Software Engineer III
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 seeking an experienced Software Engineer to join the Correlator team within the Monitor & Control group. The team supports the software ecosystem for the WIDAR and DiFX correlators, including input data gathering, correlator configuration and control, output standardization, and cluster management. It also contributes to correlation-system design for the next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA). The role focuses on designing, developing, and maintaining software that interfaces with correlator hardware and associated computing systems. The engineer will collaborate with senior software engineers, electronics engineers, and scientific staff to refine requirements, design and implement solutions, and document and support systems in operations. Additional work includes maintaining and upgrading existing software and developing capabilities for new observing modes and instrumentation. Prior radio astronomy experience is not 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. The successful candidate will work in a research or development environment and must be able to operate a personal computer and communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Occasional work at high altitudes may be required.
Requirements
- 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.
- At least three years of experience developing software applications.
- Depth in at least one of the following areas, with interest in developing expertise in the other: hardware-oriented software involving custom hardware or instrumentation, device and network protocols, and real-time or low-latency systems on Linux; or cluster-oriented work involving compute clusters, distributed or parallel processing such as MPI, job schedulers, and high-throughput data handling.
- Proficiency in C, C++, and Python.
- Strong Linux skills, including networking and system-level troubleshooting.
- Ability to communicate and collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, including engineers and scientists.
- 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.
Nice To Haves
- An advanced degree in a related field.
- Java programming skills.
- Experience with monitor and control, real-time data acquisition, or SCADA/industrial control systems.
- Familiarity with OPC UA and MQTT.
- Experience with version control software, testing methodologies, and CI/CD.
- Experience with software engineering principles, Agile frameworks, and the complete product lifecycle.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain software that interfaces with correlator hardware and surrounding computing systems.
- Develop and maintain software to configure, control, and monitor correlator hardware, including low-level interfaces to custom hardware and the network and data paths connecting it to other subsystems.
- Support and improve cluster-based correlation (DiFX), including job management, data flow, and performance on compute clusters.
- Diagnose and resolve hardware and software problems in collaboration with engineers and operations staff, including during observing.
- Prototype and evaluate interfaces and architectures for ngVLA correlator monitor and control.
- Build tools for testing, simulation, and diagnostics, and produce documentation for users and maintainers.
- Maintain and upgrade existing software to support operations.
- Develop new software capabilities to support 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.
- Retirement benefit equal to 10% of a qualified participant's base pay, with no required employee contribution.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
