Staff Research Engineer, GitHub Next

GitHub, Inc.; Ontario; Remote; CAD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

GitHub is seeking a Research Engineer to join their innovative team focused on building prototypes for the future of software development. This role requires extensive experience in software engineering and the ability to work across multiple technologies, contributing to groundbreaking projects in a collaborative, remote environment.

Benefits

Remote work flexibility

Competitive pay

Growth opportunities

Qualifications

• 9+ years in Software Engineering with experience in production software.
• Experience creating rapid prototypes.
• Ability to identify research goals amid ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Build prototypes transforming technological ideas into products.
• Understand and implement prototypes across various technologies.
• Collaborate effectively in a remote environment.

Skills

Frontend skills

Effective communication

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related

Associate’s Degree with relevant experience

Tools

Typescript

React

C++

Java

Python

Job description

About GitHub

As the global home for all developers, GitHub is the complete AI-powered developer platform to build, scale, and deliver secure software. Over 150+ million developers, including more than 90% of the Fortune 100 companies, use GitHub to collaborate and experiment across 420+ million repositories. With all the collaborative features of GitHub, it has never been easier for individuals and teams to write faster, better code.

Locations

In this role, you can work remotely from Ontario, Canada.

Overview

GitHub has changed the way software is built, and we have a unique opportunity to look further ahead to identify how software development can be faster, safer, easier, and more accessible. We’re seeking talented, experienced polymaths to join us in this mission! This role offers startup-level agility combined with the resources of a larger company.

GitHub Next has incubated genre-defining products like Copilot and Copilot Workspace. You’ll work closely with a small team of experienced researchers exploring the future of software development. Our prototypes inform GitHub’s leadership and roadmap, representing potential bets that we support with working prototypes.

Please note that this is not an academic research role. Our goal is to dream big about the future of software development and build it. Our team operates like a permanent startup: succeeding means handing off prototypes and starting over again.

See some of our projects at githubnext.com.

Responsibilities

Research Engineers build prototypes, transforming interesting technological ideas into reliable products, or envisioning new experiences and figuring out how to realize them. Our main challenge is to scope our bets wisely and deliver value, with many ideas to pursue and limited resources.

Our exploration domains are varied, requiring an ability to understand, investigate, and implement prototypes across a wide range of technologies. We work in squads, debating ideas and executing prototypes. For this role, we are seeking someone with exceptional frontend and design skills, as our prototypes often address complex UX challenges with little prior art.

You may be a good fit if:

• You are a generalist with some areas of deeper expertise, comfortable working across multiple domains.
• You are an effective, inclusive communicator, adept at remote collaboration.
• You are comfortable collaborating, splitting work, and persuading teammates with your ideas.
• You can read source code and pick up new technology stacks efficiently.
• Experience with specific technologies is less important than your overall ability to adapt and learn.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• 9+ years in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related, with proven experience maintaining and delivering production software in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Go, Ruby, Rust, or Python.
• Alternatively, an Associate’s Degree with 8+ years of relevant experience, a Bachelor’s Degree with 7+ years, a Master’s with 5+, or a Doctorate with 3+ years, all with relevant experience.
• Experience creating rapid prototypes to demonstrate concepts to stakeholders.
• Ability to identify research goals amid ambiguity and execute independently.

Preferred Qualifications:

These are desirable but not mandatory. Feel free to apply even if you lack some:

• Deep understanding of GitHub’s industry and business context.
• Experience at the boundary of human knowledge in software development.
• Significant frontend experience, especially with technologies like Typescript and React.
• Experience with machine learning, LLMs, and AI tools.
• Backend expertise with server environments, data stores, networking, infrastructure, and security.
• Familiarity with open-source communities and systems at scale.
• Experience operating production systems at scale.
• Relevant experience in human-computer interaction or distributed systems.

GitHub Values

• Customer-obsessed
• Ship to learn
• Growth mindset
• Own the outcome
• Better together
• Diverse and inclusive

Manager Fundamentals

• Model
• Coach
• Care

Leadership Principles

• Create clarity
• Generate energy
• Deliver success

Who We Are

GitHub is the leading AI-powered developer platform with 150 million users. We foster a vibrant open-source community and build tools used daily worldwide. Our teams are innovative and diverse, leading in AI and supporting humanitarian efforts globally. We offer remote work, competitive pay, and growth opportunities to help you do your best work.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We embrace diversity and invite applications from all backgrounds. We do not discriminate based on gender, race, religion, age, or other factors. If you have a disability, let us know how we can accommodate you during the interview process.