Software Developer 1

Stanfordlivetickets; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford University seeks software developers/engineers to support a multi-lab Neuro-AI project aimed at building a foundation model of the brain. You will help ensure reproducibility, production-readiness, and implement CI/CD across teams in a cutting-edge neuroscience environment.

You will work with Python and system-level languages (C/C++, Rust) and leverage Docker, Kubernetes, and Slurm for scalable workflows, while contributing to ML frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in developing and maintaining production-grade codebases.
• Strong programming skills in Python and system-level languages (e.g. C/C++, Rust).
• Experience with Git and GitHub, and with CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions and Jenkins.
• Experience with test-driven development and various testing methodologies.
• Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes and Slurm for containerization/orchestration.
• Knowledge of software design patterns and architectures, open-source contributions a bonus.
• Experience with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Assess user needs and requirements.
• Design and develop applications that may involve data manipulation.
• Maintain and update existing programs.
• Troubleshoot and solve technical problems.
• Create programs to meet reporting and analysis needs.
• Design and implement user and operations training programs.
• Document changes in software for end users.
• Follow team software development methodology.
• Serve as technical resource with respect to applications.

Tools

Git

GitHub Actions

Jenkins

Docker

Kubernetes

Slurm

TensorFlow

PyTorch

CI/CD pipelines

Python

C/C++

Rust

Job description

The Department of Ophthalmology in the School of Medicine at Stanford University is launching an interdisciplinary Neuro-AI project dedicated to building a foundation model of the brain. This endeavor will involve multiple labs and faculty across the Stanford campus, including the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford Bio-X, and the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute. Leveraging cutting-edge advances in electrophysiology and machine learning, this project aims to create a functional "digital twin" — a model that captures both the activity dynamics of the brain at cellular resolution and the intelligent behavior it generates, including perception, motor planning, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.
This ambitious initiative promises to offer unprecedented insights into the brain's algorithms of perception and cognition while serving as a key resource for aligning artificial intelligence models with human-like neural representations. As part of this project, we are seeking talented software developers/engineers to support the whole team by developing and scaling the systems that allow our scientists to iterate quickly. In this role, you will play a critical role in ensuring the reproducibility and production-readiness of our codebase, as well as implementing Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes for all teams involved in the project. Your work will be essential in maintaining the highest standards of software quality, reliability, and efficiency.
This position promises a vibrant and cooperative atmosphere within the laboratories of Andreas Tolias https://toliaslab.org, Tirin Moore https://www.moorelabstanford.com and other labs at Stanford University renowned for their expertise in perception, cognition, pioneering neural recording techniques, computational neuroscience, machine learning, and Neuro-AI research.

Duties include

• Assess user needs and requirements.
• Design and develop applications that may involve sophisticated data manipulation.
• Maintain and update existing programs.
• Troubleshoot and solve technical problems.
• Create programs to meet reporting and analysis needs.
• Design and implement user and operations training programs.
• Document changes in software for end users.
• Follow team software development methodology.
• Serve as technical resource with respect to applications.
• * - Other duties may also be assigned

Desired Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in developing and maintaining production-grade codebases
• Strong programming skills in Python and system-level languages (e.g. C/C++, Rust)
• In-depth experience with version control systems like Git and collaborative development platforms like GitHub
• Experience setting up and maintaining CI/CD principles through tools such as GitHub Actions and Jenkins
• Strong understanding and experience in test-driven software development with knowledge of different testing methodologies such as unit testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment
• Experience with containerization technologies like Docker and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes and Slurm
• Experience with the challenges of scientific software development
• Knowledge of software design patterns and architectures
• Experience contributing to and/or maintaining open-source software projects or libraries
• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch

What we offer

• Work on a collaborative and uniquely positioned project spanning several disciplines, from neuroscience to artificial intelligence and engineering.
• Work jointly with a vibrant team of researchers and scientists in a project dedicated to one mission, rooted in academia but inspired by science in industry.
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Strong mentoring in career development.