Research Assistant Professor - Software Engineering

Research Assistant Professor - Software Engineering Category: Science Subscribe: New Job Alerts RSS Job Feed Department: Biological Sciences Locations: El Paso, TX Posted: May 27, 2026 Closes: Open Until Filled Type: Full-time Ref. No.: RREP-26-018 Position ID: 200927 Share About The University of Texas at El Paso: The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a Carnegie R1, equal opportunity, and community engaged university at the heart of the U.S.-Mexico border region that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education and economy of the community we serve. UTEP enrolls more than 25,000 students, 85% of whom are Hispanic and half of whom are the first in their families to attend college. UTEP offers 171 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, El Paso is set against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert in one of the largest binational communities in the world. A family-oriented community that is one of the safest large cities in the U.S., the cost of living in El Paso is very reasonable with an average home value of $224,000 in 2025, and Texas has no income tax. The region's rich culture includes a vibrant street art and mural scene, art galleries, a new children's museum and science center, the state's longest-running symphony orchestra and a full schedule of seasonal events and festivals. Sports fans will enjoy Division I college athletics, Triple-A baseball affiliate the El Paso Chihuahuas and professional soccer team El Paso Locomotive FC, and outdoor enthusiasts will be drawn to year-round hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing in nearby state and national parks. About the Department of Biological Sciences The Department of Biological Sciences offers two Ph.D. tracks (Bioscience and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) and has over 100 graduate students and over 2,000 undergraduate majors, including over 150 neuroscience majors. Biological sciences faculty maintain strong collaborative and programmatic ties with several other departments, including Psychology, Pharmacy, Physics, Chemistry, and Computer Science - the last of which also houses UTEP's Master of Science in Software Engineering program. The department hosts a vibrant neuroscience research community, with an active program in mesoscale chemoarchitectural mapping of the rat brain spanning experimental neuroanatomy, atlas-based data integration, and computational tools that preserve the spatial provenance of molecular and physiological datasets. The cluster hire described in this announcement extends these strengths toward an integrated research program on the neural circuitry of craving, reward, and addiction. This work is anchored by an NIH-funded Imaging & Behavioral Neuroscience Core Facility, which provides three-dimensional microscopic imaging of the brain at the microcircuit level, and is supported by multiple active federal awards in neuroscientific research. The department also sits within a broader collaborative research environment with access to core facilities in imaging, computing, and data science. Job Description: The Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is hiring a non-tenure-track Research Assistant Professor in Software Engineering. The position is one of four in a coordinated cluster hire - joining colleagues in behavioral neuroscience, brain circuit imaging and atlas mapping, and machine learning and AI - that will expand a cross-college team studying the brain circuits underlying craving, reward, and addiction. The hire will lead software development for an integrated rat-to-atlas brain mapping pipeline and its atlas infrastructure: the open-access atlas Brain Maps 4.0 and the recently released Chemopleth 1.0 spatial database. The role pairs naturally with UTEP's Master of Science in Software Engineering program, offering opportunities to mentor graduate student teams, draw practicum projects from the cluster's atlas work, and engage with the program's professional curriculum. The position also carries a distinctive responsibility in the current moment: as AI-assisted development matures, the engineer at the center of this project will supply the human judgment and anatomical-domain expertise that a production-grade brain atlas platform needs ? using modern AI tools where they accelerate the work, and pushing back, with rigor, on outputs that compromise spatial accuracy, anatomical interpretability, or release readiness. Position Responsibilities Lead the adoption of software engineering best practices for the cluster's research software development, including Agile project management (e.g., Scrum or Kanban), code review, automated testing, continuous integration, and release management. Architect and develop software components of the rat-to-atlas mapping pipeline, including data ingestion, processing, and visualization tools. Develop the Brain Maps 4.0 and Chemopleth 1.0 software toward robust public releases, building on existing prototypes with latitude to refactor or rebuild as engineering judgment requires, and ensuring interoperability with international neuroinformatics infrastructure such as EBRAINS and with Python-based community tooling such as the BrainGlobe Atlas API. Collaborate with cluster-hire colleagues in behavioral neuroscience, circuit imaging and mapping, and ML/AI to translate research requirements into reliable software and to support multi-modal data integration and atlas development. Contribute to peer-reviewed publications and federal grant applications describing the cluster's software, data, and infrastructure outputs, including the open-access digital atlas of brain reward circuits. Mentor graduate and undergraduate trainees to contribute their efforts to the research pipeline. Requirements: Ph.D. in computer science, software engineering, biomedical informatics, computational science, or a related field; or a Master's degree with substantial professional research software engineering experience. Experience with software engineering best practices, including Agile project management (e.g., Scrum or Kanban), version control, automated testing, code review, and documentation. Demonstrated experience designing and shipping non-trivial scientific or research software, evidenced by repositories, releases, or production deployments. Proficiency in Python and at least one additional language relevant to scientific computing or web infrastructure. Experience mentoring or training undergraduate or graduate students in software engineering practice, including supervision of student software projects. Demonstrated interest in or experience with neuroscience, biomedical imaging, or related scientific domains. Demonstrated ability to work in interdisciplinary teams that translate scientific and experimental requirements into reliable software. Preferred Qualifications Experience working in academic or research-intensive environments, including open-source scientific projects Familiarity with neuroscience or biomedical data formats and standards Track record of independent grant submissions or co-authored funded proposals related to research software, infrastructure, or scientific computing. Experience with web-based scientific applications, data visualization, or large-image rendering Experience with containerization (e.g., Docker) and cloud or HPC deployment of scientific software. Engagement with FAIR data principles and shared neuroscience infrastructure (e.g., EBRAINS, NIH BRAIN Initiative resources) Additional Information: Appointment: Non-tenure-track Research Assistant Professor. Initial appointment is for 12 months, renewable contingent on performance and funding availability. The position can be renewed for a maximum of 3 years; renewal beyond 3 years will depend on the candidate's ability to secure extramural funding. Salary: Commensurate with experience and qualifications. The salary will depend on the candidate's qualifications and experience and includes excellent fringe benefits. Hiring decisions are based on budget approval. In keeping with its access, excellence, and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment. The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee's or prospective employee's right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. Inquiries-including the filing of a Formal Complaint or reporting an incident-about the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, who can be reached by phone at ..., by email at ... , or by mail at 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX, Kelly Hall, Room 312. For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP's Equal Opportunity Office at ... . To the extent that this position involves research, work, or access to critical infrastructure as referenced in Executive Order GA-48, being hired for and continuing to be employed in this position requires the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. Application Instructions: A complete application includes: Cover letter describing research interests, relevant experience, and fit with the position Curriculum vitae Statement of research (maximum of 2 pages) Names and contact information for three professional references Up to three representative publications, preprints, or software/data artifacts Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position may be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Arshad M. Khan ( ... ). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Powered by