Senior Manager, Collaboration Capabilities

HHMI Software Development Lead

HHMI is focused on supporting and moving science forward in a variety of different ways ranging from conducting basic biomedical research, empowering educators, inspiring students, developing the next generation of scientists – even stretching into film and media production. Our Headquarters is in the greater Washington, DC metro area and is home to over 300 employees with expertise in investments, communications, digital production, biomedical sciences, and everything in between.

The work housed here supports and augments the groundbreaking research conducted in HHMI labs across the nation. As HHMI scientists continue to push boundaries in laboratories and classrooms, you can be sure that your contributions while working here are making a difference.

This is a role for someone who still writes code, still reads the pull request, and is just as comfortable sitting with a finance or HR lead to work out what they actually need.

This role will lead a team of developers and analysts who build the custom tools that sit between HHMI's enterprise systems. Think workflow automations, departmental applications, and the platform behind the Institute's internal communications. The work supports administrative teams at Headquarters and Janelia, and it fills the gaps no off-the-shelf product covers.

HHMI is moving its collaboration platform and custom applications to a new environment and cloud platform. At the same time, the team is making AI-assisted development its normal way of working. This role will lead both efforts, and keep the lights on while doing so.

This role will work closely with Operational Capabilities leadership, Enterprise Architecture, the Everyday AI team, IT Services, Science and Investments Capabilities teams, and partners across the Institute. This position sets the standards, serves as lead architect for the team's solutions, and is accountable for what ships.

This position works on a hybrid schedule, reporting in-person three days a week to our headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

What this role will actually do

• Lead the technical work. This role will guide the design, build, testing, and deployment of secure, maintainable applications and automations. It sets the team's standards for source control, code review, CI/CD, automated testing, and security review, and holds the line on them.
• Move the portfolio to its next home. This role will assess every custom application and decide whether to re-platform, replace, or retire it as HHMI leaves the Microsoft 365 tenant. The position keeps a current inventory of applications, integrations, and vendor products, and calls out where Workday, Google Workspace, or the data platform can do the job without custom code.
• Make AI-assisted development routine. This role will bring tools like Claude Code and Git Hub Copilot into the team's daily work and define how AI-generated code is reviewed, tested, and secured. It will also work with the Everyday AI team to find places where agents, retrieval, and automation can replace what used to need a custom app.
• Decide what gets built, and when. This role will work with Operational Capabilities leadership and delivery management to take in, size, prioritize, and forecast requests.
• Be the technical owner for partners and vendors. This role will build trusted relationships with business partners at HQ and Janelia, and bring technical judgment to requirements, evaluation, and implementation. It also owns the technical side of vendor products and renewals, such as e-signature, document management, and event management, alongside business owners and Procurement.
• Build the team. This role will hire people whose skills complement each other, set high expectations, and help them grow. The position assigns the work, measures how the team is doing, and leads the upskilling on Google's platform, modern web development, and AI-assisted practices.

What we are looking for

• Still close to the code. The ideal candidate has eight or more years building web applications and workflow automation for business users, and can review a design or a pull request with real opinions.
• Leads through the weeds. This person has led a development team for three or more years. They have hired, coached, and handled the difficult performance conversations.
• Rebuilds while running. This person can move a team through a platform transition without letting service drop. They have worked on a migration or a large modernization, or can show how they…