Software Technical Lead

We have an exciting opportunity for a Software Technical Lead at the Digital Safety Research Institute (DSRI), a UL Research Institutes.

The Software Technical Lead will use software, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) skills to define and build prototypes of safer software application and frameworks for the Digital Safety Research Institute (DSRI), a UL Research Institute (ULRI). The Software Technical Lead plans the safer-by-design software applications based on need, communicates with transition partners about the problems and potential solutions, and leads a team of software developers to create open-source frameworks and prototype apps.

Underwriters Laboratories

At UL Research Institutes (UL), we wake up every day with a common purpose: to make the world a safer, more secure and sustainable place. Science is in our DNA; we are endlessly curious and passionate about seeking and speaking the truth. We take delight in knowing that our work makes a meaningful contribution to society, and we are proud that our culture is centered on integrity, collaboration, inclusion and excellence. UL stands at the forefront of technological advancement, and we are continually challenged to find new ways to foster innovation and positive change. Satisfying? Yes. Exciting? Absolutely!

• Essential Functions, Roles, and Responsibilities
• Provide safer-by-design software solutions following input from transition partners, end-users, and the software engineering team.
• Analyze existing software solutions, identify consumer safety risks, and explore solutions.
• Develop project plans, requirements, schedules and assignments.  
• Lead software engineering teams involved in implementing designs during the development lifecycle.
• Lead development and production of prototype applications and software frameworks in open-source so that they can be readily adopted by transition partners and other organizations.
• Ensure projects are managed to deliver on-time and within budget.
• Develop and drive software strategy to meet DSRI roadmap demands.
• Experiment with new basic research technologies that may result in safer software frameworks and development processes.
• Understand and provide solutions for safer digital apps.
• Work with the software developers to ensure the prototype app solutions are delivered via open-source to seed future apps/platforms and a safer digital ecosystem.
• Collaborate with colleagues both within DSRI and ULRI on safer software architectural solutions, as needed.
• Write progress reports, conference papers, and deliver presentations to stakeholders.
• Contribute to and/or lead other department specific and cross-functional initiatives.

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

Professional Competencies

• Excellent technical, diagnostic, and troubleshooting skills.
• Deep technical expertise for the technologies in scope.
• Stay apprised of technical trends in AI/ML.
• Complex problem-solving ability.
• Excellent organization and project management skills.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with a wide range of audiences, technical and non-technical.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

Experience and Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field.
• Experience leading technical software development teams.
• Experience of implementing software best practices and patterns such as microservices, CI/CD, Dev*Ops, Containerization/VMs, etc.
• Experience in creating API-first products.
• Experience working with internal open-source projects.
• Experience of commercial IaaS/PaaS.
• Experience of integration with 3rd party systems.

UL has COVID-19 protocols and policies in place to ensure the safety of our employees, customers and clients. Effective November 1, 2021, the company mandates that employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment (except where prohibited by law), subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law.

• Mission: For UL, corporate and social responsibility isn’t new. Making the world a safer, more secure and sustainable place has been our business model for the last 128 years and is deeply ingrained in everything we do.
• People: Ask any UL employee what they love most about working here, and you’ll almost always hear, “the people.” Going beyond what is possible is the standard at UL. We’re able to deliver the best because we employ the best.
• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here as we eagerly anticipate the next innovation that our customers’ create. We’re inspired to take on the challenge that will transform how people live, work and play. And as a global company, in many roles, you will get international experience working with colleagues around the world.
• Grow & achieve: We learn, work and grow together with targeted development, reward and recognition programs as well as our very own UL University that offers extensive training programs for employees at all stages, including a technical training track for applicable roles.
• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagementare eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans. a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Additionally, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you can work with your manager on flexible working arrangements. We also provide employees with paid time off including vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer time off.

About UL Research Institutes 

UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.

Our wholly owned subsidiary, UL Solutions, advances our shared public safety mission. We fund our work through grants, the licensing of standards documents and the business activities of UL Solutions, which conducts testing, verification and certification, and provides training and advisory services, along with data-driven reporting and decision-making tools for customers around the world.

To learn more, visit https://ulse.org