Jobs @ ThinkGeek

ThinkGeek is hiring! w00t! Open positions are detailed below. Please e-mail your resume to us at the address listed in the job description. Text, HTML and PDF formats are preferred. Don't be shy, if you've got the skills and want to work hard and have fun with a bunch of geeks and their dogs, we want to hear from you!

User Interaction Designer

Updated: April 6, 2011

Do you make web sites? Do you make web sites more awesome? Do you wear a blue beanie in November? Can you explain when and why you would use user flows, wireframes, personas and usability tests? Can you recite lines from Star Wars Episode V while debating the merits of Horde vs. Alliance all while trying to get 3 stars on every level of Angry Birds? Do you want to be a part of the AmazingFunTimes that all ThinkGeek employees experience every day? Well then, let's chat.

The ThinkGeek UX Overlords are seeking a User Interaction Designer to maximize ThinkGeek Awesomeness™ and contribute to our outstanding on-site customer experience. We are looking for a creative and energetic individual who is deeply immersed in User Centered Design and who can create swoon-worthy web sites with a customer-centric focus.

If you've ever cringed at being asked to produce a high-fidelity mockup before beginning sketches, you might be The One. If you are passionate about user testing, efficiency, wireframes, process flows and usability, you might be The One. If you can also design and develop beautiful, elegant, standards-compliant web sites you might be The One. If you're a passionate geek, deeply-rooted in internet and geek culture with all these qualities, you'd better apply now!

As a candidate, you must be able to work well in multi-disciplinary groups including technical, business, design, operations and customer experience. You should be comfortable working in an environment that feels like a startup, but is also a mature, widely known leader in the eCommerce space. You should like to have fun, dress casually, test out gadgets and toys, play with dogs and work really hard.

You should:

  • know your way around project management, including juggling multiple parts of a project and keeping up to date with all the moving parts.
  • be able to speak the language of coders, internal business clients and our customers.
  • be proactive.
  • understand customer needs and work with team members to design online user experiences, ensuring ease of navigation and simplicity of design.
  • organize diverse business requirements and architect the flow of information into an intuitive, coherent, easy-to-navigate Website or Web-based application.
  • be knowledgeable and excited about HTML5 and CSS3, and be able to hand code multiple-browser-friendly HTML.
  • design clean, fresh and current user interfaces.
  • know the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
  • rock.

The kinds of things you'll likely do in this position:

  • Be the lead on coordinating timelines, deliverables and schedules on large and medium-sized web-design related projects. Coordinate with other members of the Customer Experience team to execute projects in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Document user interface designs and user interactions with process flows, wireframes, and screen specifications.
  • Recruit end-users and coordinate user testing sessions including both usability tests and open-ended user tests. Analyze results to identify opportunities for improving customer experiences.
  • Conduct other user research and data collection as needed (site heat maps, site metrics via Omniture, card sorting, surveys, Voice of The Customer program, etc.)
  • Conduct on-site testing including AB and Multivariate tests
  • Test and refine site design and layout using metrics from Omniture and Google Web Optimizer multivariate testing
  • Identify opportunities to improve the usability of customer interactions.
  • Identify opportunities to improve customer conversions and sales.
  • Work with visual designers, other web developers, and programmers to achieve strong visual and technological solutions without sacrificing user experience.
  • Use HTML & CSS to develop new pages and templates, and to continuously improve the ThinkGeek site experience

Skills and Experience:

  • 3 plus years of professional experience in human factors, user interaction design, or information architecture
  • Bachelors degree in a related field
  • 3 plus years of HTML & CSS development; Javascript is desired but not required
  • Experience managing web production in a fast-paced, retail eCommerce environment
  • Experience with Agile development methodology
  • Experience with standard design and documentation tools (Adobe, Omnigraffle, etc.)
  • Keen sense of customer experience and customer needs
  • Experience working on transactional Web sites or software applications is preferred
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written)
  • Extreme Geeky Awesomeness™ and the desire to geek out with peers that "get" you.

ThinkGeek is a small, close-knit group of fun, weird, and enthusiastic people who run one of the most successful niche eCommerce sites on the Internets (IR #232). As part of Geeknet, a publicly held company, ThinkGeek employees receive an excellent benefits package while enjoying the benefits of working in an exciting start-up environment in our Fairfax, Virginia office.

