Research Developer

University of Kansas, United States

Updated: 2 months ago
Location: Lawrence, KANSAS

27179BR

Achievement & Assessment Inst


Position Overview

Assessment & Technology Solutions (ATS) , a unit within the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI) at KU, is seeking a Research Developer. The Research Developer is a leader on a high performing technology team that is focused on designing and developing next generation learning solutions that are cross platform compatible.  Day to day activities include providing technical leadership to a team of developers responsible for designing, developing, testing, and supporting the changes made to all enterprise class web applications used by K-12 schools nationwide to facilitate and enhance the student learning process.  The Research Developer is also responsible for staying current on the ever-evolving technology field and identifying new tools/products that could be beneficial for the Kite suite.

In addition to a competitive salary, KU offers great benefits to employees with up to 176 hours of paid vacation per year, 8 hours of sick leave earned every month, nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day, a retirement program, medical & dental insurance, life and disability insurance, other benefit plan options and State of Kansas discounts offered by various vendors. KU also offers employees educational and professional development opportunities. KU is a great place to work! KU actively encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups.


Job Description

20%- Provide technical leadership to a team of junior developers.  

  • Guide the team in analyzing, designing, maintaining and testing React based applications.
  • Evaluate business requirements received from client and develop technical requirements for team to implement.  
  • Work directly with team to develop a solid software design which is reviewed with the client. 
  • Review the technical specifications documenting the required change/enhancement created by the team.  
  • Provide feedback as needed to ensure developers have a solid baseline to develop their code and required unit tests. 
65%-

Work on problems of diverse scope where analysis of situations or data requires evaluation of intangible variance factors.

  • Use working knowledge of related disciplines to provide solutions to a range of problems and ensure solutions and/or changes are implemented.
  • Provide technical leadership/mentoring to team members as they work to complete their assignments.
10%- 

Evaluate ongoing changes within the industry to identify opportunities to enhance/improve the application.  

  • Evaluate new releases of all technology components used in the Kite technology stack.
  • Recommend technology upgrades for the summer release, the value and risk associated with each upgrade, and the recommended upgrade approach with detailed development plan. 
5%-

Participate in development of grant proposals and/or responses to Requests for Proposals.

  • May participate in demonstrations as required in the solicitation.

Position Requirements

This position allows for a hybrid or remote work location for well-qualified candidates. This position will require attendance at regularly scheduled meetings either onsite or through telecommunication platforms.


Required Qualifications

  • High school/GED and 5 years related experience OR Associate’s Degree with 4 years related experience, OR Bachelor’s Degree with 2 years of related experience OR Master’s Degree with 1 year of related experience in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering or other related field.
  • 4 years experience developing and maintaining high-performance / high volume web applications using React.js, Javascript, HTML and CSS.
  • 3 years experience with React Hooks and React.js state managers such as Redux or Flux.
  • 3 years Front-end experience with common front-end development tools such as Babel, Webpack, NPM, etc.
  • 3 years experience with with RESTful APIs, Node.js and frameworks such as Express or Restify.
  • 2 years experience in writing SQLs, Functions, Procedures and DDL scripts for Relational database systems such as PostgreSQL, or MySQL, or Oracle or other database systems.
  • Proficiency in making internal npm libraries for react projects, understanding storybook, webpack, npm, and JFrog Artifactory as demonstrated in application materials.
  • Proven expertise in web optimization, enhancing app speed and UX though performance improvements and code optimization as demonstrated in application materials. 

    • Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience as full stack developer.
  • History of working in environments requiring excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Proficient with issue/risk analysis and mitigation.
  • Proficient with managing conflicting priorities.
  • 2+ years of experience with Kendo UI.
  • Experience educating junior developers.
  • Experience with tools like Jest, Enzyme, Cypress, and testing-library/react.

    • Contact Information to Applicants

    [email protected]


    Additional Candidate Instruction

    A complete application consists of:

    • Cover Letter
    • Resume
    • 3 Professional References

    Incomplete applications will not be considered. Review of applications begins February 26th. To ensure consideration, please apply by application review date. 


    Advertised Salary Range

    $100,000 - $112,000


    Application Review Begins

    26-Feb-2024


    Anticipated Start Date

    18-Mar-2024


    Primary Campus

    University of Kansas Lawrence Campus


    FLSA Status

    Administrative


    Employee Class

    U-Unclassified Professional Staff


    Work Schedule

    Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm


    Job Family

    Information Technology-KUL


    Conditions of Employment

    Contingent on Funding


    Work Location Assignment

    Hybrid


    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 university's 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 Civil Rights and Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.


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