Application Developer

Description

Drexel University Libraries seek a creative and energetic Application Developer who will develop, implement, and maintain innovative and effective tools and services. The successful candidate will have primary responsibility for the search and discovery applications that support student and faculty academic research, including the library catalog, Summon discovery service, and other tools.

The Libraries seeks to improve discovery services by incorporating new types of content, including research datasets, faculty publications, and university records. In collaboration with team members, library staff, and campus partners, the incumbent will investigate and implement solutions that will advance this initiative. The candidate will also support discovery by piloting and launching solutions that leverage technologies such as Linked Open Data and RDF triplestores to expose Drexel content on the web for reuse by other researchers and institutions.

As a member of the Data and Digital Stewardship division, the candidate will also play a lead role ensuring that public and staff applications adhere to accessibility standards and that the Libraries provide a consistent and efficient experience across our public interfaces. Reporting to the Manager, Discovery Systems, the Application Developer works closely with team members, library staff, and other stakeholders to determine needs, develop design documentation, troubleshoot applications, and provide maintenance. The candidate will maintain up-to-date system documentation and manage code in a version-control system.

Job URL: http://www.drexeljobs.com/applicants/Central?quickFind=81968

Required Qualifications:
* Bachelor's degree in Information or Computer Sciences or related field or equivalent combination of experience.
* A minimum of one year of relevant work experience.
* Demonstrated proficiency in a scripting language, such as Python or Bash, with experience in one or more of the following major programming languages: Ruby, PHP, Java.
* Strong working knowledge of Javascript/jQuery, HTML5, CSS.
* Experience with Linux operating systems.
* Prior work implementing or maintaining front-end services and tools.
* Commitment to continuously enhancing and developing skills.
* Strong oral and written communications skills.
* Demonstrated success in working effectively both independently and within teams.
* Evidence of flexibility and initiative working within a dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications:
* Experience in an academic and/or library environment.
* Knowledge of Linked Open Data principles and tools, such as RDF and SPARQL.
* Familiarity with relational database design and Postgres or MySQL.
* Working knowledge of Apache, Tomcat & other delivery servers.
* Experience with a version-control system such as Git or Subversion.

Key Responsibilities:
* Enhance and extend the Libraries' current search and discovery environment by programming solutions that integrate new content types such as research data, faculty publications, and university records.
* Provide technical support for search and discovery applications, including maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades.
* Pilot and launch Linked Open Data solutions that expose images, datasets, and other digital content for inclusion in external search tools as well as reuse by researchers and other organizations.
* Ensure adherence to industry and University standards for web accessibility through technical improvements to the Libraries' public and staff applications.
* Improve the discoverability of the Libraries content and services on the Web through the use of OpenGraph and Schema.org protocols to increase rankings in both web-scale search engines and specific tools like Google Scholar
* Implement and maintain statistics and analytics tools for library applications in support of library-wide quality improvement initiatives.
* Serve as technical liaison for the Libraries' website, managed by campus IT.
* Integrate Libraries' services with other systems on campus (Drexel One, Drexel One Mobile, BBLearn), in coordination with Drexel IT.
* Serve as backup to Discovery Systems team members.
* Other duties as assigned.

Supplemental Posting Information:
Drexel University offers an attractive benefits package including tuition remission, a generous retirement package with matching funds (up to 11 percent) and an opportunity to join a talented team of professionals directly helping the University achieve its record growth and quality reputation.

Drexel University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and believes that an inclusive and respectful environment enriches the University community and the educational and employment experience of its members. The University prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, status as a veteran or special disabled veteran, gender identity or expression, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and any other prohibited characteristic. Please visit our website to view all University Policies and Workplace Postings.

Background investigations are required for all new hires as a condition of employment, after the job offer is made. Employment may not begin until the University accepts the results of the background investigation.