Software Engineer II - GTEx Group

Broad Institute•Cambridge, MA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) group at the Broad Institute is looking for exceptional candidates to join these efforts, with a focus on characterizing how genetic variation regulates gene expression across cell types, tissues, developmental stages, and species, towards the goal of characterizing the function of genetic variants and genes in human diseases and traits. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team working with an unprecedented set of sequencing data from a wide range of tissues and cell types, including from state-of-the-art multi-omic single-cell assays. We are looking for an experienced full-stack software engineer to help us design and build a robust data portal that enables researchers across the world to accelerate advances in scientific understanding. The GTEx Portal is used by researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and clinicians to search, download, and visualize our gene expression and quantitative trait loci data. The GTEx Portal is a modern, cloud-based web application deployed on the Google Cloud Platform, with REST-style services and an innovative JavaScript and D3.js user interface. We are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic about taking a hands-on, problem-solving approach, and collaborating with scientists and engineers in an informal and collegial work environment that is infused with intellectual rigor. The right candidate will have an outstanding academic record and strong communication skills and will demonstrate innovative and analytical thinking. The Broad Institute provides a vibrant research environment with close links to MIT, Harvard, and the Harvard-affiliated hospitals across Boston. The position provides the potential for your contributions to be utilized and recognized across a global network of researchers participating in these efforts, and by the thousands of monthly users of the GTEx Portal.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field.
2+ years of professional experience as a software engineer, demonstrating sound engineering judgment.
Demonstrated skill in designing, implementing, and documenting software engineering components.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Full-stack web development experience.
Proficient in the modern typed Python stack, including the Pandas/Polars library.
Proficient in cloud computing, preferably with the Google Cloud Platform (GKE, App Engine, GCS).
Working knowledge of the modern web development stack, including Typescript/JavaScript, React or Vue3, HTML5, and CSS Modules.
Working knowledge of data visualization libraries such as D3.
Good sense of design aesthetics.
Takes pride in their work.
No genomics or biology background is required, but candidates should have a demonstrated desire to learn and contribute to biology and the life sciences.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Pydantic and FastAPI.
Experience using UI component explorers like StoryBook.

Responsibilities

Work in a collaborative setting with a small team of developers and biologists to enhance the GTEx Portal.
Assist in the design and implementation of a high-quality, production-grade, full-stack web portal.
Assist in the design and development of large, complex frameworks.
Research and recommend frameworks and libraries.
Deploy applications to the cloud and monitor health.
Design and implement data models.
Design and implement RESTful web services.
Participate in code reviews and apply feedback to subsequent work.
Proactively identify obstacles or problems and recommend improvements.
Effectively and graciously answer questions from GTEx Portal users.