Please note, this posting is for a permanent, full time position in our Fairfax, Virginia office. Only local applicants or those willing to relocate will be considered. No outsourcing or freelance positions for this job will be considered. Thanks for asking!

Apply for the User Interaction Designer position here:


Merchandiser & Product Buyer

Posted: May 29, 2009

The ThinkGeek Overlords are seeking a Merchandiser & Buyer that will be responsible for growth, profitability and overall awesomeosity of several product lines.

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Source and buy products that fit into the unique ThinkGeek product mix
  • Develop and maintain vendor relationships
  • Predict, manage and reorder inventory for several ThinkGeek product lines
  • Merchandise and manage your products throughout the ThinkGeek website
  • Work with our customer service, marketing and development staff on items related to your product lines.

Required:

  • College degree or equivalent
  • 4-6 years experience as product manager or buyer, preferably for toys, gadgets, or consumer electronics.
  • Excellent person-to-person skills
  • Highly detail oriented and organized
  • Strong spreadsheet and word processing skills required
  • Strong computer and internet use skills
  • An understanding of Internet & Geek Culture. An ability to Grok ThinkGeek.
  • Willing to occasionally drive to New Jersey to visit our warehouse when needed.
  • Must be willing to play with a pile of gadgets and gizmos in the search for the perfect products for the site.

This position is on site in our Fairfax, Virginia offices only. No outsourcing or freelance positions for this job will be considered. Thanks for asking!

ThinkGeek is a small, close-knit group of fun, weird, and enthusiastic people who run one of the most successful niche e-commerce sites on the Internets. As part of Geeknet, a publicly held company, ThinkGeek employees receive an excellent benefits package while enjoying the benefits of working in an exciting start-up environment in our Fairfax, Virginia office. This posting is for a permanent, full time position in our Fairfax, Virginia office. Only local applicants or those willing to relocate at their own expense will be considered.

Please submit your resume and salary requirements in PDF, HTML or plain text format. Sorry, freelance or offsite requests will absolutely not be accepted. To apply, click the "Apply Now" button. You will get an email from us confirming that we have received your application.

Apply for the Merchandiser & Product Buyer position here:


Sales Account Executive – Volume Purchases

The ThinkGeek robot army is seeking a geek-savvy account executive to join our fast-moving B2B sales group. If you like sales but hate suits, you will fit right in with the eclectic bunch of nerds, dorks and geeks who run our highly successful online e-commerce site.

A fondness for bacon and canned mythical creatures are a definite plus.

Not familiar with our style of geek retail? Here's a bit more about ThinkGeek:

ThinkGeek is a small, close-knit group of fun, weird, and enthusiastic people who run one of the most successful niche e-commerce sites on the Internet. ThinkGeek is ranked #232 in the Internet Retailer top 500 for 2010 and has been profiled or mentioned in Business Week, Wired Magazine, The New York Times, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and more. As part of Geeknet, a publicly held company, ThinkGeek employees receive an excellent benefits package while enjoying the benefits of working in an exciting start-up environment in our Fairfax, Virginia office.

As part of the responsibilities of this position, excessive geeking-out will be encouraged, including discussing video games, comic books, Dungeons and Dragons, science and space, Internet pop culture and more. Between hallway discussions of the merits of Star Wars vs. Star Trek, duties of this position will include the following:

Major Responsibilities:

  • Consistently demonstrate success selling by exceeding quota
  • B2B sales of our unique product line targeting the Promotional Products industry, Corporate Incentive Programs and Large Retailers
  • Generate profitable sales with new and existing customers
  • Build business partnerships
  • Provide product information and follow up with quotes to close business
  • Coordinate sales efforts with merchants
  • Develop and maintain sales pipeline

Requirements:

  • Minimum of 3-5 years high-volume business to business sales experience
  • Wholesale or Promotional Products background a plus
  • Strong communication and negotiation skills
  • Must be detailed oriented and organized
  • BA/BS Degree
  • Computer Proficient
  • Knowledge of and interest in gadgets, technology and geek-related retail products

This posting is for a permanent, full time position in our Fairfax, Virginia office. Only local applicants or those willing to relocate at their own expense will be considered.

Please submit your resume and salary requirements in PDF, HTML or plain text format.

Sorry, freelance or offsite requests will absolutely not be accepted.

Geeknet is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental disabilities, marital status, sexual orientation or any other unlawful basis.

