"Software Engineer (Full Stack)"

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 and approaches is required
• Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration
• Self-motivated, organized, and capable of independent and collaborative work
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to travel to Ithaca, NY for required visits

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in computer or information science preferred
• Full stack development experience (front-end, back-end, cloud-native)
• Familiarity with CMS platforms, container orchestration, and AI service integration
• Experience with marketing platform integrations and scalable application architecture
• Ability to customize and maintain content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress and experience in syndicating content to other websites with RESTful API
• Experience with modern data platforms integrating data from various sources to allow analysts to create reports for managers
• Experience in fundraising technology, advocacy platforms, or marketing technology (MarTech) is highly desirable; passion for conservation, nature, wildlife, and non-profit technology is desirable

Application Information:

• A resume is required for further consideration for this position. A cover letter expressing alignment with Cornell’s Lab mission and this role is strongly encouraged. When applying through our system, please remember to attach your application materials (Cover Letter and Resume) in PDF format.
• Visa Sponsorship of any kind is not available for this position.
• Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

This position is based in Ithaca, New York, however, the successful applicant may perform this role remotely anywhere within the United States. Employees who work remotely may receive multiple W-2 Forms depending on their work location.

The New York Convenience of employer guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholding for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside of New York State.

Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.

Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.

Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell

Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell

Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

University Job Title:

Software Engineer III

Job Family: Information Technology

Level: F

Pay Rate Type: Salary

Pay Range: $98,548.00 - $114,529.00