This position is not open to applicants residing in or otherwise based in California, New York, or Massachusetts. Additionally, applicants must be located in the Eastern, Central, Mountain, or Pacific time zones.

Engagement Details

As a contract R/Shiny Developer, you will stabilize and maintain iDesign’s Build Engines apps that support curriculum design and delivery. You will keep Xano/PostgreSQL integrations reliable, monitor performance and uptime, and align the work with goals during the transition to a unified platform. You will refine deployments on Shiny and Posit Connect, coordinate small pre-approved enhancements, and document fixes; familiarity with Shiny, Posit Connect, R, SQL, and curriculum operations will help you succeed.

This is a remote, part-time, hourly, 1099 independent contractor role.

Contractors can expect to contribute approximately 25 or more hours per week. This includes participation in essential coordination meetings held during standard business hours. Contractors have autonomy in managing their work schedule, provided that deadlines, quality standards, and agreed-upon deliverables are met.

Scope of Work

Build Engines Stabilization & Maintenance

• Diagnose and resolve issues within existing R/Shiny applications to ensure operational stability.
• Improve application performance, maintainability, and responsiveness.
• Implement minor UI/UX improvements to enhance usability for internal teams and pilot users.
• Profile and optimize Shiny reactivity and data access; refactor legacy code into modules and reusable components where practical.
• Maintain lightweight technical documentation (deployment notes, configs, environment variables) to support continuity.
• May include usage monitoring in Posit Connect, basic uptime/error logging, and release notes for internal stakeholders.

Database Integration, Deployment & Operations

• Connect Shiny applications to the interim Xano/PostgreSQL database (replacing current Google Sheets data flows).
• Implement efficient, secure, and maintainable data connections and queries.
• Deploy, update, and manage apps on Shiny and Posit Connect, including content publishing, user/group permissions, environment variables, and scheduling.
• Administer Posit Connect in collaboration with iDesign IT (user/group setup, access requests, usage monitoring, and basic platform troubleshooting).
• Implement and maintain CI/CD (Git-based) for repeatable, auditable deployments to Posit Connect.
• Collaborate with internal and vendor engineering teams to align with broader platform architecture.
  

Feature Enhancements & Continuous Improvement

• Deliver small, approved feature enhancements (e.g., light interface refinements, additional data visualizations).
• Maintain code versioning, documentation, and deployment workflows for Shiny applications.
• Enhancements prioritized only when they reduce operational load or improve reliability.

Collaboration & Coordination

• Work as part of iDesign’s SaaS Scrum team, participating in planning and review ceremonies as applicable.
• Take direction from the Product Owner and collaborate with the Project Manager/Scrum Master.
• Operate as an independent specialist within the SaaS Scrum team; platform engineers and vendors serve as sounding boards, not primary implementers.
  

What You Need to Get the Job Done

• 3+ years of experience developing in R, with strong proficiency in Shiny for interactive web applications.
• Demonstrated experience connecting Shiny applications to relational databases (preferably PostgreSQL).
• Hands-on Posit Connect experience (publishing, permissions, environment configuration, troubleshooting).
  CI/CD for Shiny (e.g., GitHub Actions/GitLab CI/Jenkins) and Git collaboration workflows.
• Proven ability to stabilize and optimize production Shiny apps (reactivity profiling, caching, query optimization).
• Strong SQL with PostgreSQL; ability to optimize queries used by Shiny.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively within cross-functional teams.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively with minimal supervision.
  
  

What Will Make Us REALLY Love You

• Portfolio of production Shiny apps (links or screenshots) strongly preferred.
• Experience with data visualization libraries (e.g., ggplot2, plotly, shinyWidgets).
• Background in applied data science, data modeling, or analytics engineering.
• Familiarity with SaaS or platform product environments.
• Understanding of UI/UX best practices for internal tools.
• Experience with basic DevOps or hosting for Shiny Server, Posit Connect, or similar environments.
• Shiny modules and internal R package patterns for reuse.
• Basic Docker familiarity and GitHub Actions (or equivalent) for deployment automation.
• Familiarity with authentication/authorization patterns (Connect roles; optional app-level auth).
• Awareness of accessibility considerations for internal tools (keyboard navigation, focus order, color contrast).
  

iDesign is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive environment in which everyone is a valued member. At iDesign, all hiring decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications. We seek applicants of diverse backgrounds and hire without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by law.