We are searching for a software engineer to help us document the diversity of life on Earth. The ideal candidate values meaningful work contributing to a global mission that builds on 350 years of Earth exploration and biological inventory to identify and describe the world’s plant and animal species. The person enjoys solving problems, innovating software solutions, learning new technologies, and sharing insight and expertise. Fuel your passion on your career path, help us document the natural world, and enjoy a collegial and welcoming work environment. You will be a valued colleague on our enthusiastic, competent, and collaborative team.
Biological specimens of plants and animals document the distribution of life on the planet and geological specimens document its environment. Our group supports scientists in research centers around the world with software that manages and publishes information about the specimens of preserved plants, animals, rocks, minerals, fossils, and meteorites in their collections. Our open-source Specify platform is used by 135 museum institutions in 25 countries.
Specify 7 is a mature, open-source web application built on Python, Django, TypeScript, and React. As a senior developer, take responsibility for significant features and technical improvements, and help guide the platform’s technical direction. You will work across the codebase, making design decisions that support the varied needs of museum collections while keeping the software reliable, maintainable, and scalable. This includes developing data models, sophisticated user interfaces, application performance, and scalability improvements. You will also support other developers through code review, technical guidance, and mentoring. Your work will directly benefit scientific institutions worldwide.
The Specify Collections Consortium, (
https://www.specifysoftware.org), is a global, non-profit, biological and geological museum organization, legally organized under the University of Kansas Center for Research. The Consortium is headquartered in the Biodiversity Institute on the campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. Our development team is intentionally small and operates with a collaborative, relatively flat structure. Rather than emphasizing management hierarchies, we encourage developers to take ownership of their work, contribute across the codebase, and continuously deepen their technical expertise. You will be a full-time university employee with generous benefits including comprehensive health insurance, retirement plan, 22 paid vacation days per year and several paid holidays.
This position is a hybrid position, with days required in-office in Lawrence, Kansas, with a flexible 40-hour workweek.This position is not eligible for H-1B sponsorship. Candidates must be eligible to work in the US.Technologies We Use:
- Front-end: TypeScript, React, JavaScript, Tailwind CSS, Node.js/npm
- Back-end: Python, Django, SQLAlchemy, Celery, REST/OpenAPI
- Data and services: MariaDB/MySQL, Redis
- Build and deployment: Docker, Linux, Webpack, GitHub Actions, Nginx, Gunicorn
- Testing and development: Pytest, Jest, automated CI/CD, code review