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Research Software Engineer

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MAFull-time / Temporary$90–122K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$90–122K/yr
Location
Cambridge, MA
Role Type
Research
Schedule
Full-time / Temporary
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive focuses on jobs in the United States, including remote roles you can work from there.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree, required

Job overview

The Research Software Engineer will work on the Connectome Annotation Versioning Engine (CAVE) infrastructure and related projects, building systems for biological and artificial intelligence research. The role involves collaboration with neuroscientists and multiple institutions on software supporting connectomics datasets. The appointment is for two years, with the possibility of extension.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Python, requiredSoftware Development Practices, requiredGit-Based Version Control, requiredCI/CD, requiredSQL Databases, requiredProject Management, requiredAnalytical Skills, requiredProblem-Solving, requiredOrganizational Skills, requiredDecision-Making, requiredEnglish Communication, requiredKubernetes, nice to haveTerraform, nice to haveMicroservice Architectures, nice to haveGoogle Cloud, nice to haveBigtable, nice to haveCollaboration, requiredCuriosity, required

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree, required5+ Years Experience, required

Full job description

Research Software Engineer

  • Job Number: 26235

  • Functional Area: Research - Scientific

  • Department: McGovern Institute for Brain Research

  • School Area: Office of Provost

  • Pay Range Minimum: $90,320

  • Pay Range Maximum: $122,080

  • Employment Type: Full-Time

  • Employment Category: Exempt

  • Visa Sponsorship Available: No

  • Schedule:

  • Pay Grade: 9

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Posting Description

RESEARCH SOFTWARE ENGINEER, McGovern Institute for Brain, to work on the Connectome Annotation Versioning Engine (CAVE) infrastructure and projects that interface with it. This involves defining requirements, iterating architectural specifications, and building robust, scalable systems that meet the needs of biological and artificial intelligence research. Responsibilities include programming, deploying, and maintaining software and infrastructure; identifying user requirements; engaging in planning and architecture discussions; writing thorough operational documentation; and debugging and testing code. The Dorkenwald Lab works on synapse-resolution connectomics. CAVE is a widely adopted software infrastructure for hosting connectomics datasets for proofreading, annotation, and analysis. This position provides the opportunity to make significant contributions to a project foundational to many efforts across the field, collaborate with multiple institutions, and to work closely with neuroscientists.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED: Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of experience; very strong Python programming skills; experience with software development practices, including git-based version control and CI/CD; experience with SQL databases; good project management, analytical, problem-solving, organizational, decision-making, and written and verbal English communication skills; and ability to work effectively and productively in a dynamic environment across all levels with faculty, staff, and students; curiosity about how the brain works. We are highly collaborative and seek team members who share our commitment to excellence, curiosity, openness, respect, belonging, and community. PREFERRED: Experience with Kubernetes and Terraform workflows; experience with microservice architectures; experience with Google Cloud and Bigtable.

This appointment is for two years with the possibility of extension.

Please include a cover letter outlining why you are interested in this position.

11/12/2026

How this job compares

Set against the 38,873 open Software Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 14, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$90–122K/yr
  • Massachusetts median$135–205K/yr910 salary ranges
  • US median$132–214K/yr31,450 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $106K, is 37% below the Massachusetts median midpoint ($169K) — in the lowest quarter of Software Engineer salary ranges in Massachusetts.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 1,086 open Software Engineer jobs in Massachusetts and 38,873 across the US. 8% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Massachusetts
Experience
This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Software Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (32,117 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 12,029 of the 38,873 open Software Engineer jobs (31%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Pay, requirements and demand for Software Engineer jobs

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 14, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.

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