Student: Software Engineering Assistant

Space Dynamics Laboratory•North Logan, UT

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Space Dynamics Laboratory is seeking an undergraduate student to join its software engineering team in Logan, Utah. The student will gain hands-on experience supporting a complex software system used in a U.S. Department of Defense mission environment, working alongside software, systems, and infrastructure engineers to evaluate, integrate, test, troubleshoot, and improve software and supporting tools. The role involves practical engineering work across software development, Linux systems, automation, containerized applications, virtualization, and software deployment. Technologies in the environment include Python, Linux/RHEL, VMware, Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift, CI/CD pipelines, distributed applications, and other enterprise software and infrastructure technologies. Candidates are not expected to have experience in all these areas; the position seeks students with a strong Python foundation, curiosity about complex systems, and initiative to learn and solve technical problems. This is an onsite position in Logan, Utah. Students are expected to work 15–20 hours per week during the academic year, preferably in blocks of four or more hours, and may work up to 40 hours per week during the summer. Student employees may also participate in SDL's Student Scholar program, which offers opportunities to expand technical knowledge, extend work experience, and engage with the broader SDL community.

Requirements

Must be a Utah State University student currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or another relevant technical field.
At least one year of school remaining.
Proficiency and hands-on programming experience with Python.
Understanding of fundamental software development concepts, including programming, debugging, testing, and software design.
Ability and willingness to learn new programming languages, tools, platforms, and technologies.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to investigate technical problems with guidance from experienced engineers.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Detail-oriented, organized, and able to document technical work clearly.
Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of an engineering team.
Ability to work onsite in Logan, Utah.
Ability to work approximately 15–20 hours per week during the academic year, preferably in blocks of four or more hours, and up to 40 hours per week during the summer.
Must be a U.S. citizen and be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance and any required program access approvals.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Linux or other Unix-like operating systems.
Experience developing software beyond classroom assignments through personal projects, research, internships, or previous student employment.
Familiarity with software system design, development, integration, deployment, and testing.
Experience with Git, Bitbucket, or other version control systems.
Familiarity with containers or container technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, or Red Hat OpenShift.
Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as VMware.
Exposure to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) or other Linux distributions.
Familiarity with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, or software deployment automation.
Experience with Java, C++, web development, shell scripting, or other programming languages and technologies in addition to Python.
Familiarity with databases and SQL.
Exposure to distributed systems, APIs, or messaging technologies such as gRPC, Kafka, or ZeroMQ.
Familiarity with Jira and Confluence.
Academic, personal, or part-time experience working as part of a software development team.
Interest in software systems supporting space, national defense, or other mission-critical applications.

Responsibilities

Develop Python scripts, utilities, and automation to support software evaluation, testing, integration, deployment, and repeatable engineering activities.
Perform application and system evaluation tests; collect, analyze, document, and present results.
Assist with developing and executing software integration and testing activities.
Help investigate and troubleshoot software, application, and infrastructure issues under the guidance of experienced engineers.
Work with Linux-based systems and gain experience with enterprise technologies such as RHEL, VMware, Kubernetes, and Red Hat OpenShift.
Assist with automated deployments, CI/CD processes, test infrastructure, and configuration or development tools.
Evaluate software capabilities, interfaces, SDKs, APIs, and application hosting technologies.
Create technical documentation, evaluation reports, test results, and other engineering artifacts.
Use software development and collaboration tools such as Git, Bitbucket, Jira, and Confluence.
Work closely with software developers, systems engineers, infrastructure engineers, and other FORGE team members.
Learn unfamiliar technologies and apply them to practical engineering problems.
Participate in code reviews, technical discussions, and other software development activities appropriate to experience level.