Software Engineer III

Rice University • Houston, TX

3d • $111,504 - $140,800 • Remote

About The Position

Rice University’s SafeInsights team is hiring a mid- to senior-level Software Engineer to help design, build, and maintain the research data platform that enables secure, privacy-preserving analysis of large-scale learning and behavioral datasets. As a full-stack engineer working primarily in TypeScript, you will deliver features end-to-end across React-based interfaces and Node.js services, model and integrate data from diverse research sources, and contribute to the cloud infrastructure (AWS) and CI/CD pipelines that run the platform reliably for researchers across partner institutions. You will collaborate closely with engineers, product managers, data scientists, and academic partners—translating complex research workflows into intuitive tools, raising the quality bar of the codebase through thoughtful design and code review, and mentoring less experienced teammates. This role is central to SafeInsights’ mission of expanding what is possible in education and learning research while rigorously protecting the privacy of the individuals whose data powers it.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• Four or more (4+) years of professional software development experience.
• Expert knowledge in software application design, development, testing, and deployment
• High proficiency with application design and data modeling
• Demonstrated ability to define and solve logical problems for highly technical applications
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with both technical and non‐technical clients
• Ability to lead activities development projects
• Ability to select, adapt, and effectively use a variety of programming methods
• Knowledge of application domain
• Excellent presentation and project management skills

Nice To Haves

• Five or more years of professional software development experience.
• Hands-on production experience with React and Node.js.
• Experience deploying and operating applications on AWS (or comparable experience on Azure or GCP) and working with CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform, AWS CDK, Pulumi).
• Experience with database design and optimization across SQL and NoSQL systems, and with diagnosing performance bottlenecks in large codebases.
• Prior experience building research, data-privacy, or education-technology products, or working with sensitive data in a regulated environment.
• Proficiency in TypeScript and demonstrated ability to design, develop, test, and deploy production applications.
• Experience with at least one modern JavaScript framework such as React, Angular, or Vue.js.
• Experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs and modeling application data.
• Proficiency with Git and modern version control workflows.
• Experience working in agile or iterative development environments (e.g., Scrum, Kanban).
• Strong understanding of software testing methodologies, including unit, integration, and end-to-end testing.
• Familiarity with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Ability to define and solve logical problems for highly technical applications, and to select, adapt, and effectively use a variety of programming methods.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to lead activities on structured team development projects and to operate effectively with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency using AI/LLM-based development tools as part of a daily software development workflow, including judgment about when and how to apply them responsibly.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualizes designs and solutions for complex system / programs
• Accumulates information from a variety of users to develop intra-system trade-offs between different users, as necessary
• Documents system builds and application configurations; maintains / updates documentation, as needed
• Provides technical analysis to design / develop then convert and implement work
• Provides production system support and issue resolution
• Works as a project leader for projects of highly complex nature
• Serves as a technical resource for applications
• Compares, evaluates, and implements new features and technologies integrating them into the computing environment
• Mentors developer / programmers
• Design, develop, and deploy high-quality software solutions in TypeScript across the full stack, working independently on systems of moderate size and complexity or on segments of larger systems.
• Effectively use AI/LLM-based development tools as part of daily software development workflow, applying sound engineering judgment about when, how, and where to apply them and reviewing their output for correctness, security, and code quality.
• Architect efficient APIs, model application data, and identify, troubleshoot, and resolve complex software issues promptly.
• Conduct thorough code reviews, provide constructive feedback, and enforce coding standards and engineering best practices.
• Collaborate with product managers, UX designers, data scientists, and other engineers to deliver intuitive, user-centered applications, and interact with a diverse client base and external partners.
• Participate actively in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.
• Document system builds, application configurations, and technical decisions; maintain and update documentation as needed.
• Provide production system support and issue resolution, including participation in on-call rotations as needed.
• Serve as a project leader on initiatives of moderate complexity and as a technical resource for the applications you support.
• Mentor less experienced engineers and foster a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.
• Compare, evaluate, and integrate new features and technologies into the platform.
• Diagnose and address performance bottlenecks in large codebases.
• Contribute to Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD pipeline improvements.
• Support database design and optimization across SQL and NoSQL systems.
• Stay current with evolving technology trends and bring fresh ideas to the team.
• Contribute to team engineering standards and lightweight technical decision-making.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits
• Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University https://www.rice.edu/mission-values

What This Job Offers

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