Software Engineering Leader

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Position Title: Software Engineering Leader
Location: Seattle
Country: United States
Deadline Date: Friday, November 1, 2024

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty, disease, and inequity on a global scale. Founded with the mission that everyone, regardless of their identity or circumstances, should have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives, the foundation emphasizes the importance of diversity among its employees to reflect the global populations it serves. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, retirement contributions, and opportunities for employees to engage in various community initiatives. The foundation is committed to fostering an environment that supports both personal and professional growth for its employees.

Job Overview:
The position of Software Engineering Leader is a pivotal role within the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This role involves managing a team of research software engineers who are part of the Rapid Reuse Models group, which is focused on developing innovative approaches to disease modeling. The group is responsible for the Starsim framework, which includes modules for modeling various health applications, such as sexually transmitted diseases and maternal and child health. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the strategic vision of the IDM, ensuring that the software engineering practices align with the foundation's mission of improving global public health. This leadership position requires excellent communication skills, the ability to work collaboratively with research managers, and a deep understanding of both research and technology in the health sector.

Duties and Responsibilities:
As a Software Engineering Leader, you will be responsible for managing and leading a team of research software engineers. Your duties will include setting goals and managing performance, providing career direction, coaching, mentoring, and overseeing task management. You will represent IDM's strategy and direction, ensuring that your team works with autonomy and purpose. Additionally, you will partner with research managers to translate research goals into technical requirements and quality assurance approaches for software development. Providing technical leadership by setting the technical direction, ensuring quality, and identifying opportunities for improvement will be key responsibilities. You will also collaborate with other software engineering managers to promote common practices and technologies, advocate for effective software engineering practices, and drive continuous improvement of codebases through major rewrites and refactoring when necessary.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a unique combination of training and experience in both science and software engineering. This could include a degree in a relevant field or substantial experience in computational science. A proven track record as a software engineering manager is essential, along with experience leading diverse software engineering projects. Proficiency in Python is required, along with hands-on experience with other programming languages such as R and C/C++. Candidates should demonstrate eagerness to learn and adapt to new challenges, with a strong understanding of software development lifecycle practices and tools such as GitHub and Azure DevOps. Knowledge of open-source software development, particularly in low-resource settings, is also crucial.

Educational Background:
A relevant educational background is essential for this position, ideally including degrees in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. Candidates with a strong foundation in health-related areas will be particularly well-suited for this role, as the work involves applying software engineering principles to health modeling.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in software engineering management, with a history of successfully leading software engineering projects that cater to a wide range of user types. This experience should include a deep understanding of the software development lifecycle and the ability to navigate the complexities of software engineering in a research context.

Languages:
Proficiency in English is mandatory for this position, as it is the primary language of communication within the organization. Additional language skills may be beneficial but are not explicitly required.

Additional Notes:
This position is full-time and based in Seattle, Washington. The salary range for this role is between $182,600 and $283,100 USD, with specific adjustments for high-wage markets like Seattle and Washington D.C., where the range is between $199,000 and $308,400 USD. The foundation emphasizes a balance between competitive pay and its mission, typically placing new hires within the salary range minimum and midpoint based on their skills and experience. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check, and the organization is committed to providing accommodations for candidates with disabilities during the application process. The foundation values diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that all applicants are treated fairly regardless of their background.