Research Software Engineer III/IV
UF Information Technology (UFIT) is seeking a professional-level Research Software Engineer to join Research Computing, a unit within UFIT. The applicant is expected to work at locations across the campus to work closely with faculty and their research teams on software engineering in computational, data processing and visualization, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects in research and education. The final applicant will be considered at the level for which they qualify.
Employment with UFIT provides an excellent opportunity to work with other employees dedicated to and focused on understanding and interpreting the technological needs of the University of Florida’s innovative and inspirational community. This position is in Gainesville, FL with flexible work arrangements possible. It is not a remote position.
UF has been operating HiPerGator for close to a decade. It is the fastest supercomputer owned and operated by a university in the USA. HiPerGator has become a critical service for UF because of the growth of the community of researchers, faculty, students and collaborators that UFRC serves not only in size but also in the breadth of research domains. The workloads running on HiPerGator cover a wide range of research disciplines, from physical science and engineering to medicine and drug discovery, as well as business, law, arts and humanities. The demand for HiPerGator’s computing power to carry out research in foundational and use-inspired AI has also dramatically increased with UF’s AI Initiative and the recent success of generative AI such as ChatGPT in all aspects of human activity.
The University of Florida is seeking people who are looking for an exciting career supporting the research performed by world-class faculty and their students and collaborators in their quest to solve the most challenging problems facing the world today. The people in these positions are part of a collaborative team that values innovative ideas and viewpoints, and they will be expected to work closely in faculty-led teams in software engineering projects. This position will involve constant learning and professional development. If you think this environment is a match for you or an exciting challenge, you are encouraged to use the cover letter to explain why you are a good fit.
Some key responsibilities of this position are:
- Learn by independent study, reading textbooks and research papers, and online training materials about problem domains in which work is needed.
- Design, program, document, debug, test, deploy, and maintain software for specific projects in possibly various scientific and scholarly domains.
- Follow best practices for software engineering and data science, including cybersecurity.
- Often software to be developed will be open source, new or a contribution to an existing tool, library, or framework.
- Act as consultant and mentor on software engineering principles for the project team you are part of for a given project.
- Contribute to papers and documentation to be produced as deliverable of the assigned project.
- Optimize code for performance and maintainability.
- Keep up to date on new developments in software engineering techniques and tools that could improve research outcomes.
Professional development opportunities:
- Learning the underlying science for the software you are developing with the project team.
- Access a community of professionals who are committed to operate excellent research computing support.
- Take training through various options ranging from workshops and online training certificates to semester-long courses and degrees.
Qualifications
- A Bachelor's/Master's degree in computer science, engineering, sciences, or related computational field is required.
- Solid coding skills and good experience with advanced programming languages like C/C++, Python, Fortran, Scala.
- Experience with building interactive web-based applications for data visualization and data processing workflows
- Familiarity with high-performance computing (HPC) systems, including GPUs, and programming, such as using CUDA, MPI, AI/ML/DL, and advanced debuggers and performance analyzers.
- Familiarity with working on open-source projects.
About UF Information Technology
Led by Vice President and CIO Elias Eldayrie, the eight departments comprising UFIT are: Academic Technology; Applications, Development, and Integrations; Business Center; Customer Experience and Resource Planning; Data Platform and Analytics; Information Security Office; Infrastructure and Communication Technology; and Research Computing. UF Information Technology (UFIT) enables teaching, learning, research, and service on campus and across the region with state-of-the-art enterprise IT systems, including SEC and SUS universities, and the opportunity to teach using HiPerGator. For more information about UFIT and its goals and governance, visit https://it.ufl.edu/about-ufit/strategic-plan/ .
Learn more about UFIT at https://it.ufl.edu/ and @GoGatorsUFIT.
About the University of Florida
One of America’s all-around best universities, the University of Florida drives future-making education, eye-opening discoveries, life-saving health care, and community-building collaboration for our state, our nation, and our world. UF is in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from Florida’s West Coast, 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a 2-hour drive to large metropolitan areas (Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). The beautiful climate and extensive nearby parks and recreational areas afford year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and nature photography. UF’s large college sports programs, museums, and performing arts center support various activities and cultural events for residents to enjoy. Learn more about what Gainesville has to offer at Visit Gainesville.
BenefitsUF provides various leave programs based on an employee’s salary plan, including vacation, sick leave, holidays, personal leave days, and paid family leave. In addition to paid time off, the University of Florida offers a very competitive benefits package.
RSE III: $90,000-$110,000; commensurate based on education and experience.
RSE IV: $110,000-$130,000; commensurate based on education and experience.
