degree with a good academic record
• 2 years work experience at an online/new media company
• Strong written skills and intimate knowledge of the local music scene
• Resident of London
• Available for a 3-month internship
• Some computer science knowledge
• Some knowledge of Excel modeling
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced, startup environment
• Loves music!

^ How to Apply