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 inventory to identify and describe the world’s biological and geological contents. The person enjoys solving problems, innovating software solutions, learning new technologies, and sharing insight and expertise. 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 samples 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 junior developer, you will work with experienced teammates to build features, fix issues, write tests, and improve a complex system used by research institutions worldwide. The platform must accommodate diverse institutional workflows while remaining flexible, maintainable, and reliable. You will gradually take ownership of larger changes as you learn the platform and its users.
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