Build with charper

Good people.
Work that matters.

We’re building a queer Portland app around people, places and a little more possibility. Bring your craft to the parts you care about.

Explore the scopes below. Each one says where it stands, what the work involves and what we need to agree before work starts.

careers@charper.app

Paid council · preparing recruitment

Community council

Help decide what a safer, more welcoming charper needs before it launches.

The work

  • Review reporting, discretion, accessibility and presence privacy with the people building the app.
  • Try specific product flows, write down what works and what feels wrong, and review our response.
  • Bring experience of organising, care, recovery, disability access or queer life in Portland. You do not need to disclose personal experiences to take part.

Before we begin

We will publish the paid rate, meeting schedule and term before applications open. No council applications are open yet.

Express interest in this role
A miniature view of downtown Portland on the charper map.

Commission · $750 initial budget

Illustrator & look-development artist

A miniature view of downtown Portland on the charper map.

Give charper an original visual language, made by a person with a point of view.

The work

  • Develop a small, cohesive illustration direction for queer community life in Portland: meetings, friendships and the places people gather.
  • Show how your style works across our saturated colour blocks and in light and dark themes.
  • Bring a portfolio that shows people, composition and colour. We will agree the deliverables, credit, revisions and licence before any work begins.

Before we begin

The initial commission budget is up to $750. Scope and usage rights must fit that budget; this is not a request for a complete illustration library or unpaid sample work.

Express interest in this role

Paid project · scope in development

Technical artist

Make a miniature Portland feel recognisable, expressive and alive.

The work

  • Work on readable streetscapes, materials, trees, atmosphere and landmarks for a small-scale 3D city.
  • Help turn an art direction into reliable scenes that remain clear on a phone and in reduced motion.
  • Show relevant 3D work, procedural experiments, WebGL/WebGPU projects or a practical approach to visual performance.

Before we begin

We are defining the project and budget. We will agree paid scope, milestones and rights before commissioning work. No funded opening is being advertised yet.

Express interest in this role

Paid internship · role in development

Software internship

Ship small, useful pieces of a thoughtful, accessible app with support.

The work

  • Work on bounded web features, test real interactions and help improve accessibility and reliability.
  • Learn through review, pairing and documented tasks, with time to ask questions.
  • Share a project or an example of something you have built or fixed. Personal and learning projects are welcome.

Before we begin

We are planning a paid, supervised internship. Pay, hours, location, supervision and eligibility will be published before applications open. There is no unpaid trial task.

Express interest in this role

Start a conversation

Bring your ideas.

Tell us what you would like to work on. We’ll contact you if an opportunity fits.

Get on the beta waitlist