Software Developer 1

The Department of Ophthalmology in the School of Medicine at Stanford University is launching an interdisciplinary Neuro-AI project dedicated to building a foundation model of the brain. This endeavor will involve multiple labs and faculty across the Stanford campus, including the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford Bio-X, and the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute. Leveraging cutting-edge advances in electrophysiology and machine learning, this project aims to create a functional "digital twin" — a model that captures both the activity dynamics of the brain at cellular resolution and the intelligent behavior it generates, including perception, motor planning, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.

This ambitious initiative promises to offer unprecedented insights into the brain's algorithms of perception and cognition while serving as a key resource for aligning artificial intelligence models with human-like neural representations. As part of this project, we are seeking talented software developers/engineers to support the whole team by developing and scaling the systems that allow our scientists to iterate quickly. In this role, you will play a critical role in ensuring the reproducibility and production-readiness of our codebase, as well as implementing Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes for all teams involved in the project. Your work will be essential in maintaining the highest standards of software quality, reliability, and efficiency.

This position promises a vibrant and cooperative atmosphere within the laboratories of Andreas Tolias (), Tirin Moore () and other labs at Stanford University renowned for their expertise in perception, cognition, pioneering neural recording techniques, computational neuroscience, machine learning, and Neuro-AI research.

Duties include:

• Assess user needs and requirements.
• Design and develop applications that may involve sophisticated data manipulation.
• Maintain and update existing programs.
• Troubleshoot and solve technical problems.
• Create programs to meet reporting and analysis needs.
• Design and implement user and operations training programs.
• Document changes in software for end users.
• Follow team software development methodology.
• Serve as technical resource with respect to applications.
• * - Other duties may also be assigned
  

Desired Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in developing and maintaining production-grade codebases
• Strong programming skills in Python and system-level languages (e.g. C/C++, Rust)
• In-depth experience with version control systems like Git and collaborative development platforms like GitHub
• Experience setting up and maintaining CI/CD principles through tools such as GitHub Actions and Jenkins
• Strong understanding and experience in test-driven software development with knowledge of different testing methodologies such as unit testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment
• Experience with containerization technologies like Docker and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes and Slurm
• Experience with the challenges of scientific software development
• Knowledge of software design patterns and architectures
• Experience contributing to and/or maintaining open-source software projects or libraries
• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch

What we offer:

• Work on a collaborative and uniquely positioned project spanning several disciplines, from neuroscience to artificial intelligence and engineering.
• Work jointly with a vibrant team of researchers and scientists in a project dedicated to one mission, rooted in academia but inspired by science in industry.
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Strong mentoring in career development.
  
  

Core Duties:

• Assess user needs and requirements.

• Design and develop applications that may involve sophisticated data manipulation.

• Maintain and update existing programs.

• Troubleshoot and solve technical problems.

• Create programs to meet reporting and analysis needs.

• Design and implement user and operations training programs.

• Document changes in software for end users.

• Follow team software development methodology.

• Serve as a technical resource with respect to applications.

Minimum Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree and three years of relevant experience or a combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of latest software and design standards.

• Ability to define and solve logical problems for technical applications.

• Knowledge of and ability to select, adapt, and effectively use a variety of programming methods.

• Ability to recognize and recommend needed changes in user and/or operations procedures.

• Basic knowledge of software engineering principles.

• Strong knowledge of at least one programming language.