Software Engineer II-III

Associated Universities Inc. • Green Bank, WV

11d • $87,000 - $121,000 • 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 Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), supporting the international scientific community. The Monitor and Control (M&C) Software Group is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to contribute to the real-time observing software that interfaces with hardware, configures instruments, coordinates distributed systems, and monitors telescope health. This software is critical for enabling astronomical observations. 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 is a one-year appointment with the potential for renewal.

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 C, C++, and Python.
• 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.
• Proficiency with Java.
• Relevant experience with radio astronomy operating software and procedures.
• Knowledge of radio astronomy theories and practice.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership of complex data acquisition, distributed systems, and operational support systems.
• Skill in domain modeling and in expressing complex validation rules and constraints clearly in code.
• Experience with distributed systems, or with SCADA 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 monitor and control software that configure and control the VLA, VLBA, and GBT in real time.
• Develop and extend the interface layer that communicates with hardware and electronics: IF-chain configurations, antenna motion commands, and digital signal processing configurations for instruments like VEGAS, WIDAR, and DiFX.
• Model the antennas and associated hardware and electronics 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 each component.
• 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, alerts, and data the M&C 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 monitor and control 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.
• Maintenance and necessary upgrades of existing software, as well as developing new products to meet the challenges posed by new observing paradigms.

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