Software Developer

California Institute of Technology; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 57,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Generous paid time off

Job summary

California Institute of Technology is seeking a software developer to build and maintain MathDB, a large-scale knowledge graph for definitions, theorems, conjectures and open problems in mathematics. You will contribute to web and mobile apps, backend services, and Lean formalization pipelines at MathDB.

Join a collaborative team that values rigorous engineering, performance, and clear interfaces. Experience with interactive web/mobile apps, backend systems, and Lean is a plus; you will work

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, Math, or a related field.
• Experience building interactive web and mobile apps with responsive UI/UX.
• Strong attention to detail in design, performance, responsiveness, and UI/UX.
• Ability to work independently, adapt quickly, and incorporate feedback iteratively.
• Experience with version control, testing, and engineering best practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain interactive web and mobile applications for MathDB.
• Develop and maintain Lean formalization pipelines for MathDB and backend services.
• Support backend servers and database infrastructure for MathDB.
• Collaborate with users and team to integrate proofs and Lean workflows.

Skills

Web app development

Mobile app development

UI/UX design

Version control

Software testing

Independent work

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Mathematics

Master's degree in Computer Science or Mathematics

Tools

Lean formalization

Cloud platforms

Docker/Kubernetes

Job description

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

We're hiring a software developer to help build and maintain MathDB.

https://mathdb.com/

MathDB is a large-scale community database of definitions, theorems, conjectures and open problems in mathematics, tracking the latest breakthroughs, and providing a new platform for research and collaboration. Mathematical knowledge is growing at an extraordinary pace. New results, methods and questions are arriving faster than the literature can absorb them, making it increasingly difficult to keep track of what is known, what remains open and how developments fit together. We need a shared database that grows with the subject: a living resource that the mathematical community can continually expand, correct and refine. Much of mathematical knowledge is scattered across papers, books, lecture notes and informal conversations. We aim to bring this knowledge together in a knowledge graph, connecting definitions, theorems, conjectures and open problems through implications, equivalences, examples and shared ideas. Making these relationships explicit can reveal connections that are otherwise easy to miss, help researchers navigate unfamiliar areas and accelerate the discovery of new mathematics. Formalization offers another way to make mathematical knowledge precise, reliable and reusable. We are integrating Lean formalizations and automatic proof verification into MathDB, connecting mathematical statements and their explanations with proofs that can be checked by a computer. Our goal is to make it easier to contribute formal proofs, inspect their assumptions and build on verified results, while keeping the relationship between a formal statement and its mathematical meaning clear.

We're looking for someone who has experience building web apps and AI agents, and who can join our effort in building and maintaining web apps, mobile apps, backend servers, databases and Lean formalization pipelines for MathDB.

Essential Job Duties

• Assist in the development and maintenance of interactive web and mobile applications for MathDB.
• Support the development and maintenance of backend servers for MathDB.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of MathDB's backend database infrastructure.
• Support the development and maintenance of Lean formalization pipelines for MathDB.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field.
• Experience developing interactive web and mobile applications.
• Strong attention to detail in application design, performance, responsiveness, visual presentation, and user interface/user experience (UI/UX).
• Ability to work independently, adapt quickly, and incorporate feedback through an iterative development process.
• Experience with version control, software testing, and software engineering best practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering polished, production-ready software products beyond the prototype stage.
• Familiarity with cloud computing, containerization, and orchestration technologies.
• Strong interest in mathematical research.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with users and colleagues.
• Familiarity with Lean formalization.

Required Documents

• Resume.

Hiring Range

$41.25 - $45.00 Per Hour

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes

• competitive compensation
• health
• dental, and vision insurance
• retirement savings plans
• generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc)
• tuition reimbursement
• and more

Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time.

Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement

Caltech is an equal opportunity employer and, as a federal contractor, takes affirmative action to employ qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Disability Accommodations

Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.

If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail].

Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail].