Programmer Analyst II

Location:  San Diego, CA

Schedule: Hybrid (3 days per week in the office)

The USC Keck School of Medicine - Alzheimer Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI), located in San Diego, California is an academic institute comprised of an expert group of scientific collaborators committed to advancing the development of new treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) through innovative clinical trials.

We are seeking a Programmer Analyst II to join our growing team. This role is ideal for a motivated developer who is passionate about building impactful software solutions in a research-driven environment.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Develop, test, debug, and maintain software applications based on design specifications to support clinical research operations.
• Collaborate with data managers, and clinical trials teams to understand project requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Enhance existing applications and implement new features to improve clinical trial data collection, processing, and reporting workflows.
• Prepare and maintain comprehensive technical documentation, including code comments, user guides, and system manuals.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to the development of best practices for software development and deployment.
• Interface with end-users and stakeholders to gather feedback, troubleshoot issues, and ensure software meets functional and performance expectations.
• Support the integration of third-party tools, APIs, and data sources into ATRI's research infrastructure.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of secure, scalable, and compliant systems in accordance with institutional and regulatory standards.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of development processes, including automation, testing, and deployment pipelines.

Preferred skills

Web & Software Development

• 1+ years of full-stack web development experience (front-end and back-end).
• Proficiency with Django and its security framework is highly desirable.
• Experience with modern web frameworks such as React, AngularJS or Cassandra.
• Familiarity with NoSQL databases and RDBMS (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL).
• Strong grasp of web service technologies (XML, SOA, REST).
• Experience with software integration.
• Commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Passion for building scalable, reliable, and high-performance applications.

Development Practices & Tools

• Solid understanding of version control systems (e.g., Git, Mercurial, SVN).
• Experience using Agile project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence).
• Knowledge of test-driven development (TDD) and continuous integration practices.

Cloud & DevOps

• Hands-on experience with AWS services (e.g., EC2, S3, Lambda).
• Understanding of ETL processes and data pipelines.
• Familiarity with Docker and container orchestration tools like Kubernetes.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI).

Data & Research

• Proficiency in data analysis using Python, R, or Pandas.
• Knowledge of clinical trial data standards such as CDISC, SDTM, and ADaM.

Collaboration & Innovation

• Strong communication skills and ability to work in cross-functional teams.
• Experience using Generative AI tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot) to enhance productivity and streamline workflows.

The hourly rate range for this position is $43.72 - $58.71. 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.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined work experience and education as equivalent Minimum Experience: 1 year, Combined education/experience as substitute for minimum experience Minimum Field of Expertise: Sound knowledge of programming and documentation procedures, programming methods, program flow charts and operator instructions. Knowledge of one or more appropriate computer languages.