Lead Software Engineer

Discovery Partners Institute
Posting Category:

About the Department

The Pritzker Tech Talent Labs at the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), a startup innovation hub under the University of Illinois, is on a mission to revolutionize the way students learn technical skills, including software development, data science, and more. We’re building brand new technology solutions to drive meaningful and measurable outcomes in tech education so that it is more inclusive, more effective, and more personalized across undergraduate, graduate, workforce education, and other training programs. Our education technology platform is foundationally built upon unique and proven teaching philosophies from passionate, beginner-focused faculty at world-class institutions, and will evolve using data-driven insights across our own educational programs.

DPI is preparing thousands of students and workers to step into high-demand tech jobs with a key emphasis on the systemic barriers that have prevented members of underrepresented and overlooked groups from achieving success in our technology-based economy. By 2029, DPI will be training 7,000 students per year for tech jobs, 3,000 of whom will be from under-represented groups and will have upskilled 5,000 mid-career professionals.

About this Role

DPI is looking for a Lead Software Engineer to lead architecture and implementation of a brand new ed tech platform in a start-up environment with a bold mission of changing the face of tech talent within the City of Chicago and State of Illinois. The successful candidate will be the lead Software Engineer, working under the leadership of the Director of Product, Pritzker Tech Talent Labs to create scalable technology-based solutions that develop world-class, predictably excellent talent. Our technology will play a key role in our growth and effectiveness. This is a great opportunity for a visionary leader to grow a strong team of engineers in building best-in-class technology solutions that transform tech education.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Provide intellectual, strategic, and visionary technology leadership for DPI's talent enterprise which spans immersion, undergraduate/graduate programs, workforce development and lifelong learning.
• Lead the effort in architecting and building brand new front-end and back-end, scalable technology-based platforms and services that help drive distribution across a wide number of student participants and employer partners.
• Lead and hire a team of Software Engineers to develop technology platforms, while actively participating in their development and guiding them to successfully deliver projects.
• Manage and work closely with external software development firms that build technology-based products and services to achieve scalable impact in service of Pritzker Tech Talent Labs goals.
• Work closely with the Director of Product & Tech Talent Lab leads to translate the customer value proposition into industry-leading technology-based platforms and services.
• Collaborate with Director of Product to develop product requirement documents that explicitly define functionality of technology solutions.
• Implement event-driven, data, and analytics platforms to measure the effectiveness of Tech Talent Labs solutions, ensuring desired outcomes are achieved through the robust collection and systematic analysis of data.
• Deliver quality code with meaningful test coverage and legibility.
• Utilize an agile process to drive technology development to successful completion.
• Work closely with other engineering disciplines to bring technology solutions to fruition, including QA, Data Science, and Data Analysts.
• Develop and maintain documentation of technical detail design solutions.
• Work throughout the technology stack to develop and monitor solutions that allow for highly available and reliable services.
• Maintain active knowledge of educational innovation and effective software tooling to facilitate excellence in technology-based products and services offerings.
• Act as a resource with internal and external stakeholders including deans, department heads, and budget offices as well as companies, providing knowledge and guidance on the integration of technology-based solutions and services for all enterprise talent related matters.

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related discipline required.

• 8+ years' experience developing software code for front-end and back-end, scalable technology platforms.
• 3+ years successfully leading and designing strong, reliable technical architecture.
• Experience leading or mentoring other software engineers.
• Advanced skills in both front-end and back-end software development languages and technologies, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Angular, OOP/Functional principles, Java, Python, Docker, relational and non-relational databases, and RESTful APIs.
• Familiarity with data warehousing platforms, such as Redshift, Snowflake, or SQL Server.
• Experience consuming data over HTTP and in formats such as HTML, XML, and JSON.
• Experience with CI/CD and version control tools (such as Jenkins, Git, Mercurial, SVN).
• Familiarity with infrastructure or configuration management tools.
• Familiarity with the AWS ecosystem.
• Experience with Agile methodologies.
• Vision for how technology can help scale fragmented education-based initiatives.
• Experience developing technology-based solutions to drive meaningful change with the goal to build best-in-class, scalable technology-based products, and services.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information
For full consideration, candidates must apply and submit a letter of application, resume, and names/addresses/phone numbers of three professional references by 6pm 2/23/2023 by visiting http://www.hr.uillinois.edu/employment.

System Human Resource Services
(217) 333-2600
erhr@uillinois.edu

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the System Human Resource Services, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at 217-333-2600, or by emailing erhr@uillinois.edu.

Requisition ID: 9000249
Job Category: Academic Professional