Lead Software Developer

Job Description

Reporting to the Senior Director of Learning Systems in Virginia Tech’s Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) unit, the person filling this position will act as the technical development lead in support of all technology platforms provided by the TLOS Learning Systems (LS) team, including, but not limited to:
● Canvas learning management system
● Zoom video conferencing
● Kaltura video content management system
● EvaluationKIT survey platform
● Canvas Catalog course registration system
● Our enterprise WordPress instance
● The TLOS data analytics infrastructure

This person will serve as a senior software engineer, with the expectation that they will spend a considerable portion of their time on non-coding related activities. They will be responsible for all phases of requirements analysis and application architecture, and will lead the development of robust integrations between and among the systems in the LS portfolio, as well as integrations within the larger Virginia Tech software ecosystem, all in support of the TLOS mission. This person will also provide mentoring, both to the other developers in the LS group, but also to developers across TLOS.

The Lead Software Developer will work directly with their supervisor, members of a development team, and other teams within TLOS to meet project goals with an emphasis on usability and end-user satisfaction. They will collaborate with the team to design prototypes of proposed software solutions and help make decisions about which technologies and approaches should be used for given applications.

This person will assist the Senior Director of Learning Systems Administration to develop the departmental strategy and represent the interests of the development team in such strategy discussions. This person will work with other TLOS departments to provide guidance to other developers to insure reliability and supportability across the TLOS software portfolio.

The person filling this role should both be comfortable managing development processes for high availability, mission critical production systems, as well as having the skills to work on innovative, smaller new technology efforts, as the job will require a mix of both.

Core Responsibilities:
● Lead software development efforts for TLOS, including setting standards, meeting deadlines, and coaching other developers.
● Determine system requirements for new and existing systems by working with end users and project stakeholders.
● Work collaboratively with other teams within TLOS to meet project goals and organizational objectives.
● Troubleshoot complex application problems and implement root cause fixes.
● Collaborate with developers across Virginia Tech in an effort to share information and establish common knowledge across departments.
● Provide maintenance code changes for developed production applications.
● Provide customizations to integrate, enhance, and maintain vendor software and enterprise systems based on end-user needs.

Required Qualifications

● Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or similar field
● Significant software development experience, preferably in Python, Node/JS, C/C++, and/or Java
● Experience building, deploying, and maintaining standards-based web applications in a highly available (24x7x365) and scalable environment
● Experience configuring and using cloud-based hosting environments such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud
● Experience providing tier-2 / tier-3 end-user support.
● Experience in requirements elicitation and management
● Understanding of relational databases and experience working with databases in web based applications (solid SQL skills needed)
● Experience with modern software development tools, including Integrated Development Environments and tools such as IntelliJ, NetBeans, and/or Eclipse
● Experience with source code management systems such as Git, Subversion, or CVS

Preferred Qualifications

● Master's degree in computer science, engineering, or similar field. MBA also acceptable.
● Ability to negotiate the team’s interests across a complex organization with minimal help from supervisor
● Experience as a developer or IT manager in higher education
● Experience and expertise in developing accessible software
● Practical experience using agile development methods in a production environment
● Experience with learning management systems and/or online collaboration systems
● Experience analyzing detailed user interaction logs and application data
● Proficiency with Ruby, PERL, and/or Bash
● Experience in human-computer interaction and/or usability
● Experience with software testing frameworks such as JUnit, pyTest, or minitest

Appointment Type

Regular

Review Date

09/15/2020

Additional Information

The successful Candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges , a school of medicine , a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School , and Honors College . The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers . A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Brittany Kessler at bmlester@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Advertised: September 2, 2020
Applications close: