Description
Electrical & Software Engineering within the Schulich School of Engineering invites applications for a Software Development Lead. This Recurring Part-time position is for approximately 8months/year (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.
The Grid Foresight Lab at the University of Calgary is dedicated to transforming theoretical research into practical applications for modernizing electric energy systems. Reporting to the Principle Investigator, the Software Development Lead will facilitate prototype development and transition research into practical solutions across multiple areas of electric energy systems.
This is a recurring part-time position. Recurring Part-time employees are hourly appointments engaged to perform work on an irregular schedule.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
Technical Leadership & Agile Development
- Guide and mentor team members, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.
- Oversee prototype development and iterative testing, ensuring research outputs are implemented in a scalable, maintainable manner.
- Plan and manage sprint planning, backlog management, and Agile estimation using tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, or equivalent.
- Make technical decisions on frameworks, libraries, and software architecture to align with research needs and industry best practices.
- Ensure seamless integration between research models and software systems, translating theoretical models into practical implementations.
- Establish development standards, code review processes, and test automation strategies to ensure quality and reproducibility in research-driven software.
Software Development
- Develop and maintain frontend (React.js/Vue.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, or similar UI frameworks) and backend (Python FastAPI/Django, Node.js, or Java Spring Boot) services.
- Design, develop, and manage RESTful APIs and microservices for integrating various models and applications.
- Oversee database design and management, ensuring compatibility with PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL, or similar databases.
- Implement message brokers (RabbitMQ, Kafka, or cloud-based alternatives) to support real-time processing and data pipelines.
- Develop automated test suites, including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end testing, to ensure system reliability.
- Support cloud deployment strategies using AWS, Azure, or GCP, incorporating Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, Pulumi, or similar tools) where applicable.
Qualifications / Requirements:
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in full-stack development.
- Experience leading and mentoring software engineers in an Agile environment.
- Strong background in prototype development, research software engineering, or technology translation.
- Proficiency in backend development using Python (FastAPI/Django), Node.js (Express/Nest.js), or Java (Spring Boot).
- Proficiency in frontend development using React.js, Vue.js, or Angular, with strong skills in JavaScript/TypeScript, CSS (Tailwind, Bootstrap, or similar frameworks).
- Experience with Agile project management tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar.
- Strong understanding of SQL databases (PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL, etc.).
- Expertise in microservices architecture and event-driven communication using message brokers (RabbitMQ, Kafka, or cloud-based alternatives).
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, Docker, and Kubernetes for cloud-native deployments.
- Experience with test automation, including unit, integration, and end-to-end testing.
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to optimize system performance.
- Scrum Master certification (PSM, CSM, or equivalent) is preferred.
- Experience working with time-series data or AI/ML models.
- Knowledge of Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, Pulumi, CloudFormation, etc.).
- Experience integrating research models into production software.
- Exposure to GraphQL, WebSockets, or real-time data processing.
- Experience with frontend performance optimization and cross-browser compatibility.
Application Deadline: April 23, 2025
We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.
This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Technical Job Family, Phase 1.
For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
