Scientific Web Developer

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. It is renowned for its excellent education, its cutting-edge fundamental research and its efforts to put new knowledge and innovations directly into practice.  Scientific Software and Data Management (SSDM), part of Scientific IT Services within central IT, develops software and data management solutions for research projects across the ETH domain, and provides a stimulating, flexible and family-friendly working environment. It is located in Zurich and Basel.

Scientific Software and Data Management is part of ETH's central IT department.  It comprises software engineers from diverse backgrounds who develop software to support research projects across a broad spectrum of ETH's academic departments, including biology, physics, engineering, economics, architecture and more. 

We are looking for a chiefly front-end web developer to work on a new project starting in 2023, plus contribute to the general development of our research data management platform, openBIS.

You will be the primary developer on a new project, PREMISE, to customise our research data management platform, openBIS, for a new user group.  openBIS is a web-based data management platform written primarily in Java and JavaScript.  The main focus of PREMISE will be to develop imaging visualisation tools for the front end.  A further task will be to integrate openBIS with a simulation workflow automation system used by material scientists.

Beyond this, you will contribute to various improvements to the openBIS front-end.

You may also contribute to other projects in SSDM, depending on requirements and the skills needed.  These may require skills in other programming languages.

Your Responsibilities:

• Mainly front-end development on the PREMISE project, including discussion technical design and implementation with the project team 
• Contribution to the general development of openBIS, particularly the front-end
• Contribution to other projects as needed
• Testing your code and participating in deployment
• Documenting your work 
• Code review for other team members and engaging in wider team initiatives and discussions

The position is based in Basel, with travel to Zurich and Villigen sometimes needed.  The contract is initially limited to 1 year with possibility of renewal, depending on the status of this and other projects.

This position would suit a developer with strong, modern front-end web development skills as well as a familiarity with back-end development.  The ideal candidate considers IT a hobby, a passion even, not just a profession.  You should have a desire to experiment and learn new skills.  Ideally you should have worked in an academic setting.

As a minimum, you should have:

• A degree in computer science, or in a related engineering or scientific discipline plus demonstrable knowledge of software engineering
• Experience developing in modern HTML / JavaScript, including recent concepts such as functional programming and promises
• Experience with React 
• Familiarity with SQL
• Some familiarity with Python and/or Java
• Experience with the Linux command line
• Good communication skills
• Strong self-motivation and a desire to learn new skills

The following would also be an advantage:

• TypeScript experience
• Experience with DevOps tools and practices: Git, Docker and CI/CD platforms
• Developing software in a team
• Experience working in an academic environment

We operate in hybrid home office mode, with employees able to choose to work up to three days per week from home. We offer a stimulating environment where you will work with developers with a range of backgrounds and on projects in a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines.