Web Application Developer (Digital Scholarship & Publishing Support)

University of Iowa•Iowa City, IA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Iowa Libraries is seeking to hire a Web Application Developer (Digital Scholarship & Publishing Support) (PIA2/4B) in our Libraries Information Technology (LIT) department. Reporting to the Application Development lead in LIT, the Web Application Developer supports the design, development, maintenance, and modernization of custom web applications that support research, teaching, and digital scholarship across the University of Iowa. The position works in close partnership with the Research Manager in the Digital Scholarship and Publishing Studio, who serves as Product Owner and Business Analyst, providing research context, requirements definition, and stakeholder coordination. The Web Application Developer contributes technical expertise to the implementation of scalable, maintainable web solutions and complements the GIS Specialist role by focusing on general-purpose web application development rather than geospatial systems. The position receives guidance and mentorship from the Application Development lead to ensure adherence to development best practices, institutional standards, and sustainable approaches to software design.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information science, digital humanities, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
Experience (typically 2 years or more) developing or maintaining web applications using modern web technologies.
Familiarity with content management systems or web frameworks, particularly in library or academic publishing contexts.
Ability to work collaboratively in a consultative, team-based development environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with open-source CMS platforms such as Omeka, WordPress, or Drupal.
Familiarity with maintaining or modernizing legacy applications.
Experience supporting scholarly publishing digital projects.
Exposure to version control systems and collaborative development workflows (e.g., Git).
Experience working within a team-based software development environment, including receiving technical guidance or mentorship and applying established development standards.
Demonstrated interest in building scalable, maintainable, and sustainable software solutions.

Responsibilities

Supporting the development, enhancement, and maintenance of custom web applications for faculty scholarship and publishing projects.
Implementing and supporting content management systems and frameworks commonly used in library and digital publishing contexts, such as Omeka and other open-source platforms.
Maintaining, updating, and modernizing existing applications, including refactoring or migrating legacy solutions to current, supported frameworks.
Contributing to system analysis and technical design activities based on requirements defined by the Research Manager and project stakeholders.
Applying established development standards, tools, and frameworks in collaboration with the Application Development lead.
Writing, testing, debugging, and documenting application code using approved languages, libraries, and development tools.
Providing second- and third-tier technical support for digital scholarship and publishing web applications and services.
Collaborating with the GIS Specialist, application developers, and other LIT staff to support integrated project delivery.
Collaborating with campus partners and research stakeholders, as appropriate, to support web-based scholarly communication projects.
Communicating technical concepts, progress, and issues to stakeholders with varying levels of technical expertise.
Staying current with emerging web application frameworks, tools, and best practices relevant to digital scholarship and academic publishing.