WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPER

$78,000 - $84,000/Yr

University of Washington - Seattle, WA

Full-time - Mid Level

Seattle, WA

Educational Services

About the position

The University of Washington is seeking a Web Application Developer to join the Cultivate Learning team. This position is pivotal in maintaining and developing existing web-based educational software that provides training content to a national user base. The Web Application Developer will work under the direction of the Lead Software Engineer, contributing to the design, development, and maintenance of web applications utilizing technologies such as Python, PostgreSQL, and JavaScript. The role involves writing clean, reusable code that is secure and scalable, participating in architectural decisions, and managing code through continuous integration and deployment processes. In addition to development tasks, the Web Application Developer will gather user feedback to refine applications, investigate and resolve bugs, and monitor application performance. Documentation is also a key responsibility, as the developer will write and maintain documentation for users and developers, ensuring that it is accurate and useful. Collaboration with stakeholders is essential, as the developer will participate in meetings to discuss development progress, technical design needs, and functional requirements. The role requires a proactive approach to problem-solving and a broad awareness of current and emerging technologies to recommend solutions that align with organizational needs. The University of Washington prides itself on being a premier educational and research institution, and as such, offers a unique opportunity for the Web Application Developer to contribute to meaningful work that supports early learning and expanded learning opportunities. The position is hybrid, allowing for a blend of remote and on-site work, and is part of a team committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain components in web-based educational software utilizing Python, PostgreSQL, and JavaScript.
• Participate in architectural and platform decisions related to the implementation of Python code for new and existing functionality.
• Write clean and reusable code that can be easily maintained and scaled.
• Ensure code is security-minded and protects personal data.
• Refactor and optimize software as needed.
• Manage code and participate in code reviews as part of build and release cycles (CI/CD).
• Deploy and support applications across multiple server environments.
• Gather user feedback and refine existing applications in cooperation with content and web design teams.
• Investigate and resolve bugs, and upgrade existing software when needed.
• Monitor application performance and resolve problems.
• Write and maintain documentation for users and developers, supporting ongoing maintenance of systems.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to determine development progress, technical design needs, and functional/business requirements.
• Work with product management to solicit feedback and facilitate a continuous improvement cycle.
• Evaluate current processes for optimization and automation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Informatics, Information Science, or equivalent experience.
• 2 - 3 years of experience analyzing, designing, developing, installing, and maintaining web applications and services with an emphasis on Python.
• Knowledge of Python web frameworks such as Django and Flask.
• Understanding of front-end technologies, such as JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.
• Experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL).
• Knowledge of version control systems (e.g., Bitbucket, Git).
• Ability to think strategically, problem solve, and proactively design solutions that are useful, robust, and supportable.
• Excellent self-initiated problem-solving skills and an ability to prioritize tasks to meet multiple deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; strong interpersonal skills, including problem solving and consensus building.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with PHP programming language.
• Experience with cloud platforms and services (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
• Experience with front-end frameworks (e.g., Bootstrap, JQuery).
• Experience with Linux and Apache administration.
• Experience with ticketing systems (e.g., Jira, Freshservice).
• Familiarity with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with API endpoint development.
• Familiarity with usability testing and ADA accessibility standards.

Benefits

• Generous benefits and work/life programs.
• Professional growth opportunities.
• Diversity and community involvement initiatives.
• Intellectual excitement and artistic pursuits.
• Support for equity and inclusion in the workplace.