---
title: 'Senior Software Engineer - FTC at Public Library of Science'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-ftc-public-library-of-science-united-states-z4jb46fca05k'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Senior Software Engineer - FTC at Public Library of Science

- **Company:** Public Library of Science
- **Location:** United States
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-05-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/plos/jobs/4875647101

## Job description

The position is anticipated to be short-term, and not expected to exceed April 30, 2028. Please note that there is no guaranteed duration of the position, and your employment will be for no fixed duration.

*This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK and the following US states: FL, IL, MA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA

In the US, this is a union represented position as part of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, Local 39521 of the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America.

## Role Summary

PLOS is a nonprofit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. The Senior Software Engineer draws on a diversity of experience in software engineering, architecture, and lifecycle management to collaboratively design, build, and maintain modern cloud-native solutions to power the ongoing revolution in open science. A high level of motivation, independence and willingness to constantly learn and improve are necessary to be successful.

This role sits within the Digital team and is part of a team of engineers within the software engineering function.

## Responsibilities

- As part of a cross-functional product team, contribute designs, code, tests, code reviews, and excellent judgment towards the development and continuous improvement of our digital platforms.
- Participate in agile ceremonies and evolving development practices of the team.
- Contribute to the overall platform architecture.
- Ensure new work is delivered in alignment with said architecture.
- Establish and support development processes.
- Provide stewardship of the long-term sustainability of our platform and actively manage platform health and technical debt.

Knowledge and Skills

- Significant professional software engineering experience gained in a full stack environment, ideally with experience using Google Cloud, Python, React, Kubernetes, BigQuery, or similar modern technologies.
- Hands-on experience developing, shipping, operating, and/or maintain consumer and/or enterprise we applications.
- Demonstrated passion for delivering testable, instrumented, and reliable code.
- Strong track-record of using and improving agile software development and related design practices.
- Deep understanding and experience of at least one server-side language.
- Expertise in cloud native architectures.
- Expertise in data pipelines and event-driven architectures preferred.
- Expertise in machine learning and machine learning pipelines preferred.
- Solid foundation in secure coding practices.
- Solid understanding of client-side technology (CSS/HTML/JS)
- Experience with continuous delivery methods and technologies.
- Experience with using data to inform development decisions.
- Ability to collaborate with a variety of functions, personalities and cultures.
- Ability to actively listen, ask the right questions and see the underlying meaning in what’s being said and not said.
- Flexible and open minded. Energy and enthusiasm for learning.
- Problem solving in multiple domains. Resilient, proactive and creative.
- Ability to pick up new techniques and technologies quickly.
- Pragmatic while maintain an attention to detail.
- Self-directed and capable of working under minimal supervision.

## Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or related academic degrees and/or equivalent experience preferred alongside a strong background in software engineering.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

- Prolonged periods stationary at a desk and working on a computer.
- Some national and international travel may be required.
- Some flexibility to work across time zones.
- Rare but occasional after hours (evening or weekend) work.

The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is (US): $130,000 - $142,000 or (UK) £65,000- £73,000. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below.

## BENEFITS:

US:

- 401k with employer match
- Employee sponsored health, dental and vision insurance (Dental and Vision 100% employer paid)
- Paid Vacation, 11 public holidays and sick leave
- Parental leave
- Birthday and three winter holidays days off
- Short term and long term disability insurance
- 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year
- Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office

UK:

- Private medical insurance
- Life assurance
- Income protection
- Personal accident insurance
- Pension with up to 10% employer match
- 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave
- Birthday and three winter holidays days off
- 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year
- Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office

## About PLOS

Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst in open science, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge.

Our work is supported by a highly skilled global in-house team, partnerships with local scholarly organizations, and the valued contributions of a diverse, international community of scientific researchers.

We’re committed to equal opportunity

We’re working to create a more equitable system of scientific knowledge and understanding. Removing barriers to inclusion and facilitating broad participation of voices is core to our success, inside and out.

Beyond accepting distinct perspectives, we seek and support divergent backgrounds among our staff because we know differences strengthen our teams, our work, and our communities. We strongly encourage applicants of all identities to join us as we work towards a future where science is open to all, for all.

Visit[plos.org/careers](http://plos.org/careers) to learn more.

To learn more about how PLOS protects your privacy, see our [Employee Privacy Notice](https://plos.org/employee-privacy-notice/).

