Join us / Developer

Ekho Collective is looking for a developer to join our multidisciplinary team to create an immersive art work for Oulu, the cultural capital of Europe 2026. 

The artwork will be an immersive, interactive installation of a large scale discussing the themes of peace, communication, language and artificial intelligence. Ekho collective is one of the main artistic partners of Oulu during the cultural capital year.

The role of developer

Building interactive art experiences is quite different from traditional programming work. At Ekho Collective, we're looking for builders who are excited to create engaging, immersive art. Developing the software for our installations isn't like typical mobile or web development. We need people who can prioritize function over strict methods and are ready to be inventive and hands-on in their approach.

As our Developer, you will design the overarching software architecture and develop essential components that enable user interaction with the installation. The installation will have interactive sound and visuals and can make use of i.e sensor- or camera-based movement tracking systems. You will be part of the core artistic team and take part in making the key artistic and technological choices. You'll also collaborate closely with our Data Scientist on AI aspects of the artwork.

What we are looking for

The following is not a list of must-have requirements, but rather qualities and experiences that would benefit you as a developer in your work. We are interested in hearing about your experience in various fields that can be outside of this list as well:

• Engineering mindset: Ability to approach problems methodically, think critically, and apply engineering principles.

• Prototyping skills: Proficient in rapidly creating and testing prototypes to validate concepts and iterate on solutions.  We're looking for someone who is comfortable making technology decisions flexibly to achieve the best results.

• Complex system building: Experience with multi-component systems, such as those connected via local networks.

• Multidisciplinary communication skills: Excellent communication skills to collaborate effectively with team members from various disciplines for example related to: interaction, sound, visuals, and AI components.

• Web service experience: Ability to create basic backends for web services and APIs.

• Game programming experience: Familiarity with game programming and game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine is advantageous.

• Novel user interaction experience: Experience in developing software with innovative user interaction patterns, such as those involving computer vision, LiDAR, Kinect, or sound-based interactions, is a plus

• Interest in projection mapping: Interest in projection mapping and projector related software technologies is a plus

• Tinkering experience: Have you built something unique with a Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or other exotic tech? We want to hear about it!

  
  

What to expect:

The work will take place from August/September 2024 until the end of 2025 with some maintenance work during 2026. Our work is organized around workshops and shared intensive work periods. There will be approximately one to two months of full-time work each spring and autumn before the premiere.

You’ll be a part of a creative team that consists of professionals from different backgrounds. The data scientist and software developer will work in close collaboration with one another as well as with the designers in the team. You’ll be part of all stages of the process of ideating, designing and building a new immersive installation.

We work mainly in Helsinki. While some of the work and meetings are carried out online, ideally we are looking for team members to work live with in Helsinki. Part of the work in the autumn of 2025 will be done in Oulu (Ekho Collective pays for travel and accommodation expenses).

This is a paid position. The compensation is based on and the scope or work is planned according to the budget of the art work. It is possible to bill the collective as a salary or with an invoice.

Our working languages are Finnish and English. Fluency in one of these languages is required.

How we work

We create artistically and technically ambitious works of art in collaboration with various art and cultural institutions. Our goal is to be a pioneer of interactive digital art in Finland and contribute to the development of the art form globally.

We constantly develop and iterate on our practises for collective creative work, where the goal is to ensure everyone can share their ideas and skills, enjoy the creative process and that we can deliver experiences with high artistic quality as a result.

Our work relies on everyone’s personal area of expertise and for strong teamwork through prototypes. We emphasize the collective members’ ability to verbalize their own knowledge. Through the dialogue other members can contribute with their own expertise and the common work builds forward. We work a lot through the construction of prototypes, from which we get concrete information about the different stages of the current piece.

How to apply:

Please send your CV, any relevant work samples and a short cover letter or message describing why you would be interested in working with Ekho Collective by 15 August 2024 to team@ekho.fi with the topic “Application / developer”. The application materials can be in Finnish or in English.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at team@ekho.fi

If you feel like you fall somewhere in between a data scientist and a developer, it’s enough to send just one application.

We will begin interviewing and make the recruitment decision as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Applicants that are invited to an interview will be contacted personally.

The collective is largely on vacation in July and will be checking email sporadically during that time. We will get back to any questions in the beginning of August at the latest.