Senior Staff / Principal Software Engineer, Rust Genomics Infrastructure
About The Position
St. Jude is seeking a seasoned Rust developer to lead development of software that facilitates genomics analysis at scale. The role focuses on writing or rewriting tools that underpin the genomics ecosystem in Rust. It requires deep knowledge of Rust and its core concepts, algorithm development and optimization through profiling, and a track record of producing well-documented, tested software. Some work will be dedicated to open-source software development, including community management and engagement to support adoption. Strong synchronous and asynchronous communication is important for shaping project direction, tracking progress, and engaging with the communities around these tools. Specific bioinformatics or genomics experience is not required; the role is intended for software engineers interested in expanding into these fields. At the Senior Staff level, the engineer manages assigned software systems through strategic direction, technical design, implementation, and operational health, while serving as a technical advocate and thought leader. At the Principal level, the engineer anticipates and solves complex problems through deep technical analysis, identifies opportunities in the scientific domain, mentors colleagues, and leads implementation of solutions to complex scientific problems. The position is in the Computational Biology department within Computational Sciences in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a full-time, weekday-day-shift role scheduled for 40 hours per week.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, information science, business, or a related field.
- Experience with programming languages, databases, and the software development lifecycle.
- Substantial experience within a technical and/or scientific domain; significant experience in that domain is required at the Principal level.
- Proven performance in an earlier or comparable role; proven leadership in an earlier or comparable role is required at the Principal level.
- Deep understanding of Rust and agility with its core concepts.
- Proficiency in algorithm development, with a focus on optimization through profiling.
- Track record of developing software with strong documentation and testing.
- Senior Staff minimum experience: bachelor's degree with 8 or more years of relevant experience, or a master's degree with 6 or more years of relevant experience.
- Principal minimum experience: bachelor's degree with 12 or more years of relevant experience, or a master's degree with 10 or more years of relevant experience.
- Specific experience in bioinformatics and genomics is not required.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree.
- Interest in expanding software engineering work into bioinformatics and genomics.
Responsibilities
- Manage assigned software systems through strategic direction, technical design, implementation, and operational health, coordinating with other staff as necessary.
- Advocate for technology and provide technical thought leadership, guiding application strategy and recommending future development.
- Architect, design, and develop solutions to scientific-domain problems; at the Principal level, lead implementation of solutions to complex scientific problems.
- Use scientific-domain knowledge and analysis of scientific data to identify problems and opportunities for improvement.
- Stay informed about existing and state-of-the-art technologies and evaluate their suitability for effective delivery.
- Engage with and influence senior leadership and other decision-makers.
- Prepare scientific manuscripts and presentations, and participate in their preparation as applicable to the role level.
- Mentor and guide junior staff and support continuous learning and development across teams.
- Develop and support open-source software, including active community management and engagement to encourage adoption.
- Communicate synchronously and asynchronously about project direction, progress, and community engagement.
- Perform other duties as assigned to meet department and institutional goals and objectives.
- Maintain regular and predictable attendance.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