## About Public Library of Science

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: PLOS (Public Library of Science) is a nonprofit open-access publisher driving open science forward by transforming how scientific knowledge is shared, accessed, and reused across all disciplines.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Nonprofit organization; mission-driven, not venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States (Levi’s Plaza, 1160 Battery Street, Suite 225)
- **Founded**: 2000
- **Founders**: Patrick O. Brown, Michael Eisen

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Scholarly Publishing / Open Science / Academic Journals
- **Target customers**: Researchers, academic institutions, libraries, funders, and policymakers worldwide (B2B and B2C for the research enterprise)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice — working toward a future where science is open to all, for all.

## Products & Services
- **PLOS Journals**: A portfolio of 14 academic journals covering life sciences, health, sustainability, engineering, and technology. Flagship titles include *PLOS Biology*, *PLOS Medicine*, *PLOS ONE*, *PLOS Computational Biology*, *PLOS Genetics*, *PLOS Pathogens*, and *PLOS Climate*. All are open-access and peer-reviewed.
- **Open Science Tools & Policies**: Innovations in scholarly communication including preprints, data sharing mandates, open peer review, and reproducible research practices. PLOS actively engages in policy discussions and multi-stakeholder initiatives.
- **Publishing Services & Partnerships**: Works with institutions, consortia, and funders to develop equitable business models (e.g., institutional agreements, transformative deals) that enable broad participation in open access.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit; no valuation available)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of **$38.3 million** (latest data); Total surplus reinvested into mission
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Partners include scholarly organizations, libraries, funders (e.g., Wellcome, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Gates Foundation), and advocacy groups. PLOS is a member of OASPA, COPE, and the Initiative for Open Citations.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of **1,012 employees** (+11% YoY, +179 people); operates in **90 countries**; expanding global presence with staff in the UK, India, Italy, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and more. Active hiring in engineering, marketing operations, and publishing roles.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Mission-Driven Nonprofit Model**: Not beholden to shareholders; all surplus revenue is reinvested into advancing open science, which builds trust with the research community.
- **Pioneering Legacy & Brand**: Founded in 2000, PLOS launched the first mega-journal (*PLOS ONE*) and has been a catalyst for the open-access movement for over 25 years.
- **Global Reach & Community**: Operates in 90 countries with a diverse, international team and a network of 41,000+ LinkedIn followers. Strong brand recognition in academic and policy circles.
- **Innovation in Scholarly Communications**: Known for testing and refining new models (e.g., preprints, data sharing, open peer review) that shape industry standards.

## Strategic Focus
- **Open Science Leadership**: Driving adoption of open science principles through policy work, community engagement, and new publishing models.
- **Equitable Participation**: Developing business models that reduce barriers for researchers in under-resourced regions and disciplines.
- **Digital Transformation**: Under Chief Digital Officer Tom Scott (ex-Wellcome, BBC), PLOS is investing in digital technologies, data ethics, and product innovation to make content and services more accessible.
- **Brand Revitalization**: Beginning in 2025, PLOS is refreshing its brand to center its vision and mission more clearly.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Values**: A passionate, collaborative, and pioneering team committed to transparency and inclusion. Values include being inclusive, collaborative, pioneering, and transparent. The organization actively challenges inequity in scholarly communication.
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Global team with headquarters in San Francisco; likely offers flexible/remote arrangements given the distributed workforce (staff across US, UK, India, Italy, and more).
- **Notable Perks & Environment**: Mission-driven work with tangible impact on global science. Strong emphasis on employee growth, diversity, and work-life balance (work-life score: 3.7/5.0 on employee reviews). Compensation is competitive for the nonprofit sector (e.g., Editorial Operations Manager ~$106k/year).
- **Engineering & Tech Culture**: Active hiring for Senior Software Engineers and Publishing Operations Content Technical Leads. Digital product innovation is a strategic priority, offering meaningful technical challenges.

## Sources
1. [plos.org/about](https://plos.org/about/)
2. [plos.org](https://plos.org/)
3. [plos.org/careers](https://plos.org/careers/)
4. [linkedin.com/company/public-library-of-science](https://www.linkedin.com/company/public-library-of-science)
5. [plos.org/about/executive](https://plos.org/about/executive/)

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