Apply for the Sales Account Executive position here:


Perl / Web Developer

ThinkGeek needs you to help keep our mod_perl hot rod purring like a kitten!

We're looking for a prolific Perl coding wizard to join our crack team of code monkey ninjas. You'll sling Perl, SQL, and JQuery while getting to play with cool new ThinkGeek swag long before it appears on Engadget or Gizmodo.

Our software is developed in-house, so projects will run a wide gamut of business areas (accounting to warehouse management, and everything in between). Development will be on an existing suite of software, so the ability to adapt to and extend an existing architecture is a must. Responsibilities will include: web/console/batch based application development, maintaining and configuring development servers, participation in requirements and specifications gathering processes, software quality assurance and internal documentation. The ideal candidate should have strong Linux skills and be able to work and learn new skills independently when necessary, but also work as part of a team.

Requirements:

  • 5+ years professional programming experience with Perl 5
  • 4+ years professional experience working with databases (SQL), MySQL a plus
  • Extensive knowledge of Apache and familiarity with Apache module development
  • XML
  • HTML/XHTML
  • Javascript/AJAX
  • Ability to comprehend and implement complex business requirements in an exacting manner
  • Team-oriented personality
  • Ability to blow away all other ThinkGeek departments when brainstorming April Fool's Day ideas

Strongly Desired:

  • Experience developing automated functional and performance testing suites
  • Solid Linux Knowledge (4+ years of experience with Linux or Unix systems)
  • Retail industry software development experience
  • Web Services development (servers/clients)
  • Nerf weaponry expertise

ThinkGeek is a small, close-knit group of fun, weird, and enthusiastic people who run one of the most successful niche e-commerce sites on the Internets. As part of Geeknet, Inc, a publicly held company, ThinkGeek employees receive an excellent benefits package while enjoying the benefits of working in an exciting start-up environment in our Fairfax, Virginia office. This posting is for a permanent, full time position in our Fairfax, Virginia office. Only local applicants or those willing to relocate at their own expense will be considered.

Please submit your resume and salary requirements in PDF, HTML or plain text format to http://thinkgeek.theresumator.com/apply/IxyhEc/Senior-Perl-Developer.html

Apply for the Perl / Web Developer position here:


Outbound Awesomeness Assistant - Email and Social Media Marketing

The Outbound Awesomeness Assistant will help direct the Firehose of Awesomeness from which our products spring. This is a multi-dastardly position and requires a wide range of skills.

You must possess HTML powers, know Twitter and Facebook like the back of your long-dead MySpace page, make with the funny, shift time to get everything done on schedule, write real good, and understand why hovering over an xkcd comic is crucial. Above all else, you must be tricksy.

This position will work closely with the Marketing team, aka Nexus of Evil Schemes and Nefarious Plans, and reports to the Web Community Monkey.

Tasks will include:

  • Generate emails and email segments using antiquated table layout HTML skillz and ExactTarget.
  • Experience with ExactTarget is not necessary, but helpful. It is a dangerous device that will require training, and editing email templates will be part of the daily job.
  • Assist lead community monkey with customer service on Twitter and Facebook, especially during the holidays.
  • Practical experience with both Twitter and Facebook required, but if you use the term "social media guru" in your application 10 kittens will die.
  • Experience with customer service/placation is also helpful; you'll need to divert power to forward shields from time to time.
  • Draft posts for the ThinkGeek blog and moderate comments.
  • Help create and adjudicate contests.
  • Pull the levers on our Geek Points list to add and remove items.

Additional, more mundane skills required:

  • Can dive into a spreadsheet, Scrooge McDuck style.
  • Communicates well with other geeks via email, IM, and meatspace conversations.
  • Manifests physically in this dimension. The position is based in Fairfax, Virginia, and you must appear IRL. Telecommuting, clones, and holograms will not be permitted.

ThinkGeek is a small, close-knit group of fun, weird, and enthusiastic people who run one of the most successful niche e-commerce sites on the Internets. As part of Geeknet, Inc, a publicly held company, ThinkGeek employees receive an excellent benefits package while enjoying the benefits of working in an exciting start-up environment in our Fairfax, Virginia office. This posting is for a permanent, full time position in our Fairfax, Virginia office. Only local applicants or those willing to relocate at their own expense will be considered.

Apply for Outbound Awesomeness Assistant - Email and Social Media Marketing position here: