Senior Programmer / Developer - Massey

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Mission

To improve the lives of all Virginians by delivering cutting-edge cancer care through patient-centered prevention and treatment; high-impact, innovative research; community input and engagement; and education and training of the next generation of researchers and healthcare professionals.

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran’s period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!

The university and the region

VCU is a public research university unlike any other, dedicated to serving the needs of students and patients. Inclusion is our heartbeat and it drives us to tackle difficult challenges others can’t or won’t. We’re home to creativity, teaching, discovery and healing. Our location in the heart of downtown Richmond, Virginia, means the nonstop energy of our city ignites our innovation and provides unlimited opportunities for our students.

About Virginia Commonwealth University

We are the university for Virginia. We know that the unique backgrounds and life experiences of the VCU community are what drive the university forward. Together, we’re forging a future that is built by us. Here, artists and engineers, doctors and designers come together to reimagine the human experience and tackle the problems of tomorrow.

VCU dates to 1838 with the formation of the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College, whose mission was to educate physicians in central Virginia and which was later renamed Medical College of Virginia. In 1968, Richmond Professional Institute merged with the Medical College of Virginia to become what is now known as Virginia Commonwealth University.

Located in downtown Richmond, the state capital of Virginia, VCU enrolls more than 28,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate programs across its urban campuses: the downtown Monroe Park and MCV campuses in Richmond; the Rice Rivers Center in Charles City, Virginia; satellite locations in Fairfax, Virginia, and Abingdon, Virginia; and a campus in Doha, Qatar, for the School of the Arts.

Ignited by the energy of the city, we’re ready to lead industries — or disrupt them. We seek out the unexpected, the experimental, the never-been-tried. VCU is designated as a research university with very high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation, garnering more than $500 million in sponsored research from federal and other agencies in FY2024. The National Science Foundation ranked VCU among the top 50 public research universities in the country, and we are one of only 69 public universities nationwide to be designated by the Carnegie Foundation as “Community Engaged” with “Very High Research Activity.”

This research enterprise, and the influence of having one of the nation’s top-ranked public graduate arts schools, ensures students receive unique educational experiences that equip them with a creative mindset that sets them apart.

VCU’s contributions in talent, innovation and entrepreneurialism, regional stewardship and local culture shape the economic impact and overall quality of life in the region. VCU as a whole generates more than $9 billion in economic activity. It is the largest employer in Richmond with more than 26,000 employees at VCU and VCU Health, and it supports approximately 58,000 jobs in Virginia. In addition, Virginia classifies VCU with a Tier III status — the highest possible status for universities and colleges — allowing VCU more flexibility in managing its operations to implement best practices and streamline processes. To learn about VCU’s finances, visit about.finance.vcu.edu.

VCU’s mission, under the leadership of President Michael Rao, Ph.D., is to serve as one national urban public research institution dedicated to the success and well-being of our students, patients, faculty, staff and community through:

●       Real-world learning that furthers civic engagement, inquiry, discovery and innovation.

●       Research that expands the boundaries of new knowledge and creative expression and promotes translational applications to improve the quality of human life.

●       Interdisciplinary collaborations and community partnerships that advance innovation, enhance cultural and economic vitality, and solve society’s most complex challenges.

●       Health sciences that preserve and restore health for all people, seek the cause and cure of diseases through groundbreaking research and educate those who serve humanity.

Welcome to VCU. A world unlike any other.

Benefits At a Glance

•  Continuing education and professional development for undergraduate and graduate tuition in addition to mandatory fees (except the transition student fee) for a maximum of six credits per semester;
•  28 University Leave Days, 11 State Holidays, and 2 Enhanced Community Service Leave Days;
•  Medical, Dental and Vision Health Benefits to meet the needs of employees and their eligible family members from the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as optional FSA; 
•  Participation in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and other retirement saving options;
•  Parental and Caregiver Leave, Short Term Disability (STD), Disability Insurance, Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance, and Employee Assistance Program;
•  Professional development opportunities encouraged and offered for employees as part of annual career development, e.g. certifications, seminars, courses, annual conferences, mentorship, etc.

Primary Purpose

The primary objective of this position is to support the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center's Systems Development and Data Analytics team by creating and improving analytics tools, tracking software, and custom business IT solutions. This role involves gathering business requirements, designing detailed system architecture, coding, testing, and providing ongoing support for IT systems aligned with the Cancer Center's goals and objectives.

