Software Engineer II-III

Associated Universities • Albuquerque, NM

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), is a leading research and development organization focused on the study of the universe. NRAO operates state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities, including the Very Large Array (VLA), the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), for the international scientific community. The Observatory is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to join the Online Software Group, which is responsible for the real-time configuration, control, and monitoring of these telescope systems. This role involves translating scientific-domain parameters into hardware settings and commands for antennas and digital signal processing instruments. The position is based in Albuquerque, NM, Socorro, NM, Charlottesville, VA, or Green Bank, WV, with the possibility of a remote work arrangement for well-qualified candidates. This position does not involve direct hardware or firmware development but requires an understanding of these systems and real-time control principles.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, scientific or related field; highly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a Bachelor's degree.
• One or more years of experience developing software applications.
• Proficiency with Java.
• A solid understanding of object-oriented design and development.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and apply new software languages and unfamiliar domains.
• Understanding of networking concepts and technologies: multicast, TCP, UDP, HTTP, XML, JSON, REST.
• Experience with version control software, testing methodologies, and CI/CD.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with scientists and hardware engineers.
• Comfort working in a Linux (RHEL) environment.
• Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States.
• The Observatory presently cannot sponsor H-1B Visas for this position.

Nice To Haves

• An advanced degree in a related field.
• Candidates with progressively more experience will be considered for a higher-level position ranking.
• Relevant experience with radio astronomy operating software and procedures is preferred.
• Knowledge of radio astronomy theories and practice would be valuable.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership of complex data acquisition, scheduling, and operational support systems is preferred.
• Familiarity with C/C++ and Python is valuable.
• Experience translating high-level domain concepts into machine- or hardware-level representations — compilers, planners, schedulers, configuration engines, or similar systems that turn intent into instructions.
• Skill in domain modeling and in expressing complex validation rules and constraints clearly in code.
• Experience with distributed systems, or with control and monitoring software for scientific, industrial, or other physical instruments.
• A working comfort with mathematics and unit-bearing quantities — coordinate transformations, frequency and time calculations, and the care required to get them right.
• Familiarity with signal processing concepts, digital IF chains, or correlator architectures.
• Familiarity with basic astronomical principles, radio astronomy, or interferometry.
• Experience collaborating in an Agile/Scrum environment, including sprint planning, estimating tasks, and breaking down requirements into user stories.

Responsibilities

• Designing, implementing, testing, and maintaining components of the online software that configure and control the VLA, VLBA, and GBT in real time.
• Develop and extend the translation layer that decomposes scientific-domain observing parameters into the engineering parameters the hardware understands: IF-chain configurations, antenna motion commands, and digital signal processing configurations for instruments like VEGAS, WIDAR, and DiFX.
• Model the observing domain in software — frequency setups, subband and baseband layouts, polarization products, timing and integration structure — and implement the rules, constraints, and legality checks that determine which configurations are achievable on which instrument.
• Work from interface control documents and hardware specifications, in close collaboration with the engineers and scientists who own the underlying subsystems, to ensure the commands the online system emits are correct and complete.
• Diagnose and resolve issues that span the layers between a scientist's observing specification and the command stream sent to the telescope, often in collaboration with telescope operators, engineers, and scientific staff.
• Support the evolution of the online system to meet new observing paradigms and instrumentation, including work that informs and feeds into the next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA).
• Write and maintain critical documentation, including requirements, software design documents, interface control documents, and user documentation.
• Participate in code review, testing, and release processes for software that runs mission-critical, 24/7 scientific facilities.

Benefits

• Excellent paid time off (13 holidays, annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days)
• Medical, dental and vision plans are effective on the first day of employment.
• AUI’s retirement benefit contributes an amount equal to 10 percent of a qualified participant’s base pay with no required employee contribution.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level