Geospatial Software Engineer II

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

About The Position

The Geospatial Science and Human Security Division (GSHSD) is seeking research and development professionals for the National Security Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Lab. This role supports the development of next-generation software and data strategies for operational situational awareness products for Federal Government sponsors. The ideal candidate will possess strong software engineering fundamentals and innovative ideas in areas such as distributed computing, information retrieval, scalable storage, and data processing workflows. Flexibility and enthusiasm for tackling complex, global-scale challenges in spatial computing are expected. The Geospatial Software Engineer will focus on designing, implementing, and maintaining user-facing geospatial applications for research and operational solutions in domains like energy and transportation. Depending on strengths, the role can focus on frontend engineering (interactive web applications and geospatial visualization), backend engineering (API, data services, distributed processing, and scalable storage), or both (full stack developer). Collaboration with research scientists, product stakeholders, and other engineers is key to delivering robust, secure, and maintainable software using ORNL’s resources.

Requirements

B.S. or M.S. in Geography, Data Science, Computer Science, or related fields with a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience.
Proficiency in one or more languages such as TypeScript/JavaScript, Python, Java, C++, or Go.
Experience with modern software engineering practices: git-based workflows, documentation, testing, and code reviews.
Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to changing needs.
Demonstrated ability to present technical results to technical communities.
Excellent interpersonal skills with a strong commitment to a team environment.

Nice To Haves

Frontend: TypeScript/JavaScript and a modern framework such as React, Angular, or Vue; experience integrating UIs with APIs and building responsive, accessible interfaces (geospatial visualization tools such as Mapbox GL, Cesium, OpenLayers, or Leaflet are a plus).
Backend: Designing and building RESTful APIs and/or gRPC services; experience with databases and storage technologies (e.g., PostgreSQL/PostGIS, SQL/NoSQL, object storage such as S3) and data processing workflows/formats (e.g., ETL/ELT, Parquet; DuckDB/Zarr a plus).
Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, or similar container platforms/concepts.
Familiarity with software engineering best practices (e.g., Agile development, Git/GitFlow, CI/CD) and project tracking tools such as JIRA or Asana.
Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative and frequently interacting teams of researchers.
Experience utilizing open-source and commercial tools and approaches to solve complex problems (e.g., information retrieval/extraction, machine learning/deep learning, networking).
Experience working with geospatial data and processing workflows and assessing data sources for fit-for-purpose.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain software for geospatial applications and operational products.
Build responsive web UIs and geospatial visualization experiences; integrate with APIs; improve usability, accessibility, and performance (Frontend focus).
Build and operate APIs, services, and data pipelines; optimize performance and reliability; integrate with storage and compute platforms (Backend focus).
Own features end-to-end from UI through services and data layers; ensure cohesive design and smooth delivery (Full-Stack focus).
Work with researchers to capture requirements and translate them into software designs and implementations.
Write automated tests, participate in code reviews, and contribute to CI/CD following secure-by-design practices.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams through development, integration, testing, and deployment.