Lead Software Engineer (Senior) in the field of Accessibility

Are you interested in working with us to shape the digital future of the Universität Zürich to be barrier-free?

As a Lead Software Engineer (Senior) in the field of Accessibility, you will actively participate in shaping the technical implementation and further development of digital accessibility at the UZH. You will develop standards and best practices for accessible software development, support development and project teams in their implementation, and simultaneously participate in software development projects yourself. In doing so, you will work closely with developers, UX designers, testers, project managers, and other specialist departments.

Lead Software Engineer (Senior) in the field of Accessibility

Tasks

• Development of UZH-wide standards and quality assurance for accessible software development
• Elaboration of standards and best practices for accessible software development
• Anchoring the standards in design patterns, blueprints, templates, and development processes
• Evaluation of tools, technologies, and AI-supported approaches regarding accessibility
• Integration and automation of accessibility testing during development and in CI/CD pipelines

Accessibility Reviews & Audits:

• In cooperation with other accessibility specialists, you perform manual, automated, and AI-supported accessibility testing
• You assess applications regarding WCAG compliance and document and prioritize findings and measures
• You accompany acceptances and follow-up checks

Consulting & Knowledge Transfer:

• You advise project and development teams on accessible implementation according to WCAG and participate in design and architecture decisions
• You support developers, UX designers, and testers through coaching, knowledge transfer, as well as technical workshops and training

Software Development:

• You participate in the development and further development of applications of the Zentrale Informatik, particularly web applications and system-related scripts
• You design and implement functions and technical adjustments, analyze errors, and further develop existing applications
• Tests, code reviews, technical documentation, and the handover to operations are also part of your tasks

AI in Software Development:

• You use AI-supported tools to support software development and evaluate their use
• This also includes the critical examination of code generated with AI coding assistants as part of your competencies

Profile

• You have a university degree in computer science (FH, University, or ETH) or a comparable qualification and proven computer science knowledge
• As a software engineer, you possess deep expertise in digital accessibility, especially in WCAG, WAI-ARIA, semantic HTML, and EN 301 549
• You have experience in the conception, development, and testing of accessible applications as well as with manual, automated, and AI-supported accessibility testing methods
• You bring practical experience with accessibility reviews, audits, and screen reader tests, as well as with AI-supported tools in software development
• You possess expert knowledge of the WCAG standards, in a high-level programming language, with relevant accessibility tools, as well as in the use of AI coding assistants
• Experience with search engines such as Elasticsearch is an advantage
• You are characterized by consulting and mediation skills, independence, and the ability to communicate with non-technical stakeholders
• You have very good German and English skills (C1 each) in speaking and writing

We offer

Our employees benefit from diverse and attractive offers. Find out more at:

Work location

Zentrale Informatik

Information on application

We offer a demanding technical task with a clear focus on digital accessibility. You can improve accessibility not only in individual applications but anchor it through standards, automated testing in development processes, and the consulting of development teams in software development.

Further information

Questions about the position

Jann Forrer
Team leader

Working at the UZH

As the largest university in Switzerland, the Universität Zürich offers a variety of attractive positions in different academic departments and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional profiles for learners, the university offers an inspiring working environment in cutting-edge research and education. Put your talent and your skills to use with us. j4id10483023jm j4it1146jm j4iy26jm