Research Programmer II

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We are seeking a highly motivated Research Programmer II with a strong background in computer science, data management, and research software development. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary research team supporting large-scale studies that collect and analyze health, activity, and location data from wearable devices, including Fitbit and other fitness trackers. The position provides an opportunity to develop innovative software and data systems that support cutting-edge research and address complex scientific questions.

The Research Programmer II will work closely with researchers, IT staff, and other members of multidisciplinary research teams to translate research objectives into practical software and data solutions. The successful candidate will design and implement complex data collection systems, develop secure research portals and mobile applications, manage large research databases, and develop analytical tools to support research projects. Many projects involve new technologies and require software and infrastructure to be developed from the ground up to meet specific research needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with researchers to understand project goals, define technical requirements, and translate research objectives into practical software, data, and technology solutions.
• Design, develop, maintain, and document software systems that support complex and large-scale research data collection efforts, including data collected from Fitbit and other wearable devices.
• Develop and maintain secure research portals that provide efficient access to, management of, and downloading of research datasets for internal and external researchers.
• Develop, maintain, and test native Android and iOS applications for secure health and activity data collection from fitness trackers and other mobile technologies.
• Design and maintain databases and data pipelines for large research datasets, ensuring data integrity, reliability, security, and appropriate management throughout the research data lifecycle.
• Develop tools and analytical methods to answer research questions using health, activity, location, survey, and other research data.
• Work closely with IT staff to deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot research software, databases, mobile applications, and supporting infrastructure.
• Participate in the design and implementation of new technologies and software systems to address emerging research needs.
• Develop and maintain reproducible workflows, testing procedures, documentation, and technical standards for research software and data systems.
• Support data integration across multiple research sources and platforms, including wearable and nearable devices, mobile applications, databases, and research portals.
• Contribute to research projects by developing prototypes, conducting data analyses, preparing technical documentation, and supporting research publications and presentations.
• Apply creativity and innovation to solve complex conceptual and programming problems and identify opportunities to improve research workflows and data systems.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to researchers, IT staff, and other interdisciplinary collaborators.
• Provide technical guidance or mentorship to junior programmers and research staff.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing software to support academic or biomedical research.
• Experience working with large databases, research datasets, and survey data.
• Experience with Stata or other statistical analysis software.
• Experience working with health, activity, wearable-device, or location data.
• Experience developing mobile applications for Android and/or iOS.
• Experience designing data collection systems and integrating data from external APIs and connected devices.
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation in solving complex conceptual programming problems.
• Experience working collaboratively with researchers and multidisciplinary teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a closely related discipline. A combination of education and relevant work experience may be considered equivalent.
• A minimum of three years of relevant programming experience.
• Strong programming skills in Python and PHP.
• Proficiency with MySQL and relational database management.
• Competence to work independently on complex programming projects.
• Experience working with large and complex research datasets.
• Experience working with location or geospatial data.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze research requirements and translate them into effective software and data solutions.
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation in solving conceptual programming problems.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and solutions to researchers and other non-technical collaborators.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while working effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team.

Work Arrangement

This position is fully remote.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $106,012.83- $124,499.52. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

This is a grant funded position, with a 3 year (renewable) fixed term length.

About the Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR)

The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to discovering how people around the globe live, think, interact, age, invest, and make important, life-changing decisions. Our in-depth research and analysis are deepening the understanding of human behavior in a wide range of economic and social contexts.  Our ultimate goal: to improve social welfare by informing and influencing decision-making in the public and private sectors. Along the way, we are leading a creative revolution in how scientists conduct social science and economic research through the use of innovative technology.

About the USC Schaeffer Institute

The USC Schaeffer Institute develops evidence-based solutions to address the nation’s most pressing policy issues. It serves as a policy laboratory to develop and test ideas generated by the USC academic community, fosters civic engagement, and provides a forum to reach federal policymakers.

Established by an historic gift from Leonard D. Schaeffer in 2024, it houses three flagship programs: the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service, and the Center for Civic Society. Schaeffer experts have testified before numerous Congressional committees and are regularly sought out by media outlets—including the New York Times, NPR, Stat, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post—to provide insight on policy issues.

The Schaeffer Institute is home to more than 150 scholars and staff, including three Nobel Laureates and seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It has offices at USC in Los Angeles and at the USC Capital Campus in Washington, DC.

About the Sol Price School of Public Policy

Ranked among the foremost schools of public policy in the nation, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy generates uncommon knowledge for the common good. The school is composed of overlapping disciplines that generate innovative approaches to critical issues ranging from health-care policy to homelessness, and sustainability to congestion – to name a few. A wide-ranging curriculum, including extensive experiential learning, prepares our graduates to navigate problems that demand multi-layered solutions driven by critical, informed thinking.

The Price School, founded in 1929, is anchored by four departments: Public Policy and Management, Health Policy and Management, Wilbur H. Smith III Department of Real Estate Development, and Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis. The School’s rigorous academic programs provide students with the knowledge and distinctive opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their professions. Integrating classroom instruction with real-world experience and led by some of the world’s most renowned faculty in their fields, our students establish a clear pathway to successful careers.

Our academic programs are augmented by numerous research centers, institutes and initiatives that provide additional research expertise and experiences, notable among them are: The Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public; The Center for Philanthropy and Public Policy; The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate; The METRANS Transportation Consortium; The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics; and The Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. Together, they account for over $100 million in externally funded research grants and contracts.

Together, these departments and research enterprises provide unmatched breadth and depth to tackle an enormous range of challenges facing our country and the world. Price graduates hold leadership positions across diverse sectors – public, private, and nonprofit – championing the advancement of the common good. They come from around the world and from a variety of cultures and socio-economic backgrounds to create a rich intellectual environment that celebrates, supports and benefits from a variety of backgrounds and opinions.

Minimum Education: Master's degree
Addtional Education Requirements Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education
Minimum Experience: 3 years
Minimum Skills: Relevant work experience to provide strong technical knowledge of programming and analysis as well as senior or lead experience. Demonstrated ability to stand in for researchers as circumstances require. Demonstrated creativity and innovation in solving conceptual programming problems.
Preferred Experience: 5 years

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

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