Creative Technologist - R&D - Wayfair Next

Job Description

What the Team Does

Wayfair Next & Far-Future R&D Teams are tasked with envisioning and implementing technology driven solutions that aim to shape the future of retail. We apply emerging technologies to existing customer challenges on current platforms (such as mobile, web, physical retail) and explore the evolution of retail on newer platforms (such as VR & Spatial Computing). We view the landscape of customer problems and opportunity from a wide perspective, with a technology lens, allowing us to identify uncommon applications of technology from one corner to solve a problem in another. We aim to not only adapt to trends in customer behavior, we hope to dictate new ones.

What You’ll Do

• Explore and develop concepts with emerging technologies, such as new user interaction technologies, augmented environments, spatial computing, robotics & AI to name a few (ever-growing list).
• Solve customer problems and deliver engaging customer experiences using the latest technologies.
• Coordinate, support and explore new efforts with external technology partners using unreleased technology (such as Magic Leap & Google).
• Provide technical guidance, help prototype applications, and collaborate across Wayfair’s product, engineering, & business teams for ideas, strategy, design, implementation, launch, and maintenance.
• Clearly communicate project status, risks and challenges.

Who You Are

• Fluent in C#, Python, C++, Javascript or any other OO related language - e use the right tool for the right job and this varies between projects.
• Use technology as a tool to solve real-world problems.
• At least 5+ years of professional programming experience (or equivalent life experience)
• You have an Undergraduate or Master’s Degree in some kind of engineering - Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Software Engineering/Mechanical Engineering/Electrical Engineering or equivalent with at least 2 years of professional development experience or at least 2+ years of full-time software development experience.
• Not just an engineer, you are an entrepreneur. You aren’t just thinking about how to do something, you are thinking about what comes next and why.
• Excited by emerging technologies and curious about how to apply them to real world problems.
• Obsessed with hacking-up experiences, applications, gadgets, tools etc.
• A technology-focused professional who understands the creative process and is good at rapid prototyping, facilitating prototype testing and adapting to rapidly changing direction.
• A creative engineer with a broad range of skills in your toolbox, one who is not afraid to jump into an area not yet previously explored.

How You’ll Make an Impact

• Help define what the future of retail can (and should) look like.
• Coordinate with many internal stakeholders as a trusted partner in managing & executing internally sponsored projects (we have our own idea + project management workflow called the 12-week hack through the ideation, prototyping, and hand-off phase as well as guiding them through hand-off process
• Work together with a tight-knit, collaborative group of hands-on creative technologists to surface and build new and exciting software/hardware installations.

About Us

Wayfair is one of the world’s largest online destinations for the home. Whether you work in our global headquarters in Boston or Berlin, or in our warehouses or offices throughout the world, we’re reinventing the way people shop for their homes. Through our commitment to industry-leading technology and creative problem-solving, we are confident that Wayfair will be home to the most rewarding work of your career. If you’re looking for rapid growth, constant learning, and dynamic challenges, then you’ll find that amazing career opportunities are knocking. No matter who you are, Wayfair is a place you can call home. We’re a community of innovators, risk-takers, and trailblazers who celebrate our differences, and know that our unique perspectives make us stronger, smarter, and well-positioned for success. We value and rely on the collective voices of our employees, customers, community, and suppliers to help guide us as we build a better Wayfair – and world – for all. Every voice, every perspective matters. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or genetic information.