Research Software Developer - 135951

UC San Diego Health; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 77,000 - 92,550; Full time

Job summary

A leading health research institution in San Diego is seeking a Research Software Developer to contribute to bioinformatics projects and support researchers through software development. Key responsibilities include developing tools and web applications while collaborating closely with team members. Candidates should have expertise in Python and JavaScript, along with knowledge of bioinformatics methods. This position offers competitive salary and a dynamic work environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Experience working with bioinformatics data structures.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain software for researchers.
• Collaborate with students and researchers on projects.
• Contribute to open-source projects like Cytoscape and NDEx.

Skills

Fluency in Python

Fluency in JavaScript

Web development

Working knowledge of bioinformatics methods

Project management skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related area

Tools

GitHub

React

Data science tools (Pandas, NumPy)

Job description

Overview

Payroll Title BIOINFORMATICS PROGR 2

Department MEDICINE/ Genomics & Precision

Hiring Pay Scale $77,000.00 - $92,550.00/ Yr.

Worksite La Jolla

Appointment Type Career

Appointment Percent 100%

Union Uncovered

Total Openings 1

Work Schedule Days, 8 hrs/day, Monday-Friday

Filing Deadline Tue 9/23/2025

Description

The Research Software Developer position is in the software development team at the Ideker lab (https://idekerlab.ucsd.edu/) in the UCSD School of Medicine, a lab known for its friendly, inclusive, and collaborative environment. The software development team has a strong track record of mentoring and skills development. The lab performs bioinformatics research coupled with wet-lab investigations. We work in network biology, data-driven hierarchical modeling, and machine learning applied to biomedicine. The Ideker lab also supports multiple open-source software projects, some with 10K+ users.

The Research Software Developer will work under the supervision of the senior members of the software development team on a wide range of projects.

The incumbent will assist in creating and maintaining software and websites supporting researchers in the Ideker laboratory. In this role, they will work closely with graduate students, postdocs, and senior researchers. They will be well integrated into the lab's research and be expected to understand the methods and algorithms in use by or being developed by the researchers. They will participate in productizing cutting-edge research, making techniques broadly available via toolkits, web applications, and web services. In some cases, they will contribute to the writing of grant proposals and academic papers.

The incumbent will also participate in the development, production, and support of the open-source software projects Cytoscape and NDEx. In this work, they will use multiple technologies (both front-end, back-end, and database). They must successfully acquire skills in new programming languages and environments, packages, and databases as the needs of the lab develop.

Uses professional bioinformatics concepts. Applies computational procedures to resolve a variety of analysis and research issues. Works on assignments of moderate scope where analysis of data requires a review of a variety of factors. Assists in additional analyses as needed to achieve research objectives.

Responsibilities

• Assist in creating and maintaining software and websites supporting researchers in the Ideker laboratory.
• Collaborate with graduate students, postdocs, and senior researchers; understand methods and algorithms used or developed by the lab.
• Productize cutting-edge research to make techniques broadly available via toolkits, web applications, and web services.
• Contribute to writing grant proposals and academic papers as needed.
• Participate in development, production, and support of open-source software projects Cytoscape and NDEx; work with front-end, back-end, and database technologies.
• Acquire new programming languages, environments, packages, and databases as lab needs evolve.
• Apply bioinformatics concepts to resolve analysis and research challenges; support analyses to achieve research objectives.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Six years of related experience, education/training, OR a Bachelor’s degree in a related area plus two years of related experience/training.
• Working knowledge of bioinformatics methods and data structures.
• Working knowledge of applications programming and web development; experience with web development, building user interfaces, working with REST services, and basic Linux skills preferred.
• Working knowledge of databases.
• Working project management skills.
• Working knowledge of modern biology and applicable field of research.
• Interpersonal skills to work with both technical and non-technical personnel at various levels.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to researchers with varying expertise during requirements gathering, training, answering questions, and presentations.
• Self-motivation, ability to learn quickly, meet deadlines, and demonstrate problem-solving skills; ability to manage time and work with the team to meet deadlines.
• Working knowledge of application and data security concepts.
• Fluency in at least two of Python, Java, or JavaScript is essential. Familiarity with GitHub, open-source software, and the software release process.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of biology or bioinformatics.
• Basic knowledge of network and systems biology tools and techniques (e.g., GO and pathway enrichment analysis) or Cytoscape-related tools.
• Experience with Python, JavaScript, Java, and modern web-development frameworks such as React.
• Experience using data science tools such as Pandas, NumPy, or SciKit; knowledge of statistics and relevant mathematics.

Special Conditions

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $79,200 - $143,400 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%). Hourly Equivalent: $37.93 - $68.68.

Factors in determining compensation include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business needs. The Hiring Pay Scale is the budgeted salary or hourly range the University reasonably expects to pay for this position.

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Additional notices

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with vaccination requirements and per applicable directives. Some certifications may require hands-on practice and in-person assessment. UC San Diego Health Sciences information and equal opportunity statements are included for reference.