Software Engineer III

Associated Universities • CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

7d

About The Position

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed and operated by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation, is hiring an experienced Software Engineer for its Online (ONL) group. The group develops and maintains telescope operations software that converts astronomers’ observing plans into telescope observations, directs telescope sequences, and produces intermediate data products for archives, scientists, and array operators. The role will support the VLA and VLBA and contribute to the design and implementation of online systems for the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA).

The primary focus is designing, developing, and maintaining software that carries out scientific observations. The engineer will work with senior engineers, scientific staff, and operations staff to understand observing needs, refine requirements, and deliver reliable software. Additional duties include maintaining and upgrading existing operational software and developing capabilities for new observing modes and instrumentation. No prior radio astronomy experience is required.

The position may be based in Socorro or Albuquerque, New Mexico; Charlottesville, Virginia; or Green Bank, West Virginia. A remote arrangement may be considered for well-qualified candidates. Work is typically performed in a research or development environment.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, a scientific field, or a related field; highly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a bachelor's degree.
• Three or more years of experience in software application development.
• Experience with Python and at least one object-oriented programming language.
• Experience designing and building distributed or event-driven software, including messaging between subsystems.
• Experience with scientific data handling, including data and metadata models and file formats.
• Experience with version control software, testing methodologies, and CI/CD.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including scientists, engineers, and operations staff.
• Willingness and enthusiasm to learn new technologies and programming languages.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States; the Observatory cannot currently sponsor H-1B visas for this position.
• Must be able to operate a personal computer and communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

Nice To Haves

• An advanced degree in a related field.
• Understanding of radio astronomy or radio interferometry concepts, such as observing modes, calibration, coordinate systems, and timing.
• Experience with Java or C++.
• Familiarity with scientific Python tools and astronomical software.
• Experience applying software engineering principles, working within an Agile framework, and participating in the complete product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain software that sequences and executes observations, including observing modes, calibration strategies, and scheduling logic.
• Work with astronomers and operations staff to translate scientific requirements into software designs and validate results against scientific needs.
• Work with the Monitor & Control group on interfaces between observation execution and hardware control.
• Support data acquisition and the flow of data and metadata to downstream processing and the archive.
• Prototype and evaluate architectures and technologies for ngVLA online systems.
• Support operations, including diagnosing problems that arise during observing.
• Maintain and upgrade existing software to support operations.
• Develop new capabilities to meet the demands of new observing modes and instrumentation.

Benefits

• Paid time off, including 13 holidays and annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans effective on the first day of employment, subject to eligibility requirements.
• A retirement benefit 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