General AV Duties

• Assist with load in and load out
• Perform duties as needed during the convention. This includes operating AV equipment and helping with side projects as they arise.
• Attend pre-convention and post-convention meetings throughout the year

AV Staffers should be able to do the following. Accommodations can be made depending on the circumstances. 

• Lift and carry heavy equipment (often up to 50 - 75 lbs)
• Stand for extended periods of time
• Follow instructions and be aware of their surroundings at all times
• Effectively communicate with fellow staffers and volunteers
• Work in a safe manner

Equipment

• Closed toe shoes
• Appropriate clothing for working
• Work gloves
• Any other specialized equipment will be provided by the convention

Time Commitment

• Fur Squared Staff will be expected to work a minimum total of 14 hours during the current convention cycle. As an AV staffer, most of that time will be worked during the convention itself.
• Staffers are not limited to 14 hours. AV staffers will often work well past the 14 hour minimum requirement due to the nature of the role.  You are welcome to request to work as many or as few hours as you would like as long as the minimum is met
• Working extra hours will be at the discretion of your lead or the department head. We want to ensure that you are not overworking yourself and that you are getting adequate rest.
• Please note that, by its nature, the AV team is often up late. The dances usually do not wrap up until 2am and the room is not fully shut down until 2:30-2:45am. Not all AV staff are expected to remain on site until that time, however all AV staff will be expected to be able to fill those slots if needed. A schedule will be created as the con draws nearer so as to ensure that all staffers are able to get proper rest.

FurSquared runs differently from other conventions. While others will go with a different off-the-shelf solution every year or publish a Google sheet for their programming schedule or Dealers Den… we opt to make it our own.

Why create our own things?

First of all, it's fun! We can be creative in own way while solving real problems that our attendees and staff have.

Consider how tedious it is to set up a programming schedule over 10+ spreadsheets or to manage and decide on Dealers, Adult Dealers, and so on with just forms and sheets. It is possible, but we can do better. Convention staff are volunteers! We all have a lot of love for the event and for all of you that come, but hair pulling shouldn't be a part of the job description. Good software has made the difference in keeping dedicated people on staff each year. Being on the Technology team means you'll have an impact to every staff member we have, and through them, all the attendees too.

Have you been to a convention with over 10,000 people and their Dealers list is an obtuse spreadsheet that doesn't scroll right in the phone? Or another that has you install a new app every year because they can't settle on one provider or another and the website for the schedule is broken? It should not be so confusing and bothersome to figure out what to do at a convention. Our site and services (and maybe a custom app) can do a better job at providing all the info and affordances attendees need to have a good time.

What we're looking for:

We're looking for web and backend developers that have experience with TypeScript, databases like PostgreSQL / MySQL / SQLite, caches like Redis, and development tools like git, Docker, Dev Containers, and serverless platforms like Cloudflare.

We're also looking for mobile app developers that have developed with Kotlin Multiplatform. This might be our first year with our own app!

And if you're interested in embedded Rust development for an IoT network, we welcome that too! Also infrastructure DevOps and maybe something about a custom Debian linux distribution for our fleet. Not all at once though!

We may also be interested in Telegram Bot and Slack bot integrations.

General Expectations:

Solid convention software gets delivered early and consistently. You'd be committing to a few hours a week for several months. It adds up to around 40-60 hours before the convention — most of it before New Years.

You test your work before handing it off, you nudge your peers for code review, and you confirm it works on the development / staging environment before ever deploying production.

All software contributions and configurations are released to Two Ferrets Co. such that it may continue using said contributions with or without you remaining on staff and it may one day become open source or leased or licensed to operate other events. Also, software that is not currently public may not be shared unless authorized.

Role description:

The Assistant Director of Operations supports the Director of Operations in helping FurSquared run smoothly before, during, and after the event. This role assists with event logistics, setup and teardown coordination, department support, communication with staff, and responding to operational needs as they arise. This position requires someone who is dependable, calm under pressure, and comfortable working in an active convention environment. Applicants should be capable of frequent walking throughout the venue, standing for extended periods, and lifting or moving items up to approximately 50 lbs. with or without reasonable accommodation.

