Web Application Developer

Gulf of Maine Research Institute•Portland, ME

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) develops and delivers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges, focusing on the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and its dependent communities. The Ocean Data Products (ODP) team specializes in developing and supporting data management and cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) systems to provide access to real-time, historic, and forecast data for the northeastern region. ODP has been the lead data management provider for NERACOOS since the early 2000s and collaborates on projects involving fisheries, climate, and marine environmental data. Current projects include infrastructure for offshore buoy data, web-based tools for water level data and model forecast visualizations, a community science platform, and data infrastructure for GMRI research data. The ODP team develops and supports web-based software and tools for accessing marine environment data and information, facilitating distributed data delivery systems to the ocean observing community and stakeholders. The Web Developer I position is an early-career role within the ODP team, aimed at candidates with growing skills and interest in areas like back-end development, data acquisition and integration, or DevOps. This full-time, regular position is based on-site in Portland, ME, with flexibility for hybrid work. The Web Developer I will support and contribute to the development of web-based software and tools for accessing marine data, working closely with the ODP Program Director, programmers, scientists, stakeholders, and designers. Collaboration will occur with internal GMRI partners and external clients in the ocean observing, marine science, and fisheries communities. The ideal candidate will possess demonstrated programming skills in industry-standard, preferably open-source, languages, be an excellent problem-solver with strong coding abilities, adaptable to various software technologies, and capable of staying current with industry trends.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in computer science, web development or related field, or 3 to 5 years of equivalent education and experience
3+ years direct experience developing consumer-facing web applications.
Proficiency developing in web application frameworks and environments (preferred: Django, Node.js)
Experience developing and supporting content management frameworks (e.g., Python, Django, Wagtail, CKAN)
Proficiency with client and server-side programming languages (preferred: Python, JavaScript, Typescript, Node.js, React)
Experience supporting front end website development, including proficient knowledge and experience with web markup, including HTML5 and CSS
Experience with relational and non-relational databases (preferred: PostgreSQL, MySQL)
Demonstrated knowledge of web-oriented data formats (XML, JSON)
Proficiency developing and implementing REST-based web services and APIs
Demonstrated knowledge of repository-based development, preferably GitHub
Familiarity with object-oriented programming concepts and their applications
Demonstrated ability translating functional requirements into technical specifications and infrastructure requirements
Proficiency in managing application environments with cloud hosting providers
Well-developed written and verbal communication skills
Ability to thrive on a team that manages multiple projects with fixed deadlines

Nice To Haves

Integration of data from sensors and large, unstructured time series and gridded data sets (satellite, buoys, models) and data formats (e.g. NetCDF, xarray, Zarr)
Scientific data management systems (ERDDAP/THREDDS)
Developing mobile/touch responsive or platform-specific applications
GIS and mapping software (OpenLayers, ESRI, Google Maps, Leaflet, Mapbox, or similar)
Advanced front-end visualization libraries and tools (HighCharts, D3, or similar)
Cloud storage services (Amazon S3, Digital Ocean)
Container application platforms (Docker, Kubernetes)
Workflow orchestration tools (e.g., Dagster, Prefect)
Authentication services
Development in cloud compute environments (AWS or equivalent)
An academic background or previous work experience with marine science, fisheries, climate, or environmental issues
Desire to work for a mission-driven non-profit

Responsibilities

Provide ongoing support and contribute to the development of the suite of web-based software and tools used by stakeholders to access data and information about the marine environment.
Work closely with the ODP program director, ODP programmers, research scientists, stakeholders, and designers to support and maintain these systems.
Collaborate with internal partners at GMRI as well as external clients in the ocean observing, marine science, fisheries communities, and other stakeholders interested in marine data.
Program web applications using industry standard programming languages, open source preferred.
Translate functional requirements into technical specifications and infrastructure requirements.
Manage application environments with cloud hosting providers.
Provide basic system administration for multiple servers and technologies (preferred).