RSE Level III:A Bachelor’s Degree in computer or physical science, statistics, bioinformatics, data science or AI, or similar field and five years of experience; Master’s Degree in computer or physical science, statistics, bioinformatics, data science or AI, or similar field and three years of experience; Doctoral Degree in computer or physical science, statistics, bioinformatics, data science or AI, or similar field and one year of experience.
RSE Level IV:A Bachelor’s Degree in computer or physical science, statistics, bioinformatics, data science or AI, or similar field and seven years of experience; Master’s Degree in computer or physical science, software engineering, statistics, bioinformatics, data science or AI, or similar field and five years of experience; Doctoral Degree in computer or physical science, statistics, bioinformatics, data science or AI, or similar field and three years of experience.
Applicants will be considered at the level for which they qualify. Appropriate college coursework or vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the requiredexperiencebut does not negate the minimum degree requirement(s).
The ideal candidate will possess the following education, experience, and skills:
- AI frameworks, such as Tensorflow, PyTorch, and MLOps platforms, etc
- Building digital twins using NVIDIA Omniverse, one or more digital contents creation software, such as Unreal, Unity, Maya, etc.
- Physics-based modeling using chemistry or materials codes, weather simulations, environment studies, etc.
- Statistical modeling and data visualization
- Parallel software design with MPI, OpenMP, pthreads, or CUDA
- GPU computing environment
- Deep Learning, image processing, natural language processing, generative AI, AI agent creation and deployment, and large AI models
- For level III, applicants must have at least 3 years software engineering experience, including at least one software project as lead engineer
- For level IV, applicants must have at least 4 years software engineering experience, including at least 3 software projects as lead engineer
Applicants are required to submit the following with their application:
- Cover Letter
- Resume or CV
- Professional References (Minimum of 3)
Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
The final candidate must pass a Level 2 FBI Background Check.
The application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. of the posting end date.
This requisition has been reposted. Previous applicants are still under consideration and need not reapply.
Freqently Asked Questions
Career progression for a Research Software Engineer III/IV at UF involves mastering complex AI frameworks, leading software projects, and contributing to cutting-edge research. Growth is supported by continuous learning opportunities, exposure to high-performance computing, and collaboration with faculty across diverse scientific disciplines, fostering both technical and leadership skills.
Proficiency in C/C++, Python, Fortran, and Scala is crucial, along with experience in GPU computing using CUDA and MPI. Familiarity with AI/ML frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch, plus skills in data visualization and HPC environments, are highly valued to support UF’s diverse research computing projects.
At the III/IV level, engineers lead software design, optimization, and mentoring within faculty-led teams, focusing on scalable AI and HPC solutions. Unlike entry-level roles, they engage deeply with scientific problem domains and contribute to research publications, reflecting greater responsibility and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Working with The International Epr (Esr) Society integrates engineers into a vibrant research ecosystem leveraging UF’s HIPergator supercomputer. The role emphasizes interdisciplinary AI-driven projects and offers access to specialized training, fostering innovation in computational science and real-world impact across various academic fields.
The Society prioritizes collaborative, faculty-engaged software development focusing on cutting-edge AI and HPC technologies. Their environment encourages innovative problem solving, professional growth, and contributions to open-source projects, aligning with UFIT’s mission to elevate research capabilities statewide.
For Research Software Engineer III, salaries range from $90,000 to $110,000, while Level IV roles offer $110,000 to $130,000, commensurate with education and experience. Advanced degrees or leadership in multiple software projects can position candidates towards the higher end of these competitive salary bands.
Certifications in HPC, AI frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch, and expertise in GPU programming (CUDA) significantly boost employability. Additionally, open-source software contributions and experience with scientific computing tools resonate well with Gainesville’s growing research and tech sectors.
Gainesville’s proximity to UF fosters a high demand for skilled research software engineers, with a collaborative culture emphasizing innovation and academic partnership. The city’s affordable living and focus on outdoor lifestyle attract professionals seeking balance between challenging work and quality of life.
Level III candidates typically hold a master’s degree with at least three years of software engineering experience including leadership on one project. Level IV applicants require more extensive experience—five years with a master’s or three years with a doctorate—and leadership on multiple complex software projects.
Applicants must have authorization to work in the US as visa sponsorship is not offered. Additionally, successful candidates need to pass a Level 2 FBI background check, ensuring compliance with university and federal employment standards.
Find The Related Jobs
Moffitt Cancer Center
Research Software Engineer
Tampa, FL
Jobseekers are also searching for
Popular Searches for Research Software Engineer