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Research Engineer
Job Location:
Job Location:
Lawrence, KS - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not provided by the employer
Monthly Salary:
Posted:
29 May 2026 (30+ days ago)
Posted:
Application Deadline:
26 August 2026
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Vacancies:
Job Summary
90%:
Disclaimer
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color ethnicity religion sex national origin age ancestry disability status as a veteran sexual orientation marital status parental status gender identity gender expression and genetic information in the universitys programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Room 1082 Dole Human Development Center 1000 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence KSTTY.
Work Schedule
M-F 8-5
Contact Information to Applicants
Applications must be submitted online at . For questions about the position you may contact Aimee Stewart at.
Position Overview
We are searching for a software engineer to help us document the diversity of life on Earth. The ideal candidate values meaningful work contributing to a global mission that builds on 350 years of Earth exploration and biological inventory to identify and describe the worlds plant and animal species. The person enjoys solving problems innovating software solutions learning new technologies and sharing insight and expertise. Fuel your passion on your career path help us document the natural world and enjoy a collegial and welcoming work environment. You will be a valued colleague on our enthusiastic competent and collaborative team.
Biological specimens of plants and animals document the distribution of life on the planet. Our group supports biodiversity scientists in research centers around the world with software that manages and publishes information about the specimens of preserved plants and animals in their collections. Our open-source Specify platform is used by 173 museum institutions in 27 countries.
The Specify Collections Consortium () is a global non-profit biological museum organization legally organized under the University of Kansas. The Consortium is headquartered in the Biodiversity Institute on the bucolic campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence KS.
You will be a full-time university employee with generous benefits including comprehensive health retirement 22 paid vacation days per year and several paid holidays. We offer the option for in-office remote or hybrid work on a flexible 40-hour schedule.
Due to complex state employment laws the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California Delaware Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.
We are unable to provide immigration sponsorship for this position. Candidates must be eligible to work in the US.
Technologies We Use:
Additional Candidate Instruction
A complete application consists of:
It is preferred for applicants to submit a link toGitHub or other code sharing platform.
Application review begins Monday 6/22/2026 and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.
#LI-HR1
- Contribute significantly to creating and extending the Specify 7 web platform by applying software engineering best practice methods for design coding documentation and automated testing to create great software with immediate global impact.
- Play a central role in producing sustainable technology for the Specify Consortium envision design options and prioritize software innovation for generality flexibility extensibility and scalability. Champion solutions with a deep understanding of requirements acquired from interaction with project stakeholders including team members advisory committees and especially from Specify software users.
- Analyze and influence platform architecture decisions security and standards options assess alternative implementation strategies and component classifications for software modules and contribute enhancements to Specify tools and development processes for continuous improvement of our DevOps methods and software deliverables.
- Engage with collections scientists and technologists at Specify members institutions to discuss software issues remotely or occasionally on-site at member museums or at national and international conferences.
- Mentor talented and highly-motivated undergraduate computer science developers working with them to leverage their passion and enthusiasm for software engineering.
Disclaimer
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color ethnicity religion sex national origin age ancestry disability status as a veteran sexual orientation marital status parental status gender identity gender expression and genetic information in the universitys programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Room 1082 Dole Human Development Center 1000 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence KSTTY.
Work Schedule
M-F 8-5
Contact Information to Applicants
Applications must be submitted online at . For questions about the position you may contact Aimee Stewart at.
- High school/GED and 4 years of professional software development experience OR Associates degree with 3 years of professional software development experience OR Bachelors degree with 1 year of professional software development experience OR Masters degree in a related field.
- Previous experience with best-practices for software design and implementation as evidenced by application materials.
- Previous experience/proficiency in Python JavaScript or TypeScript as evidenced by application materials.
- Successful collaborative work in a team or group environment as evidenced by application materials.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills as evidenced by application materials and previous work.
- Proficiency in the use of the Typescript React framework as evidenced by application materials and previous experience.
- Professional experience with front-end/UI development for end-user applications.
- Competency with a variety of object-oriented and functional programming languages as evidenced by application materials and previous experience.
- Experience with test automation Agile development practices CI/CD GitHub Virtual machines and Docker.
- Professional experience with relational database systems including proficiency with SQL and principles of relational database design.
- Experience deploying and managing applications on Amazon Web Services (AWS) including use of services such as EC2 S3 and RDS.
- Demonstrated knowledge of or experience with cloud management best practices on AWS including infrastructure as code monitoring and cost optimization.
- Experience working in a structured release process to deliver high-quality software to a user/client community.
- Demonstrated knowledge of or experience with scientific computing in biodiversity or environmental sciences.
Position Overview
We are searching for a software engineer to help us document the diversity of life on Earth. The ideal candidate values meaningful work contributing to a global mission that builds on 350 years of Earth exploration and biological inventory to identify and describe the worlds plant and animal species. The person enjoys solving problems innovating software solutions learning new technologies and sharing insight and expertise. Fuel your passion on your career path help us document the natural world and enjoy a collegial and welcoming work environment. You will be a valued colleague on our enthusiastic competent and collaborative team.
Biological specimens of plants and animals document the distribution of life on the planet. Our group supports biodiversity scientists in research centers around the world with software that manages and publishes information about the specimens of preserved plants and animals in their collections. Our open-source Specify platform is used by 173 museum institutions in 27 countries.
The Specify Collections Consortium () is a global non-profit biological museum organization legally organized under the University of Kansas. The Consortium is headquartered in the Biodiversity Institute on the bucolic campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence KS.
You will be a full-time university employee with generous benefits including comprehensive health retirement 22 paid vacation days per year and several paid holidays. We offer the option for in-office remote or hybrid work on a flexible 40-hour schedule.
Due to complex state employment laws the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California Delaware Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.
We are unable to provide immigration sponsorship for this position. Candidates must be eligible to work in the US.
Technologies We Use:
- Front-end: Typescript and React Figma Tailwind CSS Javascript
- Back-end: Python Django MySQL OpenAPI
- Dev-ops: Docker GitHub Actions Linux
Additional Candidate Instruction
A complete application consists of:
- Resume including a link to a portfolio demonstrating skills (a GitHub profile alone does not count as a portfolio)
- Cover letter addressing how you meet the required qualifications
- Three professional or supervisory references
It is preferred for applicants to submit a link toGitHub or other code sharing platform.
Application review begins Monday 6/22/2026 and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.
#LI-HR1
Required Experience:
IC
About Company
Thank you for your interest in employment with the University of Kansas. If you need assistance with the application process please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or 785-864-4946.
