University of Pennsylvania Hiring for Application Architect – Kording Lab at Med Sch Richards Building – 4th Floor Full Time

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job TitleApplication Architect – Kording LabJob Profile TitleApplication ArchitectJob Description SummaryThe Community for Rigor (C4R) is a growing and innovative team at the University of Pennsylvania with the goal of transforming research practices through producing effective educational materials. We envision a global community in which every scientist has the attitude, training, and reflection that enables them to do great rigorous science. Community for Rigor is a 5-year funded project from NIH NINDS, and operates as a hub that coordinates the efforts of multiple partner institutions.

The Application Architect for C4R, based out of the Kording Lab, will be responsible for leading the development, production, and maintenance of our educational platform. They will work with a team of 2-5 developers and external collaborators to build our platform for educational content using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, Javascript/Typescript, JS frameworks such as React and Node.js, and Python (Jupyter, Flask/FastAPI). They will work with Konrad Kording and his team to understand the vision and overarching goals for C4R. They will design, code, and debug as needed to ensure the development team meets its deadlines. They will foster their individual success and that of the C4R team through professional development and peer learning.Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• With support from C4R leadership, deliver key platform projects, guiding them through the full software development lifecycle from planning through support.
• Identify technical issues, underlying causes, and propose and implement solutions.
• Work with our team of user researchers and curriculum experts to invoke a product-oriented mindset to evaluate and implement platform features. Address concerns such as what do our stakeholders and audiences want and need, what aligns with the organizational mission, what is possible with our current capabilities and team expertise and enact platform solutions.
• Work with our user researchers to refine products on basis of learner feedback.
• Support the growth of the C4R technical team by defining roles, responsibilities, and needs for future hiring.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 to 5 years of professional experience in collaborative team-based software development or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 2+ years of team and/or product leadership of a technology stack.
• Technical expertise:
  • Continuous integration and continuous-deploy (CI/CD) tools
  • A modern front-end JavaScript / TypeScript web application stack; preferably React, Node.js, Vue, or Svelte
  • Python 3; including Flask or FastAPI, mypy type-system
  • Databases including MongoDB, SQL family, and optionally GraphQL.
  • Web-facing systems administration; including git, Linux command-line interfaces, nginx or Apache server
  • Development management and code review tools like GitHub or GitLab
  • HTML and CSS
• Strong writing and documentation skills, including creating and updating style guides and operations guides
• Ability to work independently (translating a vision into actionable goals) and as part of a team
• Familiarity with accessibility practices, such as WCAG, alt text, inclusive language
• Interest in developing new skills and trying new tasks throughout a project
• Familiarity with web design systems (e.g., Bootstrap, Tailwind, Antd)

Job Location – City, StatePhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment / SchoolSchool of Engineering and Applied SciencePay Range$74,476.00 – $125,000.00 Annual RateSalary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile. Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn’s exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you’ll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay