University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Senior Application Developer (Institute for Biomedical Informatics)

Job Profile Title

Application Developer Senior

Job Description Summary

The Application Developer Sr. in the Bioinformatics Core works closely with the Principal Investigator and research stakeholders to design, develop, and maintain modern, user-friendly web applications and research websites that support national laboratory and collaborative research initiatives. This role focuses on hands-on frontend web development, building scalable, accessible, and secure interfaces that integrate with backend and cloud services, translate research needs into effective web-based tools, and help modernize platforms used by the broader scientific community. This position is contingent upon funding.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of modern, scalable web applications, with a strong emphasis on hands-on frontend development, code quality, performance, and usability.

• Demonstrate high coding proficiency in building maintainable UI architectures, reusable components, and well-tested frontend code following industry best practices

• Collaborate closely with backend and cloud engineers to design clean APIs, integrate data services, and ensure reliable end-to-end system behavior.

• Apply a deep understanding of application security, including authentication, authorization, data protection, and secure coding practices across the stack.

• Follow and promote strong version-control and collaboration practices, including code reviews, branching strategies, documentation, and continuous integration workflows.

• Represent the information systems team in cross-institutional collaborations with external research partners and national organizations, while contributing broadly to the team’s mission as needed.

Qualifications

Required:

• Master’s degree in Computer Science or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least 5 years of experience in software engineering
• Proficiency in JavaScript (ES6+), TypeScript, HTML5, CSS3
• At least 3 years of building modern, production-grade web applications using React and/or Next.js, preferably with TypeScript
• At least 3 years of experience designing, implementing, and consuming RESTful or GraphQL APIs in production environments.
• Strong understanding of web application security principles, including authentication, authorization, secure data handling, and common vulnerability mitigation.
• Full-stack experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS) or other cloud computing platforms
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and work effectively within tight schedules
• Familiarity with version control systems and continuous integration

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in Computer Science
• Previous experience with clinical concepts and data
• 5+ years experience in full-stack development
• Previous experience with medical or clinical concepts and data

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$83,500.00 - $95,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay