Given that Wikimedia already employs a number of contractors who don't work full-time, I think the fact that this position would be full-time is really odd.
It's in the strategic plan:
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/2010-2011_Annual_Plan_Questions_and_Answ...
If you'd like to discuss this, I think the strategy wiki is the right spot. Not wikitech-l.
Respectfully,
Ryan Lane