Research Software Developer

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is seeking a Senior Research Software Engineer to design, implement, and optimize advanced computational systems for neuroimaging research. You will develop scalable pipelines for MRI, MRS, and PET data, and collaborate with diverse teams to enable reproducible analyses.

The role requires strong programming in Python or R, experience with neuroimaging tools, and a track record of contributions to research software and data processing workflows.

Qualifications

• Significant experience developing scientific software and computational workflows.
• Programming in Python, R, or other scientific computing environments.
• Experience with neuroimaging tools such as FreeSurfer, FSL, AFNI, or related frameworks.
• Experience working with neuroimaging or other large biomedical datasets.
• Familiarity with neuroinformatics platforms, including XNAT or REDCap.
• Experience collaborating with interdisciplinary research teams.
• Demonstrated contributions to research software, analysis tools, or data processing pipelines.
• Demonstrated ability to adhere to HIPAA.
• Ability to produce scientific reports, memos, and publications for peer-reviewed journals and grant writing.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, development, and optimization of advanced computational systems for neuroimaging research.
• Build scalable, reproducible data pipelines and analytical frameworks for MRI, MRS, and PET datasets.
• Collaborate with faculty, clinicians, and national labs to align site capacity with multi-site projects.

Skills

Scientific software development

Python/R programming

Neuroimaging tools (FreeSurfer/FSL/AFN

Large biomedical datasets

Neuroinformatics platforms (XNAT/REDCa

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Research software contributions

HIPAA compliance

Scholarly reporting/writing

Education

Master's or Bachelor's degree

Job description

Department:

Psychiatry-412201

Career Area :

Information Technology

Posting Open Date:

09/18/2026

Application Deadline:

10/02/2026

Open Until Filled:

No

Position Type:

Permanent Staff (EHRA NF)

Working Title:

Research Software Developer

Appointment Type:

EHRA Non-Faculty

Position Number:

20078541

Vacancy ID:

NF0010050

Full Time/Part Time:

Full-Time Permanent

FTE:

1

Hours per week:

40

Position Location:

North Carolina, US

Hiring Range:

$100,000 - $110,000

Proposed Start Date:

10/12/2026

Be a Tar Heel!:

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow’s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

Position Summary:

The Senior Research Software Engineer will support research imaging data preprocessing, image processing, implement data cleaning, train research team on image analysis using Python, FSL, SPM, Freesurfer, and other platforms. The incumbent will further support the software and hardware environments for successful implementation of the planned image analyses, collaborate with other national labs to align our site capacity with multi-site projects of which we are a part.

The Senior Research Software Engineer will serve as a highly specialized technical leader responsible for architecting, developing, and optimizing advanced computational systems that support large-scale neuroimaging research. This position plays a critical role in enabling cutting-edge scientific discovery through the design and implementation of scalable, reproducible data pipelines and analytical frameworks for complex MRI, MRS, PET datasets. Operating at the intersection of neuroscience, data science, and software engineering, this role drives innovation in neuroinformatics infrastructure, including the integration of data management platforms, high-performance computing environments, and advanced statistical methodologies. They will collaborate closely with faculty investigators, clinicians, and interdisciplinary research teams to translate complex research questions into robust computational solutions and actionable scientific insights.

Key contributions include leading the development of automated processing pipelines, advancing methodological approaches in neuroimaging analytics, and creating sophisticated visualization tools that effectively communicate complex findings. The role requires deep domain expertise in neuroanatomy, scientific programming, and neuroimaging ecosystems, as well as a strong commitment to reproducibility.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

Master's or Bachelor’s and 0-2 years’ experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

• Significant experience developing scientific software and computational workflows
• Programming in Python, R, or other scientific computing environments
• Experience with neuroimaging tools such as FreeSurfer, FSL, AFNI, or related frameworks
• Experience working with neuroimaging or other large biomedical datasets
• Familiarity with neuroinformatics platforms, including research data systems such as XNAT or REDCap
• Experience collaborating with interdisciplinary research teams
• Demonstrated contributions to research software, analysis tools, or data processing pipelines
• Demonstrated ability to adhere to HIPAA
• Ability to produce scientific reports, memos, and publications for peer-reviewed journals and grant writing and submission

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

• Development of automated pipelines for large-scale data processing deployable on cluster such as SLURM
• Experience working with DICOM data and imaging data anonymization workflows
• Data visualization for scientific analysis and reporting
• Use of version control systems (e.g., Git) and collaborative software development practices
• Experience working in Linux or research computing environments

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities:

Not Applicable.