General Responsibilities

New Development and Enhancements:

•         Design and develop healthcare-related data mining, analytics, and tracking software.
•         Create and improve custom IT solutions that align with the Cancer Center’s needs.
•         Ensure seamless integration with existing platforms.

Business Requirements and Analysis:

•          Collaborate with business users to gather and analyze requirements.
•          Translate business needs into detailed technical specifications.
•          Ensure solutions align with the Cancer Center's systems and platform architecture.

Software Development Lifecycle:

•          Execute all phases of the software development lifecycle (e.g., design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance).
•          Utilize various methodologies, including Agile and Rapid Application Development (RAD), as appropriate.

System Design and Coding:

•          Work collaboratively with senior architects on system design.
•          Independently develop and test software with high-quality deliverables.
•          Document technical designs and completed software solutions.

Support and Maintenance:

•         Provide ongoing support and maintenance for existing systems.
•         Troubleshoot and resolve issues promptly to ensure system reliability.

Documentation and Reporting:

•         Maintain comprehensive documentation of all developed systems and processes.
•         Ensure transparency and knowledge sharing across the team.

Other Responsibilities:

•         Perform additional IT-related tasks as assigned by the manager to support the Cancer Center's goals

Minimum Hiring Standards

• Proven experience in architecting systems involving large datasets and integrating third-party APIs with custom solutions.
• Expertise in Microsoft Visual Studio for application development.
• Advanced knowledge of C# and .NET programming.
• Proficiency in developing modern .NET web applications and services.
• Strong experience with MVC/Razor and the latest JavaScript frameworks.
• Solid expertise in Microsoft SQL Server, including T-SQL proficiency.
• Demonstrated ability in large-scale SQL database design, focusing on speed, efficiency, and best practices for diverse use cases.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills to effectively interact with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to analyze problems from a business perspective and translate them into actionable IT requirements.
• A commitment to fostering and supporting a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment, or a willingness to do so as a university employee at VCU.

Preferred Hiring Standards

• Knowledge of Java
• Experience with advanced SQL Server tools, including SSRS, SSAS, Power BI, and Tableau.
• Familiarity with healthcare data (e.g., billing, pathology, scheduling) and related domain expertise.
• Knowledge of HL7 message processing for healthcare interoperability.
• Experience with Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques.

About Richmond, Virginia

As the commonwealth’s capital, Richmond, Virginia, offers a vibrant mix of history, diverse culture and real-world opportunities. Distinct neighborhoods, cozy restaurants and cafes and quaint local markets give the city an intimate feel, but theaters, galleries, music festivals, sports attractions and a steady stream of annual events bring RVA — as locals call the region — to life. Established in 1780, its rich history can be seen in the architecture, the Capitol grounds and the cobblestone streets around the city. With the historic James River and 600 acres of parks bordering it, bike trails, wineries, breweries, a flourishing arts, entertainment and restaurant scene (Food and Wine called Richmond a “culinary powerhouse”) and affordable suburbs, this small city punches well above its weight in terms of attractions and buzz. In fact, Travel Leisure named Richmond the best place to live in Virginia in 2023 and Southern Living named Richmond one of the 20 best cities to live in the South in 2024.

Richmond’s location in the middle of the state allows for day or weekend trips to the beach, the Blue Ridge Mountains or Virginia’s many wineries. It’s within a two-hour drive of Washington, D.C., and a multitude of excellent institutions of higher education. The Richmond metropolitan area is also home to several Fortune 500 companies, a broad base of financial companies, hospitals and media firms, high-tech manufacturing companies and state and local government agencies. Entrepreneurs and artists put down roots in Richmond, and Thrillist named it one of the best U.S. cities for creatives in 2022.

Beyond Richmond, CNBC has named Virginia as the No. 1 state in the country to do business six times since the study began in 2007. It has accomplished this by bringing in billions in capital investment and thousands of new jobs; investing in education; expanding access to quality health care for all; making sure everyone has access to opportunity; and more. Business Facilities magazine named Virginia the 2024 State of the Year. Suffice to say, Virginia is full of growth and opportunity, making it the perfect location for a university determined to erase barriers and provide students with robust learning experiences that will make them unstoppable.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Please note VCU is not able to provide ongoing visa sponsorship for this position.

Massey Cancer Center
Masseyhr@vcu.edu