Software Engineer (Full-stack)

ITHAKA’s mission is to expand access to knowledge and education around the world. Our services — Artstor, JSTOR, Portico, and Ithaka S+R — enable people everywhere to learn, to grow, and to overcome barriers to education. In carrying out our mission, as employees we feel a deep responsibility to members of our community and to each other, and we are committed to building and sustaining a culture where everyone can thrive.

ITHAKA is looking for a Software Engineer to join the JSTOR Labs team. As Software Engineer, you will have a pivotal role in building the Transfer Explorer pilot application. The Transfer Explorer is a collaboration between Ithaka S+R and JSTOR Labs which aims to make it easy for students, school administrators, and advisors to see how earned credits and prior learning experiences will transfer and count toward a degree at a new institution. Building on a concept initially piloted at City University of New York, the team is now creating a universal version of the tool that will be able to help students everywhere. 

The Software Engineer will work with backend and frontend engineering specialists, UX researchers, and field-leading subject matter experts within Ithaka S+R to build the best possible Transfer Explorer experience for data providers and student users alike. You will collaborate with fellow engineers and our data integration partners at the DXtera Institute to create powerful and engaging user-facing tools that empower students to more easily navigate their educational journey, and enable university staff to make credit transfer more efficient and impactful. You will have the opportunity to contribute to both the frontend and backend of the application, building on our current technical stack of Nuxt/Vue and XState on the frontend, and both NodeJS and Python services on the backend, deployed using Kubernetes and backed by PostgreSQL databases. You will also work with policy and product researchers to use insights from institutional and usage data to play a role in deciding larger product features, strategy, and goals.

The Software Engineer will report to the JSTOR Labs’ Manager of Engineering and join a dynamic and creative team of engineers, UX researchers, and business strategists incubating a variety of novel products. Our engineers play an active role in contributing technical know-how and domain experience into shaping Labs’ new initiatives. Other work may include rapid prototyping sprints pairing with our team and outside partners, or rotating on to growing projects as they mature. As a member of the larger engineering organization within ITHAKA, you will have the chance to learn from experts in software and data engineering, machine learning, and systems architecture working on the leading-edge technology stack used by the JSTOR platform, and be able to have a large impact on the worldwide community that ITHAKA serves.

Application Requirements

Interested candidates should submit: 

• Their resume
• A detailed cover letter

The deadline to submit application requirements is Monday, September 29, 2025 at 10 AM EST.

As part of the Transfer Explorer team, you will:

• Combine your frontend and backend knowledge to create engaging and accessible user-facing features for the Transfer Explorer web application.
• Leverage ITHAKA’s technology stack to optimize and secure the application.
• Learn the landscape of higher education student information systems and the data needs of our student-facing applications.
• Use your deep knowledge of the data, creative problem solving skills, and initiative to identify opportunities for new application features and improvements.

• 2-3 years experience building interactive web applications in at least one high-level programming language such as Python, Ruby, or JavaScript.
• Knowledge of full web technology stack (e.g., HTTP, cookies, headers, caching, CDN, and security)
• Knowledge of at least one full-stack web application development framework such as Nuxt, Django, FastAPI, Flask, Meteor, Ruby on Rails, or other.
• Ability to work as a close and empathetic collaborator across a multifunctional team including backend developers, UX designers, product managers, and subject-matter experts.
• Commitment to our organizational values of belonging, evidence, speed, teamwork, and trust.

The preferred experience or skills listed below are valuable, but ITHAKA encourages candidates to apply if they possess the required skills, even if they do not have the specific experience or skills listed below.

• Familiarity with the higher education sector and student information systems; work with course registration systems, credits and program related data.

ITHAKA is not currently considering candidates who require any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States.

At ITHAKA we believe in openness and equity. Part of living those values is our commitment to clarity about salary ranges, so candidates know what to expect. The starting salary for this position ranges from $97,000 to $121,000 per year. Starting pay may vary with job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. At present, our total compensation package for benefits-eligible employees includes medical, dental, and vision plans, an employer-paid 10% retirement contribution, paid parental and caregiver leave, 22 days of paid time off, 11 paid holidays, up to 12 sick days, wellness benefits, and more. Please note that ITHAKA, at its discretion, may make changes to its benefits programs from time to time. 

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