Software Engineer Front End, Entry-level

The Allen Institute for Cell Science builds open-source community tools that make cell biology more accessible to more people in order to foster scientific collaboration and discovery. Our team is composed of highly dedicated and creative people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets who work together on cutting edge development projects. We seek to grow our talented team and to build an environment that nurtures software engineers at all stages of their career. Join our inclusive team to pursue your passion of using software engineering to increase scientific and societal impact.

We are searching for a talented and enthusiastic early-career developer to build front end tools for Simularium and other scientific applications. Simularium is a web-based multiscale simulation framework made to stream, display, and analyze 3D biological simulations in real-time. The ideal candidate enjoys learning new tools and techniques while remaining diligent and detail oriented. This engineer will receive technical guidance and enjoy professional growth opportunities in a supportive environment. As a member of our close, collaborative team, you will have the freedom to contribute to as much of our code and design processes as you would like, based on your interests and skills.

To learn more about our work at the Allen Institute for Cell Science, please visit:
https://www.allencell.org/
https://simularium.allencell.org/

The Allen Institute believes that team science significantly benefits from the participation of diverse voices, experiences and backgrounds. High-quality science can only be produced when it includes different perspectives. We are committed to increasing diversity across every team and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for this role.

Essential Functions

Reporting to the Director of Animated Cell (a team that democratizes access to the Institute’s data and tools), the individual’s responsibilities will include the following:

• Implement front end design solutions to specification
• Create and maintain core functionality
• Actively participate in collaboration with design, giving thoughtful input on technical approach and/or alternatives
• Perform software development duties using best practices - follow industry standards, develop unit tests, participate in code reviews, etc.
• Follow the Allen Institute’s software management and deployment standards including source code management, issue tracking, staging and deployment standards, and documentation

Note: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of degree and experience, including completion of a coding bootcamp

Preferred Education and Experience

• 0-2 years of experience with JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and React
• Experience or interest in computer graphics, game development, and real time applications
• Strong communication skills
• Experience working on an agile development team
• Enthusiasm for working closely with cross-functional colleagues and stakeholders
• Experience with contemporary client-side tools, frameworks, and libraries, such as Node.js, TypeScript, Angular, Vue, Webpack, and Redux
• Experience with build processes and continuous integration such as GitHub Actions
• Familiarity with Python

Physical Demands

• Fine motor movements in fingers/hands to operate computers and other office equipment

Position Type

• This role is currently able to work both remotely and onsite in a hybrid work environment. We are a Washington State employer, and the primary work location for all Allen Institute employees is 615 Westlake Ave N.; any remote work must be performed in Washington State.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• In keeping with our focus on employee safety, all employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. All employees will be required to keep their vaccination status up to date according to CDC guidance and our policy.

Additional Comments

• **Please note, this opportunity may offer relocation assistance**

About the Institute

The mission of the Allen Institute is to unlock the complexities of bioscience and advance our knowledge to improve human health. Using an open science, multi-scale, team-oriented approach, the Allen Institute focuses on accelerating foundational research, developing standards and models, and cultivating new ideas to make a broad, transformational impact on science.

The goal of the Allen Institute for Cell Science is to advance understanding of cell behavior in its normal, pathological, and regenerative contexts. The Institute, located in Seattle, Washington, employs a multi-disciplinary team approach to generate novel cellular reagents, models, and databases that are informed by and open to the community. The Institute aims to understand cells, individually and in collectives, as an integrated system of organelles, molecular machines, and regulatory complexes that are repurposed and specialized to generate the plethora of observed cellular behaviors. We are approaching this using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, gene editing, and live cell imaging, developing predictive models and theory, and creating a novel multi-scale, dynamic and visual output for the experiments and models.

It is the policy of the Allen Institute to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Allen Institute will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities