Technical Lead (Reimagining Discovery)

Description

Harvard Library and Harvard University IT are advancing the Reimagining Discovery initiative to transform how researchers, students, and the global community discover and explore Harvard's distinctive collections. This work includes the development of Collections Explorer, an AI-enhanced discovery application, and supporting metadata infrastructure to improve access and discovery of collections through modern hybrid search and user-centered discovery experiences. The IT Project Technical Lead provides hands-on technical leadership for this project by leading architectural and design decisions, collaborating with team members in technical matters, and guiding implementation, integration, and production readiness for a system that combines modern web application development, metadata pipelines, applied AI techniques, and hybrid search technologies. 

The IT Project Technical Lead establishes project specifications and technical direction, creates a framework of technical standards and procedures, oversees software quality and system development and modifications, guides team members with troubleshooting technical issues, analyzes existing operations to identify risks and redundancies, and conducts comprehensive assessments to develop solutions for Collections Explorer and related Reimagining Discovery initiatives.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Architect and design technical solutions and ensure technical quality and standards. This includes making architectural decisions and guiding technical design.
• Maintain awareness of relevant AI and machine learning advancements, research papers, and tools to inform project direction. Lead technical decision making and make judgment calls on technical implementation details and choices as needed.
• Lead technical decisions related to search, retrieval, APIs, metadata processing, and AI/LLM enabled features, ensuring AI-enabled capabilities are designed and implemented with appropriate attention to evaluation, transparency, privacy, security, bias, hallucination risk, and responsible use.
• Estimate and plan work, ensuring they align with the project's overall goals. Breakdown high-level requirements into tasks and estimating time/effort required. Assist with project planning and scheduling.
• Develop and review code written by other engineers to ensure it meets quality standards and aligns with design/architecture as needed. Ensure the reliability and accuracy of the AI-driven discovery features through testing, evaluation, and monitoring.
• Troubleshooting and problem solving. Helping to debug and resolve technical issues/problems that arise during development.
• Set and reinforce coding standards and best practices. Ensure consistent coding style, patterns, naming conventions etc. across the codebase.
• Support production readiness, including reliability, performance, monitoring, logging, error handling, and maintainability.
• Collaborate with the project manager and act as a liaison between technical and non-technical teams as needed to communicate project status and issues.
• Track and manage technical debt. Identify technical debt and prioritize its resolution.
• Ensure appropriate technical documentation for code, architecture, processes etc.
• Adhere to Harvard University's IT technical standards and best practices.
• Abide by and follow the Harvard University IT Code of Conduct.
• Other duties as necessary. 

Basic Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications are the minimum threshold a candidate must meet in order to be considered for this role.

• Minimum of seven years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

The following qualifications are strongly preferred. If you meet some, but not all, you are still encouraged to apply; we value employees with a willingness to learn.

• Minimum of two years of experience working with Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI) technologies including proficiency in data preprocessing and transformation, feature engineering, and model evaluation methods.
• Minimum of two years' experience testing, maintaining, or launching software products and minimum of one year of experience with software design and architecture.
• Experience with search, information retrieval, data pipelines, metadata systems, AI/ML-enabled applications, or related technologies.
• Experience with API-oriented application development.
• Familiar with fundamental security principles and secure software development practices.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical collaborators.
• Knowledge of Python and the FastAPI framework, React/NextJS and API tooling.
• Experience with search platforms and retrieval technologies such as Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, vector databases, embeddings, semantic search, or hybrid search approaches.
• Experience designing or supporting metadata pipelines, data transformation workflows, APIs, or integrations between source systems and discovery applications.
• Familiarity with LLM-enabled application patterns, retrieval-augmented generation, prompt/response evaluation, guardrails, and responsible AI practices.
• Knowledge of software development tracking tools such as Jira and GitHub.
• Knowledge of continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) software orchestration principles.
• Relevant working experience with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience working in libraries, archives, museums, cultural heritage, higher education, research, or other complex information environments.
• Demonstrated team performance skills, service mindset approach, and the ability to act as a trusted advisor.
• Attitude that supports an Agile working environment and familiarity with Scrum framework
• Knowledge of information technology applications, processes, software and equipment
• Highly specialized knowledge of a specific technology

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Please see the job posting for more information about this position.