Role: Lead Software Engineer
Start date: As soon as possible
Location: Remote
Pay: Compensation will be commensurate with experience.
Forests are the single most important nature-based solution that can help avert dangerous warming due to climate change. However, forests are in the midst of their most extreme transformation since the last great extinction through deforestation, degradation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change.
ForestGEO is an organization led by the Smithsonian that studies the growth and survival of the world’s forests. The ForestGEO network is unparalleled in both size and scope - a global network of 75 research sites across 28 countries monitoring approximately 7 million trees and nearly 12,000 species. Despite already achieving this massive scale, immediate action is needed to improve the efficiency of ForestGEO data collection and management.
ForestGEO is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to accelerate the pace of research for ecologists across the world. The position would be a remote, 12-month contract to build the ForestGEO App, a cloud-native web application that enables researchers to record, validate, and publish ForestGEO census data. The ForestGEO App already has a significant foundation of work completed by a team of mostly volunteers, including engineers from Microsoft and Snap, a data intern from ForestGEO, and interns from the CodeDay Labs program. A full specification and code are available on GitHub: https://github.com/ForestGeoHack/ForestGEO.
This position will require a natural leader who can collaborate with a global team of ecologists with varied backgrounds in computer science and meet complex product requirements. You will need to be comfortable developing both the frontend in React and the backend running in the Azure Cloud. You will need to be self-directed and able to deliver results with minimal support from a volunteer team. You must have a passion for building software and be mission-driven.
As the Lead Software Engineer for this project, you will make a global impact on an urgent and meaningful mission. You will learn from a diverse range of collaborators while shaping the future of forest science.
Required Qualifications
- 2+ years of professional software development experience.
- Experience designing, testing, deploying, and maintaining full-stack web applications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience building distributed cloud services using Azure, AWS, GCP, or equivalent. Experience with Azure Functions, Azure Static Web Apps, Azure SQL or equivalent.
- Experience building React web applications.
- Experience with TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
- Experience leading the design and release of a major software feature or product.
To apply: send a resume (required) and cover letter (optional) to Lauren Krizel, ForestGEO Program Manager at krizell@si.edu.
Deadline for applications is April 10.
