Software Engineer (Full Stack)

Cornell University • Ithaca, MI

20h • Remote

About The Position

About the Cornell Lab of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a world leader in the study and protection of biodiversity. Our team powers AllAboutBirds.org, one of the most visited bird and nature enthusiast resources. We are evolving our digital ecosystem into a high-scale, data-driven platform designed to translate scientific discovery into engaging, accessible knowledge for millions of people globally. The Opportunity Join the team behind AllAboutBirds.org, a digital gateway bringing birds and nature to 20+ million people annually. You will build the bridge between complex scientific data and a massive community of nature lovers—creating high-performance tools that turn raw information into a journey of discovery. You will architect and build the modern web and data services powering our next-generation user experiences. Working within a collaborative, iterative team, you will integrate diverse data streams to design dynamic personalized features, self-service tools, and interactive learning capabilities that drive global engagement with the natural world. Team Culture Join a mission-aligned team creating tools used by millions of bird enthusiasts Engage in high-impact work supporting conservation and scientific outreach

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with three (3) to five (5) years in computer science, information science, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience managing enterprise systems and/or services that serve medium to large organizations
• Experience architecting and planning applications and web services
• Proven experience writing application requirements, architecting applications, and documenting code.
• A thorough understanding of object-oriented programming (OOP) and web applications is essential, as well as experience with the complete software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Demonstrable experience in the following areas: 1) interactive asynchronous web application development using modern web application frameworks i.e., Vue, React, etc.; 2) database-driven application development
• Good interpersonal skills and diplomacy required with a variety of domain experts, as well as the ability to help establish realistic goals and deliver work on schedule
• Must be self-motivated and able to work independently and be equally capable of working with the supervisor to prioritize projects and to regularly communicate status and progress
• Experience integrating remote applications and third-party utilities with resident web applications
• Ability to translate design and functional requirements into technology and web design options
• Demonstrated proficiency in relational database design, resolving access and security issues.
• Familiarity with QA/QC conventions
• Experience building applications that comply with web usability and accessibility standards
• Strong service orientation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasked, team-based environment
• Experience with agile methodologies and QA/QC practices
• Prior training experience; ability to express highly technical terms in layman’s terms
• Must be able to manage multiple competing deadlines and be able to prioritize work with minimal input from supervisor
• Ability to build working relationships to solve problems and achieve common goals.
• Able to adapt to changing priorities, situations, and demands.
• Proven ability to translate stakeholder needs into technical specifications
• Must have demonstrated ability for working collaboratively and inclusively
• Proven ability to work in a team environment where cooperation between colleagues and flexibility to different styles and approaches is required
• Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration
• Self-motivated, organized, and capable of independent and collaborative work
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to travel to Ithaca, NY for required visits

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in computer or information science preferred
• Full stack development experience (front-end, back-end, cloud-native)
• Familiarity with CMS platforms, container orchestration, and AI service integration
• Experience with marketing platform integrations and scalable application architecture
• Ability to customize and maintain content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress and experience in syndicating content to other websites with RESTful API
• Experience with modern data platforms integrating data from various sources to allow analysts to create reports for managers
• Experience in fundraising technology, advocacy platforms, or marketing technology (MarTech) is highly desirable; passion for conservation, nature, wildlife, and non-profit technology is desirable

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize APIs and data-integration pipelines that link user engagement metrics with educational resources
• Architect enterprise-grade technology services in line with Cornell Lab infrastructure
• Develop and maintain web apps, data integration pipelines, CMS, and cloud environments
• Manage platform components: web servers, JS frameworks, container platforms, databases, cloud services, and AI integrations
• Lead full software development lifecycle from requirements through QA and deployment
• Design and maintain application-level data services
• Implement quality assurance and testing processes

Benefits

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
• To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays.
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level