Part-time Scientific Software Engineer (Consultant)

Apply your software engineering skills to support Production Informatics Division's large-scale data management and delivery systems and high-throughput analysis workflows, as well as the Clinical Molecular Data Division's operations.

This is a part-time Consultant role (20 hours per week), typically 3-5 hours per day, Monday through Friday, scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST. Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required in the event of an unforeseen emergency.

Job duties will include, but are not limited to:

* Front-End Development: Maintain and enhance data capture and ingestion systems, tracking, and management interfaces. Contribute to new data collection features to improve user experience and operational efficiency.

* Data Support: Support cloud-based and on-premise data transfers from our data stores to both internal and external customers/patients. Help automate routine tasks and ensure data workflows are optimized to reduce operational costs and support data lifecycle management, including retention policies, automated archiving, and cleanup processes.

* Workflow Management: Ensure Production Cromwell workflows operate smoothly. Troubleshoot issues, resubmit workflows, tune performance, anticipate workflow bottlenecks, provide Cromwell patches, and contribute to Cromwell Dev/Ops improvements.

* Technical Debt & Modernization: Address technical debt within the software engineering codebase by migrating to modern solutions when requested. Seek opportunities to streamline processes and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

* Proactive Problem-Solving: Identify technical hurdles and recommend solutions to the software engineering team.

* Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Work with Project Management, Resource Computing, Computational Biologists, Clinical Molecular Diagnostics, and other stakeholders on data access, delivery, workflows, analysis tools, and user-facing data collection interfaces.

Required Qualification:

* Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and 2 or more years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Support Responsiveness: Demonstrated ability to communicate promptly and clearly on all support tickets, identify incomplete or unclear requests, set expectations, and proactively flag potential issues or delays.

* Technical Proficiency: Experience with front-end frameworks, Python, Terraform/Terragrunt, Scala, and various database systems. Skilled in troubleshooting, maintaining, enhancing, and modernizing existing applications.

* Escalation Awareness: Strong judgment in recognizing when an issue requires escalation to management or senior engineers, such as recurring problems, cross-department dependencies, or blockers impacting timelines.

* Task Management: Able to efficiently balance support requests with ongoing system maintenance and enhancement work, managing frequent context switches without sacrificing quality or timeliness.

* Process & Standards Compliance: Commitment to established team and project standards, including writing clean, maintainable, and DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) code, adhering to source control best practices (e.g., Git), and responding promptly to code review feedback to ensure rapid turnaround time. Consistent use of Jira for issue tracking and status updates.

* Adaptability & Decision-Making: Make sound decisions with incomplete information. Balance multiple tasks and produce meaningful results in a fast-paced support environment.

NYGC's Core Competencies

* Technical and Professional Skills: Consistently demonstrates skills and knowledge relevant for current role; strives to expand the depth and breadth of technical and professional skills; works with a high level of integrity; exhibits focus and discipline; appropriately prioritizes, manages expectations and delivers on commitments.

* Collaborative & Communicative: Models collaboration and teamwork; brings out the best in others; effectively works with all levels, internally and externally; respects and embraces diversity of perspective; communicates clearly and listens carefully; uses good judgment as to what to communicate and when to do so.

* Adaptable & Innovative: Adaptable and embraces change; develops new insights and pursues improvements and efficiency; fosters exchange of new ideas and willing to challenge the status quo; takes initiative and is solution-oriented; engages in work with passion and curiosity.

Work Flexibility

NYGC has established a flexible work policy to give employees and other staff more ability to balance their work, personal commitments, and commuting challenges. The incumbent in this position is eligible for a flexible work schedule or hybrid remote work arrangement with supervisory approval. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

Salary

The pay range for this position is $55-$75 per hour; the hourly rate offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

About the New York Genome Center

The New York Genome Center (NYGC) is an independent, nonprofit, academic research organization dedicated to advancing genomic research. NYGC scientists and staff are furthering new approaches to diagnosing and treating neurological diseases and cancer through their unique capabilities in whole genome sequencing, RNA sequencing, state-of-the art analytics, and the development of genomic tools. NYGC concentrates specifically on disease-based research in the following areas: neuropsychiatric disease (autism, schizophrenia, bipolar); neurodegenerative disease (ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's), and cancer.

Located in Lower Manhattan, the New York Genome Center was founded by and remains closely affiliated with the leading academic medical centers and research universities in the New York region, engaging in research projects with and for these institutions. Essential to our collaborative work is an outstanding faculty, whose members typically hold a joint appointment at NYGC and a partner university. They support our scientific mission by conducting independent research in areas of mutual interest to us and the wider scientific community.

Equal Opportunity

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to NYGC's core mission. We strive to create a workplace environment that is welcoming and fair to all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, or religion. We believe that when people of various backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives work together in an inclusive and equitable environment we gain new and valuable perspectives that otherwise would have been missed. Valuing and supporting all NYGC employees as individuals while helping them realize their full potential is critical to promoting greater collaboration, innovation, and discovery - fostering a sense of belonging for our greatest strength, our people. We recognize that there is still work to be done that will require sustained commitment from the entire organization.

The New York Genome Center is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, protected veteran or military status, domestic violence victim status, partnership status, caregiver status, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. NYGC takes affirmative action in support of its policy to hire and advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Position Type - Consultant (Independent Contractor-1099)

Not eligible for visa sponsorship