Software Developer

About Harvard University This is the official LinkedIn page for the Division of Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School. The Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) at Harvard Medical School with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University offers six interdisciplinary programs leading to the PhD degree in the biomedical sciences: 1) Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics (BIG) 2) Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) 3) Immunology 4) Neuroscience 5) Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT) 6) Virology These six programs share a common purpose: to foster a stimulating and supportive environment for research training in the biomedical science

• We are seeking a Software Developer with 1-3 years of professional software development experience who wants real ownership of production software and meaningful exposure to biomedical research. Under the guidance of senior developers, you will help integrate a natural-language conversational AI system for exploring biomedical metadata and visualizations into biomedical data portals, including developing APIs and packages to move visualizations in and out of these systems. You will work with researchers, designers, and engineers to build tools that allow scientists to efficiently query, visualize, and understand complex biological data through natural language and direct interaction with visualizations.
• This role offers an opportunity to develop software at the intersection of AI, scientific discovery, and interactive data visualization - contributing to widely used biomedical data resources and community tools.
• Develop and maintain web-based software for biomedical data discovery and visualization.
• Participate fully in the software development life cycle across multiple concurrent projects.
• Identify, triage, and resolve software bugs and performance bottlenecks using browser developer tools across multiple browsers and devices to ensure a seamless, high-performance user experience.
• Write tests and documentation, and maintain reliable, open-source code.
• Participate in code reviews, issue tracking, and iterative product development.
• Contribute to utility tools for metadata management and file format handling for genomic, single-cell, and bioimaging data (e.g., VCF, BAM, BigWig, BED, OME-NGFF, Zarr, SpatialData, etc.).
• Containerize workflows using Docker or similar tools for portability and reproducibility.
• Deploy, monitor, and maintain cloud-based services supporting lab software and data portals.
• Collaborate with researchers and domain experts to translate scientific needs into software features.
• Contribute to academic publications, technical reports, and documentation for both lay and specialist audiences.
• Stay current with emerging technologies in data visualization, AI, software development, and computational data science.
• Abide by and follow the Harvard University IT technical standards, policies, and Code of Conduct.

• Minimum of two years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience
• 1–3 years of professional software development experience.
• Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, shell scripting, and modern web frameworks (React, Vue).
• Familiarity with REST/GraphQL APIs, CSS, and component-based design patterns.
• Experience with automated testing, version control (e.g., GitHub), and collaborative software development workflows.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills.
• Working knowledge of automated testing, version control (e.g., GitHub), and package distribution (e.g., npm, PyPI).
• Experience with Vitessce, Gosling, D3.js, or similar visualization libraries.
• Familiarity with WebGL/WebGPU or emerging visualization trends is a plus.
• Familiarity with LLMs, natural-language interfaces, and AI-powered development tools to improve efficiency and enhance metadata-driven applications.
• Background in bioinformatics data formats, molecular biology, or genomics/single-cell/spatial biology data.
• Experience contributing to open-source projects is a strong plus.

• Harvard Medical School's mission is to nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership.
• You’ll be at the heart of biomedical discovery, education, and innovation, working alongside world-renowned faculty and a community dedicated to improving human health. This is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to shape the future of medicine.
• Join our team of researchers, engineers, and designers to shape a future in which humans and AI collaborate to solve the most challenging biological and medical problems!
• The HIDIVE Lab in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School conducts research at the interface of human and artificial intelligence. We create methods and tools that enable humans and machines alike to interact with and generate insights from biomedical data, combining state-of-the-art biomedical informatics, data visualization, and AI/ML techniques across the full spectrum of biomedical data. An overview of recent publications of the lab can be found on Google Scholar.
• We value diverse viewpoints, creative thinking, and bold initiative in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary work environment. The HIDIVE Lab has an international reputation for creating high impact data visualization tools and we are driven to solve the most challenging design and engineering problems where biomedical data, humans, and AI meet. We would love to have you on our team!
• This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information.
• Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to
• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks
• Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.