We are looking for people who have:
A passion for libraries and the future of information access and civic technology.
Broad experience across the web application stack and a willingness to pitch in where impacts can be made.
In depth experience with one or more technologies relevant to our work, such as web archiving, digital preservation, human computer interaction, or large language models.
Experience with a variety of data engineering languages and tools.
Strong understanding of technologies like the Web, Python, JavaScript, PostgreSQL, and Elasticsearch.
Comfort with Linux operating systems.
A desire to share work and explore ideas in public settings, including presentations, scholarly seminars at Harvard, and posting to the Lab's blog.
Additional Information:
This is a one-year term appointment with potential for renewal, subject to funding and departmental need.
Given the multidisciplinary nature of our work, we welcome a short cover letter to explain how your career trajectory and interests align with our work and mission.
We regret that Harvard Law School is unable to provide visa sponsorship for staff positions.
All offers are made by HLS Human Resources.
Harvard University will soon transition to a new, streamlined applicant system, Careers@Harvard. If you apply for this position, you will be notified if any additional action is required to ensure your information is captured correctly in our new system. We look forward to introducing you to the new Career@Harvard experience.
Department:Library Innovation LabPre-Employment Screening:Education, IdentityJob Function:Information Technology School/Unit:Harvard Law School EEO Statement:We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.Basic Qualifications:
Minimum of seven years' post-secondary education or relevant work experience
Working Conditions:
Travel is required for this position as needed, including for quarterly on-site meetings, conferences, and events.
Position Description:
The Harvard Library Innovation Lab (LIL) seeks a Principal Software Engineer to help imagine and build innovative software that charts the future of libraries. LIL's current portfolio extends from Perma.cc, a vital web archiving platform that helps power the legal and educational sectors, to cutting edge experiments in applying large language models to civic knowledge problems, and all sorts of tools and experiments in between. Please visit our website (https://lil.law.harvard.edu/) to get a greater sense of our current projects and activities.
Located at the Harvard Law Library, LIL is a fun and collaborative lab with a broad mission focused on re-envisioning how libraries can contribute to society. We are a small but active group working at the intersection of libraries, technology, and law. We value clean architecture and maintainability in our work. We welcome developers from any technical background who are well-prepared to dive into our code.
Our work is open-source and openly available, with an eye to broad, public-interest impact. You will be working directly with team members and the whole of the library staff and beyond.
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will:
Provide technical leadership and expertise to the team, working with the Engineering Manager, Senior Engineers, Director, and Product team.
Develop novel and experimental projects to explore the Lab's key focus areas of preserving, sharing, and empowering people through knowledge.
Work with engineers to address the most challenging areas of the Lab's long-standing technical projects.
Write and speak publicly about the Lab's technical work to grow our community.
Research and inform the Lab about developing technical and social fields relevant to our work.
Commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging:Harvard University views equity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify this excellence while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.Benefits:We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/benefits-wellbeing) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:
Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.
Work Format:Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote) LinkedIn Recruiter Tag (for internal use only):#LI-MH1Work Format Details:This position is open to either remote applicants, or in-person applicants with a hybrid schedule. Remote work is permitted for applicants living more than 50 miles from Harvard campus, based on business needs and manager approval. All remote work must be performed within a state in which Harvard is registered to do business (CA, CT, GA, IL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VA, VT and WA).