Principal Research Software Engineer

University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, San Francisco is seeking a Principal Research Software Engineer to serve as the primary technical expert supporting a nationally recognized health policy research program.

The role leads the development of research software, data platforms, and computational capabilities with multi-institutional impact, ensuring security, interoperability, and regulatory compliance across diverse partners including federal and academic institutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS, Data Science, Information Systems or a related field with extensive experience.
• 10+ years of progressive responsibility leading technical strategy, architecture, and platform development.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience in other data science languages.
• Advanced full-stack development with modern web frameworks, APIs, databases, and secure deployment.
• Experience with healthcare, clinical, public health, policy, or large-scale observational datasets.
• Experience evaluating and implementing AI technologies in research environments.
• Knowledge of HIPAA-regulated data governance and IRB considerations.
• Data engineering, data modeling, metadata management, governance, and reproducible research.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of research software, data platforms, and AI capabilities across multi-institution collaborations.
• Establish technical standards, architecture principles, and governance for research technology.
• Collaborate with investigators and external partners to amplify research productivity and impact.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data engineering

AI/ML

Regulated data governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS or related field

Tools

PostgreSQL

MySQL

Parquet

DuckDB

Linux

CI/CD

Job description

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Principal Research Software Engineer to serve as the primary technical expert supporting a nationally recognized health policy research program.

• Our program's active research collaborations span Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, Yale University, Penn State, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), and public universities both within California and in other states, including UCLA, UC Davis, the University of Washington, the University of Texas, and the University of Florida. This position is responsible for ensuring that our data and technical platforms are usable, interoperable, and compliant across this entire range of environments — private research universities, public universities in and outside California, a major academic health system, a nonprofit economic research organization, and a federal Department of Defense institution — each with its own data governance, security, and regulatory regime, including federal information-security requirements on the NPS side.
• Having wide-ranging experience, applies advanced software engineering, data engineering, informatics, and artificial intelligence technologies to projects, up to and including the most complex, with multi-institutional scope and little or no precedent. Serves as the primary technical expert for a nationally recognized health policy research program whose findings directly inform federal, state, and local health policy. Is considered a subject matter expert on research software engineering, data systems, and AI-enabled research across the program and its collaborating institutions. Directs the selection of tools, methods, techniques, technologies, and evaluation criteria to obtain results. Internal and external contacts regularly pertain to multi-institutional plans and objectives.
• Directs the program’s research technology portfolio, leading the development of research software, data platforms, and computational capabilities with multi-institutional impact that accelerate scientific discovery, enable innovative analyses, and generate publications and policy insights with impact beyond the University. Regularly leads projects of critical importance to the organization: federally funded, multi-site research initiatives in which the security, reliability, and reproducibility of software and data systems carry substantial consequences of success or failure, including regulatory compliance, continued federal funding, and the integrity of evidence used in national and state health policy decisions.
• Works closely with the Principal Investigator, research staff, and external collaborators to identify opportunities where technology can amplify research productivity, scientific discovery, and organizational impact. Establishes and evolves research technology strategy, technical standards, architecture principles, and foundational capabilities, formulating strategies and administering technical policies, processes, and resources that guide current and future research initiatives across the program and collaborating institutions. Has significant impact and influence on organizational policy and program development, including governance policies for the responsible use of artificial intelligence and regulated data.
• Exercises substantial independent judgment in determining technical strategy, architecture, tools, methodologies, partnerships, and implementation approaches. Serves as a trusted technical advisor on research software, data infrastructure, and artificial intelligence, helping researchers evaluate and responsibly adopt emerging technologies. Develops reusable software, data, and AI capabilities that support multiple research projects, collaborating institutions, and future scientific initiatives. The position requires a rare combination of expert-level software engineering, data architecture, artificial intelligence, and regulated health data expertise.

Job Description

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Principal Research Software Engineer to serve as the primary technical expert supporting a nationally recognized health policy research program.

