Join the Package Team
Applications are open until Friday 27 November
The Package Team is open for new and returning applicants. Ronald Barendse and I are still the team's stewards, but there is a new focus: the Umbraco Marketplace is our next big project, and we'd love some new faces to help us shape it.
Why packages matter so much
Packages are essential to the Umbraco ecosystem. They let the community extend the CMS in ways that the core team would never predict, from small editor conveniences to full integrations with other tools and services. Every package is someone solving a real problem and then sharing the solution with everyone else, which is the open source spirit at its best.
They also make life easier for the rest of us. Whether you're an agency racing towards a launch, a developer scratching a very specific itch, or an editor who just wants a nicer way to do something, there's a good chance that a package author has been there first. There are now over 750 packages on the Marketplace that support Umbraco 17, the current LTS version.
Because packages matter this much, finding the right one should be easy and intuitive. You should be able to see what a package does, whether it suits your project, and whether you can trust it, without a lot of digging. That is where the Marketplace comes in (and, arguably, it could do a much better job of this than it does today).
What the team does
The mission stays the same: to help Umbraco users expand the functionality of the CMS by making package development, distribution and usage simple and fulfilling.
In practice, the team focuses on:
Shaping the Marketplace. Trying things out, giving honest feedback from both the package author and the package user side, and helping to decide what the Marketplace needs next.
Creating tutorials, documentation and templates that make it easier to build and publish a package.
Discussing how the package format evolves alongside the CMS, and giving feedback on the wider package ecosystem.
Judging packages for the Umbraco Awards.
Promoting packages at community events, and welcoming first-time package authors.
What we expect from you
The Package Team meets every second week for a one-hour update meeting, to share news and ideas from the team and HQ and catch up on what has happened since last time. Beyond that, the team starts projects in support of its mission, and the time you spend on them can be planned individually.
You do not need to be a package developer. Of course, if you are, we'd love to hear from you, but experience as a package user, an editor, an agency developer or a curious newcomer is every bit as valuable. What matters most is being enthusiastic and friendly. Membership lasts one year, after which applications reopen and current members are very welcome to reapply. As with all Umbraco community teams, members are expected to follow the Umbraco code of conduct.
What's in it for you
An early view of what's coming. As Package Team members you'll get to hear about package-related developments before the wider community.
Real influence over the direction of the package ecosystem.
Direct access to the HQ development team for questions, ideas and feedback.
Training in the form of relevant Umbraco courses, as needed for the role.
Recognition on the Package Team page and a team badge on the Umbraco forum.
A platform to share your work, for example at community events like Umbraco Builders Day.
A virtual meet with all the community teams in January, connecting you with the other teams and with HQ.
A network across the community, working alongside experienced contributors and meeting new ones every week.
We encourage you to spend some of your working hours on this, so it's worth raising with your employer. Your membership gives them someone with a close view of the package ecosystem and the Marketplace, and a visible contribution to the platform they build on. If working hours aren't possible, taking part in your spare time is absolutely fine too.
How to apply
Fill in the application form to tell us a bit about yourself. We'll contact shortlisted applicants to schedule a short interview of no more than 30 minutes.
Applications are open from now until Friday 27 November. Current team members are very welcome to reapply.
Shortly after applications close, we'll bring the new team together for a kick-off.
Know someone who should apply?
Please pass this post on, with a personal note. Tell them why you think they'd be a good fit: what they've built, what they're passionate about and what they're good at. A personal nudge often makes the difference.
(And if you've arrived here because someone did exactly that: please apply, we'd be lucky to have you.)
Join us
Packages are a big part of why people choose Umbraco and stay with it, and the Marketplace is how many of them will find the next package they need. If you'd like to help make that experience a good one, we'd love to hear from you.
