Developer Team Lead

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Developer Team Lead

Job Profile Title

Application Architect

Job Description Summary

About Penn Libraries

The Penn Libraries provides a network of information resources and knowledge services that are vital to teaching, research, and learning at the University of Pennsylvania. This network includes 19 physical libraries, recognized for their collections, and a digital library known for innovation and richness of content. Through dynamic programming and exhibitions, and through the acquisition and preservation of literary and artistic artifacts, the Penn Libraries documents a wealth of social and historical periods, bringing scholarship to life at the University and in the various communities it serves.

Job Description Summary

The Developer Team Lead is a skilled, collaborative leader on the Digital Library Development team with extensive development expertise. Working in an environment that combines open-source and best-in-breed licensed platforms, the Developer Team Lead takes a principal role in creating software for multiple, complex digital library projects that provide access to resources crucial for faculty, students, and staff. The position supports a wide range of computing services that enhance and facilitate teaching, learning and research efforts of the University. Digital library development makes use of a full range of skills, including coding, technical architectures, application specifications, database design, and workflow analysis.


Reporting to the Director for Application Development, the Developer Team Lead supervises 4 developer staff, leads the design and implementation of applications that enable discovery and access to library materials, while also providing technical guidance to projects and other staff in the department. The person in this role will have a high level of technical knowledge and achievement that enables them to contribute to forming technical practices and software architectures for the department and mentor other staff. They work directly with stakeholders on Director’s behalf in designing solutions and lead project work to ensure that requirements are met, according to agreed guidelines and policies. They will recommend new technologies or ways to improve the performance of existing applications, and contribute to the life cycle management of library applications.

The Developer Team Lead operates with a high degree of independence and professionalism in managing job responsibilities, work priorities, methodologies, and routines. The position requires a readiness to research IT developments and tools, to apply the findings of research to design and programming, and in general, to bring best practices and the latest concepts in the field