Software Engineer

The Pennsylvania State University•University Park, FL

7d•$121,704 - $231,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Software Engineer to join the Applied Communications team in the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. In this role, you'll implement and integrate advanced algorithms to support cutting-edge research applications addressing critical Department of Defense challenges. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes applications from transitioning military members. You will: Develop software solutions for cutting-edge research in communications systems Design applications, libraries, interfaces, and device drivers for diverse system-level requirements Implement and test algorithms across multiple domains: underwater, terrestrial, aerial, and space-based platforms Create signal processing software for advanced communication systems Apply your technical expertise to solve complex national security challenges Expand your skills into new and adjacent technology areas. Additional responsibilities of higher-level position includes: Provide technical leadership on software engineering projects Mentor team members in technical skills, project management, and business development Present technical concepts and project updates to external stakeholders and collaborators.

Requirements

Strong computer science fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, networking, distributed systems, memory management, security, databases, and hardware integration
Proficiency in C++ and C with strong object-oriented programming principles
High-performance algorithm design
Software architecture and infrastructure design expertise
Advanced Linux environment proficiency
Modern development tools: Git, GitLab, Atlassian suite (JIRA, Confluence, Bamboo, Artifactory, BitBucket, SonarQube)
Containerization and orchestration experience with Docker and Kubernetes
Understanding of mobile app and front-end UI/UX development
Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts
Demonstrated problem-solving skills with structured approaches to solution development
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
14+ years of relevant experience (if filled as Senior Professional)
5+ years of relevant experience (if filled as Advanced Professional)
U.S. citizen

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
Management of multiple concurrent projects and priorities
Signal processing and algorithm development
Cellular and/or wireless communications
FPGA programming
Database expertise: SQL, NoSQL, and/or Big Data systems
MATLAB, Python, and/or Java
CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
Translation of business requirements into technical specifications
ATAK or WinTAK plug-in development experience
Cyber compliance policies and implementation requirements
Offline storage, threading, and performance optimization
Additional software languages (Rust, Bash, JavaScript, HTML, CSS)
Software libraries (Google Protocol Buffers, ZeroMQ, FastAPI, pytest, React, Tailwind)
Software tools (AWS, Vim, CMake, GDB)

Responsibilities

Develop software solutions for cutting-edge research in communications systems
Design applications, libraries, interfaces, and device drivers for diverse system-level requirements
Implement and test algorithms across multiple domains: underwater, terrestrial, aerial, and space-based platforms
Create signal processing software for advanced communication systems
Apply your technical expertise to solve complex national security challenges
Expand your skills into new and adjacent technology areas
Provide technical leadership on software engineering projects
Mentor team members in technical skills, project management, and business development
Present technical concepts and project updates to external stakeholders and collaborators