Princeton University · 1 week ago
Lead Research Software Engineer
Princeton, NJ
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff
$160K/yr - $177K/yr
10+ years expPrinceton University is seeking a Lead Research Software Engineer to join their AI Lab and Research Software Engineering team. This role involves technical leadership and collaboration to drive innovative solutions for research, and the successful candidate will contribute to impactful open-source projects while mentoring a team of Research Software Engineers.
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Responsibilities
Maintain strong command of AI and machine learning concepts, including underlying science, math, and algorithms; stay current through reading publications, reviewing existing code, and independent study
Lead the team in collaborating with researchers to ensure solutions meet research needs; address software engineering questions during planning
Strategically identify and prioritize impactful software solutions and guide the team in developing creative, robust approaches to evolving research challenges
Apply AI/ML algorithms to domain-specific software engineering projects
Lead the team in translating research priorities into flexible, maintainable software solutions for ongoing projects
Raise the computational capability of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers through team-led training, workshops, and consultations
Establish and enforce best practices for version control, CI/CD, software design, and programming models across projects
Ensure long-term sustainability and accessibility through thorough documentation and support for software libraries
Drive improvements in performance and quality of new and existing code bases through hands-on contributions and team leadership
Communicate software engineering concepts clearly to project teams with varying expertise
Provide strong technical leadership, within the RSE team and the broader research group
Organize and lead code reviews, training sessions, and professional development activities
Champion adoption of best practices and advanced computational techniques across projects
Coordinate efforts to optimize computational infrastructure and research pipelines in collaboration with AI Lab and Research Computing teams, ensuring secure and efficient integration of emerging AI technologies
Manage a small team of RSEs, set priorities, and oversee software development work to ensure continuous alignment with evolving research goals
Conduct performance reviews and support career development for direct reports
Foster an inclusive, collaborative environment; assist in building a diverse, effective team aligned with research objectives
Model continuous learning, deepening expertise in the science, mathematics, statistics, and algorithms that underpin computational research challenges
Participate in a community of research software engineers and engage in continued professional development opportunities at Princeton Research Computing
Qualification
Required
A minimum of 10 years as a Research Software Engineer or equivalent experience (e.g. graduate school, industry experience, open-source software development, etc.)
Strong command of programming languages used in AI and computational research (e.g. Python, C++, R, MATLAB, Julia)
Extensive experience in machine learning algorithms and techniques including with AI frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, or Scikit-learn
Experience working with large datasets and familiarity with GPU computing environments
Demonstrated success: Consistently using conventional and readable coding style
Demonstrated success: Performing test driven development
Demonstrated success: Creating comprehensive and well-written documentation
Demonstrated success: Participating in regular code reviews as both a reviewer and reviewee
Demonstrated success: Developing and maintaining reproducible build systems
Demonstrated success: Using version control systems
Demonstrated successes contributing to a collaborative research team
Ability to work independently
Strong written and oral technical communication skills with the ability to present complex research findings to technical and non-technical audiences
Experience tuning and optimizing research software and algorithms
Parallel programming expertise
Experience developing research software outside of core domain knowledge
A Bachelor's degree in computer science, applied science, or other related field with a strong computational focus required
Preferred
Expertise in conducting research in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Contributions to open-source libraries and publications in relevant journals or conferences are highly valued
Experience participating in multiple software development projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to quality standards. An eagerness to take on more responsibility and develop project management skills
A Masters/Ph.D. in computer science, applied science, or other related field with a strong computational focus or equivalent experience in a research setting preferred
1+ years experience managing a small team
Experience working in an academic research environment
Benefits
Comprehensive benefit program
Company
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private Ivy League university that offers a variety of master’s degrees and Ph. D.s.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Princeton University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (301)
2024 (220)
2023 (218)
2022 (172)
2021 (207)
2020 (193)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$11.44MKey Investors
US Department of EnergyAlfred P. Sloan FoundationNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
2024-06-06Grant· $2M
2023-08-14Grant
2022-02-15Grant· $5.5M
Leadership Team
Amy Robinson Sterling
Executive Director, Eyewire
Anne-Marie Maman
Founding Director - Princeton Entrepreneurship Council
Recent News
2026-01-16
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