Created out of a partnership between the North Carolina Central University School of Library and Information Sciences (NCCU SLIS) and the Princeton University Library (PUL), this position is only open to recent graduates of a Library and Information Science program at a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI). Graduates from 2025, 2024, and 2023 are eligible.

Designed to strategically address the information profession's lack of diversity, this fellowship program will give the successful candidate an opportunity to gain experience and skills necessary to thrive as an information professional. Princeton University Library is committed to making a positive impact for underrepresented and under-considered groups in Information Technology (IT). We partner with Open Source and Library software development communities to create solutions which enrich research, teaching, and learning. We seek to create and support professional opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups through our recruitment and search practices and seek candidates who support our core values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and respect. Princeton University Library will assist the Fellow in preparing for the job market upon completion of the program.

Reporting to the Lead Library Software Engineer, with regular one-on-one mentoring with a staff software developer and regular fellowship group mentoring, this position will be an integral member of the Research Data and Scholarship Services (RDSS) team. RDSS is a software development group that supports the teaching, learning, and research mission of Princeton University by developing and maintaining software for research data and open scholarly publishing services.

RDSS is excited to welcome new viewpoints, ideas, and perspectives from you as an early career software developer. Your experience is unique and itâ™s our belief that it will improve not just our software, but our processes and designs. Youâ™ll be part of a team which is eager to learn from you as much as youâ™ll learn from us, and which will collaborate to meet the vision of Princeton, its Library, and our team.

RDSS is one of three software development teams in the Library IT organization, working closely with Library stakeholders in addition to the IT Operations, Project Management, the Princeton Research Data Service, Digital Scholarship Services, and Assessment and User Experience groups, as well as stakeholders and collaborators in Research Computing and the Office of Information Technology. The incumbent will work with colleagues across the organization, focusing initially on learning the skills and tools required for software development, and moving into application design, development, testing, and maintenance.

Princeton University Library is one of the world's leading research libraries, serving a diverse community of 5,200 undergraduates, 2,700 graduate students, 1,200 faculty members, and many visiting scholars. Its holdings include more than 7 million printed volumes, 5 million manuscripts, 2 million non-print items, and extensive collections of digital text, data, and images.

The Library employs a dedicated and knowledgeable staff of more than 300 professional and support staff working in a large central library, 9 specialized branches, and 3 storage facilities.

Please note this is a term position.

Software development is an ongoing process of training, refinement, and collaboration. The Software Development Fellow will work with their team to develop independence in the following areas:

• Ruby, Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, and Javascript
• Best practices in software development
• Design principles and practices for software architecture
• Issue triage techniques and practices

As part of this training, the Software Development Fellow will draw on their own experience and insight to improve our training practices and documentation.

Throughout the two-year appointment this position will be an integral member of the Research Data and Scholarship Services team, working alongside other developers to build and maintain research data repository and discovery applications. This work includes:

• Development and testing of application features, improvements, and bug fixes.
• Implementation of software updates for maintenance, security, reliability, and user experience.
• Participation in regular team check-ins, planning meetings, and retrospectives.
• Collaboration with colleagues and product owners to specify use cases and define features.
• Communication with stakeholders regarding complex systems as well as processes and plans.
• Presentation at professional conferences, facilitation of workshops, or publication of blog posts that expand the impact of the department.
• Contributions to open source communities on which RDSSâ™s software depends.

• Library or Information Science degree from graduates of a Library and Information Science program at a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI). Graduates from 2025, 2024, and 2023 are eligible. Degree must be completed before June 5, 2025 start date.
• Demonstrated interest in software administration or development
• Capability to break problems into constituent parts.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with a small team
• Strong motivation to learn and improve
• Excellent written and oral communication

APPLICATION PROCESS

Our fellowship coordinators are dedicated to supporting you through the entire process. If youâ™d like feedback and coaching on your application materials prior to submitting them, please send your contact information via this form

About Princeton University

Princeton University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that stands in the nation's service and in the service of all nations. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.As a world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.Today, more than 1,100 faculty members instruct approximately 5,200 undergraduate students and 2,600 graduate students. The University's generous financial aid program ensures that talented students from all economic backgrounds can afford a Princeton education.

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