Leadership expectations:

The Assistant Director of Operations is expected to maintain FurSquared leadership standards by completing at least 16 documented hours of work during the in-person event to remain in good standing with the organization. This role must follow, support, and help enforce the FurSquared Staff Code of Conduct while setting a positive example for staff and attendees. Any concerns, incidents, safety issues, or staff conduct matters should be properly escalated to the Director of Operations or the assigned Board Liaison in a timely and professional manner.

Assistant Directors are required to attend monthly meetings online and in person if the Director is unable to attend the meeting to ensure that a leadership presence is present during high level discussions.

Before the Event

• Assist the Director of Operations with planning, scheduling, and preparing operational needs for the event.
• Help coordinate setup plans with other departments, including room layouts, equipment needs, signage, and traffic flow.
• Track assigned Operations tasks, deadlines, and updates through FurSquared’s approved project management systems.
• Communicate with staff and leadership regarding operational needs, concerns, or missing information.
• Assist with preparing supplies, equipment, and materials needed for event setup.
• Attend required leadership meetings and provide updates when requested.
• Help identify possible safety, accessibility, or logistical concerns before the event begins.

During the Event

• Support the Director of Operations with daily event operations and on-site coordination.
• Walk the venue regularly to check event spaces, hallways, setup areas, and staff needs.
• Assist with setup, teardown, moving supplies, and lifting or transporting items as needed.
• Respond to operational requests from departments in a timely and professional manner.
• Help coordinate with Security, HR, Hotel Liaison, and the Board Liaison when issues require escalation.
• Monitor for safety concerns, blocked walkways, damaged equipment, or other logistical problems.
• Provide clear direction and support to Operations staff while maintaining a calm and professional presence.
• Escalate staff conduct concerns, safety issues, or unresolved problems to the Director of Operations or Board Liaison.

After the Event

• Assist with teardown, cleanup, equipment return, and final walkthroughs of event spaces.
• Help confirm that supplies, materials, and equipment are properly packed, stored, or returned.
• Report any damaged, missing, or misplaced items to the Director of Operations.
• Provide feedback on what worked well and what should be improved for the next event year.
• Assist with documenting post-event notes, concerns, and recommendations for future planning.
• Participate in post-event debriefs as requested by HR, the Director of Operations, or the Board Liaison.

Who'd make a great fit for this position?

This position is a great fit for someone who enjoys being active, helping solve problems, and supporting the behind the scenes work that keeps FurSquared running smoothly. Anyone who is dependable, hands on, calm under pressure, and excited to help staff and attendees have a successful event should absolutely apply!

It takes a lot of equipment to run a con and to help other teams do their best work. From printers to networking and the computers in between, we need someone who'll ensure the on-site deployment goes well and if we have to account for a surprise you've got the hardware or configuration in mind to pull it off.

The Technology team is separate from Audio / Visual which rents and configures its own hardware, though we may collaborate from time to time.

We're seeking someone experienced with physical network deployment and its configuration, asset tracked hardware, and linux experience.

As the Physical Hardware Lead you will:

• Seek out and record the needs of all fellow departments and functions, such as Registration, Video Games, Dealers Den, Con Store, Artist Alley, and more.
• Thoroughly plan what we can deploy given the wants vs needs and what we have to work with.
• Escalate hardware requests that we cannot fulfill.
• Where relevant, identify opportunities to purchase hardware that will satisfy the needs we will have at the next event.
• Receive, update, and ensure all hardware is configured or otherwise prepared the month before the event. I hope you like updating over 20 chromebooks!
• Produce a deployment plan for the convention down to the hour with destination, which asset tagged hardware will be deployed, and for how long.
• Oversee the pack-up and collection of all Technology hardware.
• Oversee and asset tag all new or unlabeled hardware.

Specific experience that'll make you stand out:

• Unifi Network configuration
• Ubiquiti ISP hardware configuration
• Debian Linux administration