• Our program's active research collaborations span Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, Yale University, Penn State, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), and public universities both within California and in other states, including UCLA, UC Davis, the University of Washington, the University of Texas, and the University of Florida. This position is responsible for ensuring that our data and technical platforms are usable, interoperable, and compliant across this entire range of environments — private research universities, public universities in and outside California, a major academic health system, a nonprofit economic research organization, and a federal Department of Defense institution — each with its own data governance, security, and regulatory regime, including federal information-security requirements on the NPS side.
• Having wide-ranging experience, applies advanced software engineering, data engineering, informatics, and artificial intelligence technologies to projects, up to and including the most complex, with multi-institutional scope and little or no precedent. Serves as the primary technical expert for a nationally recognized health policy research program whose findings directly inform federal, state, and local health policy. Is considered a subject matter expert on research software engineering, data systems, and AI-enabled research across the program and its collaborating institutions. Directs the selection of tools, methods, techniques, technologies, and evaluation criteria to obtain results. Internal and external contacts regularly pertain to multi-institutional plans and objectives.
• Directs the program’s research technology portfolio, leading the development of research software, data platforms, and computational capabilities with multi-institutional impact that accelerate scientific discovery, enable innovative analyses, and generate publications and policy insights with impact beyond the University. Regularly leads projects of critical importance to the organization: federally funded, multi-site research initiatives in which the security, reliability, and reproducibility of software and data systems carry substantial consequences of success or failure, including regulatory compliance, continued federal funding, and the integrity of evidence used in national and state health policy decisions.
• Works closely with the Principal Investigator, research staff, and external collaborators to identify opportunities where technology can amplify research productivity, scientific discovery, and organizational impact. Establishes and evolves research technology strategy, technical standards, architecture principles, and foundational capabilities, formulating strategies and administering technical policies, processes, and resources that guide current and future research initiatives across the program and collaborating institutions. Has significant impact and influence on organizational policy and program development, including governance policies for the responsible use of artificial intelligence and regulated data.
• Exercises substantial independent judgment in determining technical strategy, architecture, tools, methodologies, partnerships, and implementation approaches. Serves as a trusted technical advisor on research software, data infrastructure, and artificial intelligence, helping researchers evaluate and responsibly adopt emerging technologies. Develops reusable software, data, and AI capabilities that support multiple research projects, collaborating institutions, and future scientific initiatives. The position requires a rare combination of expert-level software engineering, data architecture, artificial intelligence, and regulated health data expertise.

Department Summary

The Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies (PRL-IHPS) is an organized research unit within the School of Medicine (SOM). The primary purposes of the Institute are to advance knowledge of health services and health policies through basic and applied research; to contribute to the solution of health and social problems through the application of research findings to health policy issues at the national, state, and local levels.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, or a related field, and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience, including substantial experience leading technical strategy, architecture, and platform development initiatives and serving as a technical lead, principal engineer, or primary technical expert for a research program, center, or
• Expert-level experience designing and architecting research software, data-intensive applications, analytical platforms, scientific computing systems, and modern data architectures.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience in one or more additional research computing or data science languages.
• Advanced full-stack application development experience, including modern web frameworks, API design, relational databases, and secure deployment and DevOps practices.
• Experience working with healthcare, clinical, public health, health services research, policy, claims, or other large-scale observational datasets.
• Experience evaluating, prototyping, and implementing artificial intelligence technologies in research, analytical, or knowledge-intensive environments.
• Expert knowledge of secure software development, data privacy, access controls, governance frameworks, and responsible stewardship of research data, including HIPAA-regulated and IRB-governed clinical and research data.
• Strong understanding of data engineering, data modeling, metadata management, data governance, data visualization, and reproducible research practices.
• Demonstrated ability to establish technical direction, architecture, standards, and implementation strategies in complex or highly ambiguous environments.

Preferred

• Experience serving as the primary technical lead, architect, or senior technical contributor supporting an academic, scientific, clinical, or research-focused program.
• Experience developing researcher-facing software applications, analytical tools, self-service data capabilities, or AI-enabled research solutions.
• Experience with relational database platforms, columnar data formats, and analytical technologies (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, Parquet, DuckDB).
• Experience administering or supporting Linux-based research computing environments, containerized deployments, infrastructure automation, CI/CD workflows, automated testing, or Git-based collaborative development.

About Us

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence – also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity – both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available here.

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Salary Information

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html