Software Engineer (Full Stack)

Working Title: Software Engineer (Full Stack) – Remote

• Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

About the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a world leader in the study and protection of biodiversity. Our team powers AllAboutBirds.org, one of the most visited bird and nature enthusiast resources. We are evolving our digital ecosystem into a high-scale, data-driven platform designed to translate scientific discovery into engaging, accessible knowledge for millions of people globally.

The Opportunity

Join the team behind AllAboutBirds.org, a digital gateway bringing birds and nature to 20+ million people annually. You will build the bridge between complex scientific data and a massive community of nature lovers—creating high-performance tools that turn raw information into a journey of discovery.

You will architect and build the modern web and data services powering our next-generation user experiences. Working within a collaborative, iterative team, you will integrate diverse data streams to design dynamic personalized features, self-service tools, and interactive learning capabilities that drive global engagement with the natural world.

Team Culture

• Join a mission-aligned team creating tools used by millions of bird enthusiasts
• Engage in high-impact work supporting conservation and scientific outreach

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize APIs and data-integration pipelines that link user engagement metrics with educational resources
• Architect enterprise-grade technology services in line with Cornell Lab infrastructure
• Develop and maintain web apps, data integration pipelines, CMS, and cloud environments
• Manage platform components: web servers, JS frameworks, container platforms, databases, cloud services, and AI integrations
• Lead full software development lifecycle from requirements through QA and deployment
• Design and maintain application-level data services
• Implement quality assurance and testing processes

Remote Opportunity and Required Travel

• This position is eligible for remote work within the United States; however, preference will be given to candidates located in the Ithaca, New York area. An on-site presence in Ithaca is required approximately 2–3 times per year to support departmental and university initiatives and travel for these visits will be at the employee’s expense. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the remote or hybrid work arrangement at any time.

What We Need

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with three (3) to five (5) years in computer science, information science, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience managing enterprise systems and/or services that serve medium to large organizations
• Experience architecting and planning applications and web services
• Proven experience writing application requirements, architecting applications, and documenting code.
• A thorough understanding of object-oriented programming (OOP) and web applications is essential, as well as experience with the complete software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Demonstrable experience in the following areas: 1) interactive asynchronous web application development using modern web application frameworks i.e., Vue, React, etc.; 2) database-driven application development
• Good interpersonal skills and diplomacy required with a variety of domain experts, as well as the ability to help establish realistic goals and deliver work on schedule
• Must be self-motivated and able to work independently and be equally capable of working with the supervisor to prioritize projects and to regularly communicate status and progress
• Experience integrating remote applications and third-party utilities with resident web applications
• Ability to translate design and functional requirements into technology and web design options
• Demonstrated proficiency in relational database design, resolving access and security issues. Familiarity with QA/QC conventions
• Experience building applications that comply with web usability and accessibility standards
• Strong service orientation. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasked, team-based environment
• Experience with agile methodologies and QA/QC practices
• Prior training experience; ability to express highly technical terms in layman’s terms
• Must be able to manage multiple competing deadlines and be able to prioritize work with minimal input from supervisor
• Ability to build working relationships to solve problems and achieve common goals.
• Able to adapt to changing priorities, situations, and demands.
• Proven ability to translate stakeholder needs into technical specifications
• Must have demonstrated ability for working collaboratively and inclusively
• Proven ability to work in a team environment where cooperation between colleagues and flexibility to different styles an