Jobs / United States / Harvard University
Software Developer
Harvard University · 🇺🇸 Boston, MA, US (Remote) · Remote
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 123 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 73 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Harvard University paid sponsored hires in similar roles1 certified filing for “Software Developer II” (Software Developers) in MA: $103k–$103k, median $103k. Most were filed at wage level II (100%) — 2 lottery entries, ≈31% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
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Sponsor Radar — Harvard University
The US Department of Labor certified 123 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 73 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Harvard University →
About the role
We are seeking a Software Developer with 1-3 years of professional software development experience who wants real ownership of production software and meaningful exposure to biomedical research. Under the guidance of senior developers, you will help integrate a natural-language conversational AI system for exploring biomedical metadata and visualizations into biomedical data portals, including developing APIs and packages to move visualizations in and out of these systems. You will work with researchers, designers, and engineers to build tools that allow scientists to efficiently query, visualize, and understand complex biological data through natural language and direct interaction with visualizations. This role offers an opportunity to develop software at the intersection of AI, scientific discovery, and interactive data visualization - contributing to widely used biomedical data resources and community tools. Core Responsibilities: • Develop and maintain web-based software for biomedical data discovery and visualization. • Participate fully in the software development life cycle across multiple concurrent projects. • Identify, triage, and resolve software bugs and performance bottlenecks using browser developer tools across multiple browsers and devices to ensure a seamless, high-performance user experience. • Write tests and documentation, and maintain reliable, open-source code. • Participate in code reviews, issue tracking, and iterative product development. • Contribute to utility tools for metadata management and file format handling for genomic, single-cell, and bioimaging data (e.g., VCF, BAM, BigWig, BED, OME-NGFF, Zarr, SpatialData, etc.). • Containerize workflows using Docker or similar tools for portability and reproducibility. • Deploy, monitor, and maintain cloud-based services supporting lab software and data portals. • Collaborate with researchers and domain experts to translate scientific needs into software features. • Contribute to academic publications, technical reports, and documentation for both lay and specialist audiences. • Stay current with emerging technologies in data visualization, AI, software development, and computational data science. • Abide by and follow the Harvard University IT technical standards, policies, and Code of Conduct. Basic Qualifications: • Minimum of two years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience Additional Qualifications and Skills: • 1–3 years of professional software development experience. • Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, shell scripting, and modern web frameworks (React, Vue). • Familiarity with REST/GraphQL APIs, CSS, and component-based design patterns. • Experience with automated testing, version control (e.g., GitHub), and collaborative software development workflows. • Strong problem-solving and communication skills. • Working knowledge of automated testing, version control (e.g., GitHub), and package distribution (e.g., npm, PyPI). • Experience with Vitessce, Gosling, D3.js, or similar visualization libraries. • Familiarity with WebGL/WebGPU or emerging visualization trends is a plus. • Familiarity with LLMs, natural-language interfaces, and AI-powered development tools to improve efficiency and enhance metadata-driven applications. • Background in bioinformatics data formats, molecular biology, or genomics/single-cell/spatial biology data. • Experience contributing to open-source projects is a strong plus. • Term: This is a 1 year term position from the date of hire, with the possibility of extension, contingent upon work performance and continued funding to support the position. • Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week • Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide vi