Lead Software Engineer

We have an exciting opportunity for a Lead Software Engineer at the Fire Safety Research Institue, a UL Research Institutes.

The Lead Software Engineer leads the development and maintenance of software applications and a team of software engineers to support research of the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI). The Lead Software Engineer provides technical guidance, mentorship, and leadership to the team while collaborating with stakeholders to deliver high-quality software solutions. 

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!

Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI)

UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) advances fire safety knowledge to address the world’s unresolved fire safety risks and emerging dangers. As part of UL Research Institutes, we are committed to sharing our fire safety insights with everyone to advance UL’s public safety mission of providing safe living and working environments for people everywhere. Through advanced fire science, rigorous research, extensive outreach and education in collaboration with our international network of partners, we impart stakeholders with the information, tools and resources that enable them to make better, more fire-safe decisions that ultimately save lives and property. To learn more, visit FSRI.org.

As the Lead Software Engineer you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Lead a team of software engineers in designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software applications.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to the team, promoting best practices and ensuring high-quality code and software architecture.
• Collaborate with product managers, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to gather requirements and translate them into technical specifications.
• Define and enforce coding standards, development methodologies, and quality assurance processes.
• Conduct code reviews to ensure adherence to best practices, code efficiency, and maintainability.
• Identify and address technical challenges, bottlenecks, and performance issues in the software development process.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices, and evaluate their potential applications in the development process.
• Lead and participate in agile/scrum meetings, provide status updates, and identify risks and mitigation strategies.
• Foster a collaborative and positive work environment, promote knowledge sharing and professional growth within the team.
  Assist in hiring, onboarding, and training new software engineers, ensuring a smooth integration into the team.
• 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:

• Proven experience in a leadership role, leading software development teams and driving successful project deliveries.
• Strong knowledge of software development methodologies, design patterns, and software architecture principles.
• Experience with agile/scrum methodologies and project management tools.
• Expert in working with spatial/GIS data.
• Expert knowledge of working with/building APIs.
• Proficient inf building interactive web-based dashboards such as ELK, Shiny, and Dash.
• Knowledgeable in application security.
• Experience in working with public safety data.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to analyze complex technical issues and provide effective solutions.
• Solid understanding of software testing principles and experience with automated testing frameworks.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Experience with cloud platforms and services (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) is a plus.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

 Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in software development, with a focus on full-stack development and proficiency in multiple programming languages and frameworks.
• Experience leading software development teams.
• Experience with cloud platforms and services (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) is a plus.

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 Institute 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 our websites UL.org.