Scientific Software Engineer

Johns Hopkins University: Whiting School of Engineering: Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute

Job Req ID

108046

Location

Baltimore, MD; Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus

Description

The Johns Hopkins AI-X Foundry is focused on revolutionizing discovery by advancing artificial intelligence that evolves collaboratively with human intelligence, combining the strengths of each for the betterment of society and the world in which we live. AI-X will bring together the mathematical, computational, and ethical foundations of AI with the domains of Health & Medicine, Safety & Assurance, and Discovery & Inquiry.

The Foundry seeks a Scientific Software Engineer with a strong academic backgrounds and relevant experience in industry. The successful candidates will work at the cutting edge of modern science within the new Scientific Software Engineering Center (SSEC) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The Center is part of the Virtual Institute for Scientific Software (VISS), launched by Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. VISS will address the growing demand for high-quality professional software engineers who can build dynamic, scalable, open software to facilitate accelerated scientific discovery across fields. (See https://www.schmidtfutures.com/schmidt-futures-and-leading-research-universities-launch-software-engineering-centers-to-accelerate-scientific-discovery/ for more information on the VISS.)

The SSEC will be hosted by the Institute of Data Intensive Engineering and Science (IDIES) at JHU within AI-X, a new pan-institutional initiative at Johns Hopkins to advance artificial intelligence and its applications, in part through investments in the software engineering, data science, and machine learning space. The SSEC engineers will be at the forefront of modern data intensive science, where high-level software is rapidly becoming the key ingredient for success. The AI-X initiative includes the build-out of a substantive and professional-scale software engineering capability, and a dramatic increase in infrastructure, both in hardware and in personnel.

JHU has long been a world leader in the broader domains of medicine and public health as well as a wide range of science and engineering fields. This combined with our ethos of building out capabilities to have demonstrable global impact (e.g., JHUs Coronavirus Resource Center the award-winning global resource for real-time data and analysis for COVID-19) and other unique large scientific data sets, like the archives for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and several simulations, will be key leverage points that will make the Center successful.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

  • The successful candidates will be given a choice of ground-breaking research projects that need advanced software solutions requiring expertise in software engineering not commonly found in scientific collaborations.
  • The projects may require the creation of AI/ML solutions using the latest DNN libraries trained on state-of-the-art hardware.
  • Projects may also involve analysis of massive data sets either in the cloud or on premises.
  • They may require creation of software pipelines for processing of real-time high-frequency data processing workflows and may need the design of complex database models for storing and disseminating scientific data sets.
  • Some projects may require deep engagement, possibly leading to co-authorship on scientific publications, while others may involve a more casual consulting engagement.
  • They may require software solutions developed from scratch or refactoring existing solutions to make them conform to industry standards (quality, reusability, robustness, portability, documentation, etc.).
  • It is a high-level goal of the SSEC to translate the efforts for the individual projects into frameworks and template patterns for sustainable scientific infrastructure benefiting future projects.

*The engineers will be JHU staff positions and will correspondingly enjoy the university’s very substantial benefits including full medical insurance, JHU-level college tuition benefits for children after 2 years of full-time employment, flexibility, significant vacation benefits, and more. Embedded in one of the premier research institutions in the world, the successful candidates will be expected to participate in its academic life, including working with and potentially tutoring students.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Masters in a Quantitative Discipline, e.g., Computer Science, Engineering, Astrophysics, Bioinformatics with strong scientific computing and/or mathematics background.
  • Three (3) years or more experience working in software development and/or data science in large projects in industry.

Preferred Qualifications

  • PhD in a quantitative discipline.
  • Five years or more experience working in software development and/or data science in industry.
  • Experience with articulating and translating business/application questions and translating these into software and statistical techniques to arrive at an answer using available data.
  • Demonstrated leadership and self-direction.
  • Willingness to both teach others and learn new techniques.
  • Demonstrated skills in selecting the right tools given a data analysis problem.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Classified Title: Scientific Software Engineer
Role/Level/Range: APPTSTAF/01/ST
Starting Salary Range: Commensurate with experience
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F/37.5
Exempt Status: Non-Exempt
Location: Homewood Campus
Department name: AI-X
Personnel area: Whiting School of Engineering

Total Rewards

The referenced salary range is based on Johns Hopkins University’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees’ health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/

Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines:

JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.

**Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate’s conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.

The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

EEO is the Law

Learn more:
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf

Accommodation Information

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Office at [email protected]. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu.

Johns Hopkins has mandated COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, as applicable. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.

The following additional provisions may apply, depending on campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

Note: Job Postings are updated daily and remain online until filled.

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted through JHU Jobs at https://jobs.jhu.edu/job/Baltimore-Scientific-Software-Engineer-MD-21014/998211400/. Applications should include a cover letter and resume.