State of Wisconsin

O'Connor Lab Software Developer

State of Wisconsin$113K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 4+ years of experience building production web applications.
  • Experience with complex web platforms integrating large datasets.
  • Proficient in developing interactive data visualizations for analytical applications.
  • Experienced with APIs and integrating external data systems into web apps.
  • Familiar with collaborative software development practices using Git.

Responsibilities

  • Design and implement comprehensive test plans for platform functionality.
  • Provide technical guidance to junior team members.
  • Lead application development and enhancement efforts within a sub-functional team.
  • Evaluate vendor software solutions through systematic analysis.
  • Develop and document detailed system design specifications for enhancements.
  • Ensure application modules meet quality and architecture standards.
  • Create and update technical specifications for complex projects.

Benefits

  • Generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
  • Competitive insurance and savings options.
  • Retirement benefits.
  • Supportive work environment emphasizing growth and advancement.
  • Opportunity to work on impactful research projects.
Full Job Description
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:
Academic Staff

Employment Type:
Regular

Job Profile:
Software Eng/Developer III

Job Summary:

The O'Connor Lab in University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Pathology is seeking an experienced software developer to design, build, and maintain a world-class web platform supporting the Lungfish environmental monitoring project. Lungfish integrates environmental monitoring data, analytical pipelines, and scientific reporting systems to support research, environmental surveillance, and public health decision making.

In this role you will design, implement, and maintain the primary public web platform for the Lungfish environmental monitoring project and have responsibility and agency to manage end-to-end deployment of the platform. This platform will allow researchers, public health professionals, and other stakeholders to explore environmental monitoring data through interactive data visualizations, analytical reports, and training resources. The successful candidate will design and implement the architecture of this platform from the ground up using modern web technologies and professional design assets that establish a cohesive visual identity and user experience.

The developer will work closely with scientists, data engineers, and research computing staff to build interfaces that integrate data from the Lungfish data warehouse and related research data systems including LabKey. These interfaces must support exploration of large and complex environmental monitoring datasets by audiences with varying technical backgrounds.

This position requires demonstrated success building complex, production web systems in professional settings. The successful candidate will have strong experience implementing interactive data visualizations, integrating large data systems through APIs, and participating in collaborative software development workflows using tools such as GitHub.

The role also involves applying modern development approaches including AI-assisted and agentic large language model tools to accelerate software development, debugging, and exploration of complex datasets.
  • This position requires work to be completed onsite, at a designated campus work location.


Key Job Responsibilities:
  • Designs and implements test plans, and prepares systems test data
  • Trains and provides technical guidance to lower level staff
  • Leads sub-functional team for application development or enhancement
  • Conducts analysis for the evaluation and selection of vendor software solutions and packages
  • Conducts systems analysis, reviews and interprets system requirements, and develops detailed system design specifications for system integration and upgrades
  • Reviews application modules for quality assurance and checks compliance with application architecture standards
  • Develops, prepares, or modifies technical specifications for complex projects, system integrations, and upgrades
  • Reviews application design specifications, codes new applications, and makes enhancements to existing applications
  • Prepares program documentation and training requirements
  • Participate in other lab-related and collaborator activities as needed
  • Contributes to the development of data structure and systems performance strategies
  • Develop comprehensive understanding of the research data and biological science domains that underpins application and website development
  • Design, develop, and maintain public and restricted audience websites that often display data


Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, O'Connor Lab

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is dedicated to the highest quality patient care, cutting-edge and impactful research, and teaching the next generation of pathologists and scientists. We emphasize a healthy work-life balance and provide a supportive work environment committed to the growth and advancement of our members. Our vibrant clinical department integrates anatomic pathology, laboratory medicine, teaching, and a robust research enterprise, and serves the UW, American Family Children's, VA, and other Madison hospitals. Our basic science and translational research programs have made fundamental discoveries in cell and stem cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, and infectious disease. Opportunities in education include a T32-funded PhD graduate program, pathology resident and fellowship programs, and both medical school and undergraduate curricula.

Madison, often rated as one of the best places to live in America, is built on an isthmus, surrounded by lakes. The city, campus, green spaces and urban areas are blended to create a place unlike any other.

Compensation:

The starting annual wage for the position is $113,246; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage. SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026

Required Qualifications:
  • Applicants must provide examples of previously developed production systems, including links to deployed applications, public repositories, or portfolio materials that demonstrate their role in building complex web platforms.
  • At least four years of professional experience developing and maintaining production web applications.
  • Demonstrated experience designing and implementing complex web platforms that integrate large or complex datasets.
  • Demonstrated experience developing interactive data visualizations for scientific, analytical, or data intensive applications.
  • Demonstrated experience working with application programming interfaces and integrating external data systems into web applications with complex user interaction needs.
  • Demonstrated experience using collaborative software development practices including Git-based version control systems.
  • Evidence of successful delivery of production software systems in collaborative, professional settings.


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience developing software systems that support scientific research.
  • Experience working with modern visualization frameworks used in analytical web applications, including but not limited to D3, Plotly, and Apache ECharts.
  • Experience working with research data management systems such as LabKey or similar platforms.
  • Experience deploying cost-sensitive web applications in cloud environments or research computing infrastructure.
  • Experience using open-source software development practices to govern, maintain, and improve software with contributors at various skill levels
  • Experience using AI-assisted development tools or large language model systems for software engineering or data analysis workflows.


Education:

Bachelor's degree required in computer science, data science, information science, software engineering, or a closely related field.

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, select either "I am a current employee" or "I am not a current employee" under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials.

Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area. Failure to submit the required documents will result in no longer being considered for the position.
• Cover letter required
• Resume required

Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected

University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.

Contact Information:

Tia Seguin,

About State of Wisconsin

The State of Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. Wisconsin.Gov, its official website, offers citizens with access to information related to the state’s online services, governmental departments, budgets and spending, jobs and employee resources, constitution, agency directory, courts and the law, elected officials, education and learning, housing, taxes, economic development and small business, business portal, Web Access Management System (WAMS), and more. The site is operated from Madison, Wisconsin.

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