Rapid Online Assessment of Reading - Full-Stack Software Engineer
Job description
ABOUT US
The Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) is dedicated to solving education's greatest challenges. Through rigorous research, model training programs and partnerships with educators worldwide, we're pursuing equitable, accessible and effective learning for all. The GSE is a top-ranked school of education, known for its prestigious faculty, rigorous graduate degree programs, and its impact on the quality of education across the world. The GSE is committed to developing leaders in education research, practice and policy. Our community includes over 60 faculty, 400 students, 230 staff, 14,000 alumni and countless individuals from the local and global communities that we work with and impact.
The Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR) is an open-source, online reading assessment platform that is designed to bridge research and practice. Our vision is to develop and validate a suite of efficient and automated online assessment for use in research and practice. This technology has the potential to dramatically change the landscape of research into learning differences and as well as educational practice by allowing researchers to rapidly collect data at an unprecedented scale and for school districts to efficiently assess students without sacrificing instructional time. More information on the ROAR can be found here: https://roar.stanford.edu/ ; more information on the Brain Development and Education Lab can be found here: https://www.brainandeducation.com/ ; and open-source or academically-licensed software projects from the lab can be found here: https://github.com/YeatmanLab
Core to our team’s mission are:
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Research-Practice Partnership model: Develop technology that catalyzes research while supporting practitioners. We envision a collaborative research model where stakeholders (i.e., teachers and administrators) are critical players in the research and design process.
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Transparency and open-access: Create technology that meets a critical need in diverse school districts and can be used under an open-access, not-for-profit model.
POSITION SUMMARY
Reporting to the Director of Innovation and Technology in Professor Jason Yeatman's Brain Development and Education Lab, the Full-Stack Software Engineer will design, build, and maintain features across the entire ROAR platform, from PostgreSQL schemas and Node.js services to Vue.js dashboards and student-facing assessment applications.
This is a generalist role on a small, fully remote (US, Pacific time zone overlap), engineering team with a frontend emphasis. The majority of upcoming work centers on dashboard modernization, assessment user experience, score reporting, and ROAR at Home, our direct-to-family assessment product. You will also contribute to backend services and API work as needed. We need someone whose primary strength is building polished, accessible interfaces in Vue.js, but who can confidently navigate the backend when a feature requires it.
The successful candidate will operate with high autonomy, take ownership of features end to end, and contribute to a codebase that directly impacts students and researchers across major U.S. school districts.
This is a hands-on, builder-oriented role ideal for someone who thrives in a small team where every contribution is visible and meaningful.
CORE DUTIES:
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Frontend Development
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Build and maintain Vue.js 3 frontends across dashboards, admin interfaces, and student-facing assessment applications using the Composition API.
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Lead dashboard modernization efforts to deliver a contemporary, accessible user experience that meets current web standards.
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Help build and evolve ROAR at Home, our direct-to-family assessment product.
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Implement score reporting interfaces and data visualizations for educators and researchers.
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Backend Development
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Design and build RESTful APIs using TypeScript, Node.js, and Express.
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Work with PostgreSQL (CloudSQL) for schema design, query optimization, and data migrations.
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Build and maintain platform services including assessment delivery, scoring pipelines, user management, and data export.
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Support data pipelines for research partners and school district reporting needs.
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Integrations & Platform Work
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Support SDK integrations with partner platforms.
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Integrate with headless CMS tooling for assessment content and item corpus management.
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Contribute to ongoing platform evolution including API design, service architecture, and cross-system data flows.
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Quality & Collaboration
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Write and maintain end-to-end tests in Cypress alongside QA team members.
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Participate in code reviews, sprint planning, and architectural discussions via GitHub Projects.
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Contribute to documentation, onboarding materials, and engineering best practices.
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Qualifications:
A successful candidate should have enthusiasm about the ROAR mission in addition to:
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Education & Experience:
Bachelor's degree and three years of relevant experience or a combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
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Strong proficiency in TypeScript across both frontend and backend.
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Frontend: Vue.js 3 with Composition API, not just familiarity, but real working fluency.
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Backend: Node.js and Express, with solid experience in PostgreSQL
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Experience designing, building, and consuming RESTful APIs.
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Comfort working across the full stack on a given feature, end to end.
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Comfort with modern AI-assisted development tools as part of daily workflow.
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Experience with Git workflows, pull request reviews, and CI/CD pipelines.
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Ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous environment.
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Strong written communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), particularly CloudSQL, Cloud Run, GCS, and IAM.
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Familiarity with Firebase (Authentication, Hosting).
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Experience with headless CMS platforms (Sanity, Payload, Strapi, or Contentful).
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Experience building data visualizations or reporting interfaces for non-technical users.
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Exposure to education technology, psychometrics, or assessment platforms.
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Familiarity with FERPA, COPPA, or student data privacy requirements.
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Experience working in a research or academic engineering environment.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:
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Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks, grasp lightly/fine manipulation.
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Frequently sitting.
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Occasionally stand/walk, use a telephone.
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Rarely writing by hand, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds.
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Strong visual acuity.
* - Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
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Occasional work on evenings and weekends.
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This is a Remote position.
This role is open to candidates anywhere in the United States. The compensation for this position will be based on the location of the successful candidate.
The expected pay range for this position is $84,645 to $100,000 per annum.
Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.
At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.
WORK STANDARDS:
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Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
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Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
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Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.
WHY STANFORD IS FOR YOU
Stanford’s dedicated 16,000+ staff, who come from diverse educational and career backgrounds. We are a collaborative environment that thrives on innovation and continuous improvement. At Stanford, we seek talent committed to excellence, driven to impact the future of our legacy, and improve lives on a global scale. We provide market competitive salaries, excellent health care and retirement plans, and a generous vacation policy, including additional time off during our winter closure. Our unique perks align with what matters to you:
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Freedom to grow. As one of the greatest intellectual hubs in the world, take advantage of development programs, tuition reimbursement plus $800 you receive annually towards skill-building classes, or audit a Stanford course. Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or leader discuss global issues.
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A caring culture. We understand the importance of your personal and family time and provide you access to wellness programs, child-care resources, parent education and consultation, elder care and caregiving support.
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A healthier you. We make wellness a priority by providing access to world-class exercise facilities. Climb our rock wall, or participate in one of hundreds of health or fitness classes.
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Discovery and fun. Stroll through historic sculptures, trails, and museums. Create an avatar and participate in virtual reality adventures or join one with fellow staff on Stanford vacations!
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Enviable resources. We offer free commuter programs and ridesharing incentives. Enjoy discounts for computing, cell phones, outdoor recreation, travel, entertainment, and more.
We pride ourselves in being a culture that encourages and empowers you.
The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.
Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources at stanfordelr@stanford.edu. For all other inquiries, please submit a contact form.
Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.